Daniel Kosez-Florence

After Leaving School in 2002 I started an apprenticeship as a vehicle mechanic and after completing that I was seeking a career change, so I applied and was accepted into the the Royal Australian Air Force as a Motor Mechanic in 2011. I was raised on Yuin country.

My career has seen me live and work right across Australia in remote communities and in cities. I have had various roles during my RAAF career, I have had postings to Adelaide, Tindal (twice), Newcastle, Sydney and Albury. I have had 2 postings as part of the Indigenous Recruitment Team and spent 12 months as the Indigenous Liaison Officer for RAAF Base Tindal.

I have a partner Chantelle, a Yorta Yorta woman and 4 children (2 girls and 2 boys) who are my greatest achievements, they haven’t known anything but a life within the ADF and I love that they get to see and travel with me around Australia.

Some career highlights for me would have to be being part of the first Indigenous ADF Rugby League Team where I got to meet many other Indigenous members from the Navy and Army. The other is while I was working as the ILO for RAAF Tindal, I was able to take a group of RAAF personnel to Kalkarindji for the ‘Freedom Festival’, where we were able to learn and embrace the culture of the Gurindji people.