The first ever graduation for the students of AUT's Diploma of Paramedic Science and Graduate Diploma of Health Science at the Defence Force Health School (DHS) in Burnham Camp will take place next Tuesday.

63 young men and women will proudly walk out in front of friends and family, Senior Defence Force Officers and veterans of Defence Force health services in the completion of the first qualification in their two and half year medic course.

Graduates hail from all over the country and are drawn from all three services; Army, Navy and Air Force.

Chief Instructor of DHS (NZ) Major Brendan Wood notes that, "This graduation was meant to occur in February last year; however when the earthquake hit staff and students were engaged into support activities and were working alongside emergency services so the 2011 ceremony was cancelled."

The new programme came into fruition in January 2010 and is now fully integrated into the Defence training regime

This is the only training programme of its kind in the world and prepares NZ Defence force medics for operations at a world class level

This training provides the Defence Force with medics who hold both appropriate academic qualifications as well as meeting an equivalent standard to civilian sector," says Major Wood.