A FLINTSHIRE woman has spoken about how her military career has shaped her into the confident woman she is today.

Fern Davies, who grew up in Holywell, has spoken about how joining the army in 2014 has changed her life in ways she could not have imaged when signing up in her teens.

She said: “I was 16-years-old and at college in Wrexham unsure of what I wanted to do afterwards. My friends were looking into uni, doing apprenticeships and applying for jobs and I just felt a little bit lost.

“The army careers office was just over the road from college, so I went across and looked into the options available and ended up leaving with an application form in hand thinking that it was the absolute perfect career for me.

“I did consider joining the Navy, but I was drawn to the army because of all the opportunities that I would not have thought about or even knew they offered and how the progression worked.”

Miss Davies – a self-confessed girly girl – told the Leader how she turned up to her first day of training at the age of 17 in a pair of high heels.

The former Ysgol Treffynnon pupil said: “I soon learnt that you could not march in heels, but I am proud of myself for sticking it out and getting involved in as much as I could because it really has made me the person that I am today.

“I am very grateful for the experiences I have had in the army as I am now much more confident in myself and all in all a much happier person for making the decision to join.”

Six years on, at the age of 23, Miss Davies is now working as a lance corporal based in Wiltshire where she must supervise a small team.

When asked about her proudest moment in the army, Fern said that was when she was tasked to go on her first overseas deployment to Oman.

Describing the experience, she said: “I’d never been on a deployment before so I wasn’t sure what to expect.

“It was so surreal just being surrounded by total desert but to see a fully functioning hospital built in that environment from tents is just incredible and I couldn’t actually believe how much of an impact our job was having on that area supplying medicine and equipment to help real people with real injuries.”

She also added that she had enjoyed a successful run at netball – a sport that she had been playing since the age of eight and an aspect of army life that piqued her interest in joining when enquiring as a teenager.

Fern went as far as representing Wales at the Commonwealth Games whilst serving as a soldier.

Looking back on her career so far, Fern said she would one hundred per cent encourage people who are considering joining the army to give it a chance.

She said: “I would tell anyone who is thinking about joining to give it a chance and go for it. The army has made me who I am today, and I will be forever thankful.

“It would be amazing if my story can inspire even one person to join up as it goes to shows that you can find your potential to grow and become the best version of yourself in the most unlikely of places.”