Flu priority for first woman general

New Zealand's first female general says she will accept the "dream job" on behalf of all women in the armed services.

Defence medical services director Brigadier General Anne Campbell said she was delighted to take on the responsibility.

"A long time ago it was a dream. Today it's a reality.

"I accept this challenge on behalf of all women in the Defence Force - all those who have gone ahead of me and all those that will follow me. It is significant in New Zealand history, it has taken a while but we need to be recognised as being part of this male-dominated organisation."

Brigadier Campbell, 48, a mother of two who has spent 26 years in her medical-military career, signed up as an Army territorial while still at medical school in Dunedin.

"It wasn't meant to last this long."

But because her husband was also in the military she stayed on as an Army doctor, rather than trying to move to a GP practice wherever he was posted.

Brigadier Campbell said the challenges of military deployments and two tsunami relief missions in the past few years had been rewarding.

She has overseen the development of the Army's readily deployable tent hospital and kept the list of civilian and military specialists needed to run it wherever it is sent.

Eighteen years ago, when pregnant with her son Joshua, she remembers having to make her own uniform maternity dress as the Army did not have any.

Her first priority will be to prepare a response to a flu pandemic should it eventuate, and she believes it will.

The military may be called in to assist police and, if civilian airlines are grounded, military aircraft may have to fly in vaccines and Tamiflu supplies.

- NZPA