A Papua New Guinea Defence Force cadet has set another history by becoming the first military cadet officer who broke odds to finally graduate as a military doctor and commissioned as an officer of PNGDF.
She is Lieutenant Lorrain Mai. Lieutenant Mai was enlisted into the Papua New Guinea Defence Force on 08th of October 2012 as a cadet officer and was successfully selected to Second Military University in Shanghai City in China. She was selected under a bilateral agreement with PNGDF and the People’s Liberation Army to study medicine and surgery. She began her studies in July 2012 and finally in July 2018 last year, she successfully graduated.
Last Friday, in a quiet ceremony, she was finally commissioned as a military officer with the rank of Lieutenant. She was commissioned by Chief of Papua New Guinea Defence Force Major General Gilbert Toropo.
Major General Gilbert Toropo said that this is history in making as for the first time a trained military officer finally graduated as a medical doctor in the army.
“I am proud to say that today it is very hard and expensive to recruit military doctors who are working outside to come and work in the army. Lieutenant Mai’s achievement is a great bonus to the force as she is already a soldier trained to become a doctor. She will take pride with her job, “said Major General Gilbert Toropo.
Lieutenant Mai is 32-years-old and hails from Agutamanda Village in Wapenammanda, Enga Province. She is the first of the four PNGDF cadets who are currently studying at Second Military Medical University in Shanghai City in China. The second cadet will be graduating in July this year.
