30 July 2025
“Buckets verses tanks” sums up the sibling rivalry between 3rd Brigade’s brother-and-sister duo Captain Gabbi Ross, of the 3rd Battalion, and Major Ben Sheppard, of the 2nd Cavalry Regiment.
Captain Ross enlisted in the Army Reserve in 2020. While conducting a university placement, she realised life at a desk probably wasn’t for her and decided to transfer to full-time service in the Royal Australian Infantry Corps in 2024.
“I was doing a law degree placement which just wasn't for me at the time, I was really enjoying infantry in the Reserve and I’d been thinking about it for a couple years … so I decided to come across,” she said.
With her brother already serving in the Armoured Corps, and parents who had served in signals, education and infantry, Captain Ross was focused on a career in infantry, and she had her eye set on Townsville’s 3rd Battalion, the Royal Australian Regiment (3RAR).
“I was looking at engineers initially, but once we started getting into the build phases of the reserve training block, I knew infantry was where I wanted to be,” she said.
“I always wanted to go 3RAR because my dad served there, it has a good culture I just love it, and once I got into mechanised infantry I loved that as well.”
'It's nice to have a friendly face that you can be yourself around and take a mental break from whatever’s going on and just have a chat.'
Working at different units within Australia’s largest combat brigade, Major Sheppard and Captain Ross don’t often cross paths, but during Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025 they worked side-by-side as part of Battlegroup Kapyong.
“We'll talk to each other on the battle group command net, it’s quite funny when your sister’s on the other end, or having your sister in orders group,” Major Sheppard said.
Both said they enjoyed working together and, although covered in cam paint, liked having a familiar face around.
“It can be arduous out here under the training conditions,” Major Sheppard said. “It's nice to have a friendly face that you can be yourself around and take a mental break from whatever’s going on and just have a chat.”
Captain Ross agreed.
“Because I'm still junior in my career compared to where Ben is, being able to go to him and seek advice on different things has been really good, a bit of in-house mentoring,” she said.
In 2026 Captain Ross will post to the school of armour as an instructor, a milestone in her career and for 3RAR as they undergo a transformation to become the Australian Army’s first armoured infantry battalion.
It’s clear that her big brother is immensely proud and is invested in watching her career continue to excel, even if it is in the infantry.
'It’s always going to be buckets [M113 Armoured Personnel Carrier] vs tanks!'
“I think Gabbi’s got a really unique opportunity, and given that opportunity on merit,” Major Sheppard said.
“She has experience in a mechanised battalion and then going down to the school of armour during a pivotal time of change in Army with the heavy armour capability system, I think she's uniquely poised to steward it forward at the tactical level.”
With healthy competition between their chosen corps, both remain steadfast in their roles and are looking towards the future.
“I’m focused on advocating for the role of tank, understanding how we can adapt to the changing character of war and begin to train in that way, so that we're ready to do whatever is required of us in the future,” Major Sheppard said.
Captain Ross was equally focused.
“I really enjoy my role, especially mechanised because it’s fast paced, I don’t get bored,” she said.
“He does bring it up a lot, ‘I know you’re going to transfer, I know you're going to do it’, but at this stage, definitely not, I’m very happy here.
“It’s always going to be buckets [M113 Armoured Personnel Carrier] vs tanks!”
