7 September 2025
Squadron Leader Paul Collins has watched three step-children take up service in three different uniforms, each following their own path while carrying on a family legacy.
Lieutenant Riley Meredith-Vincent was the last to join, stepping into Army life in January this year as a specialist service officer.
With a mechanical engineering degree under his belt, he had turned down job offers that didn’t spark his interest.
He said Defence offered the challenge and variety he was looking for.
“I was the last one to join out of my family, so it was kind of a safe bet,” Lieutenant Meredith-Vincent said.
“After four years at university, I thought, let’s join Defence.”
Now posted to the Army School of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering, he is settling into Army life and already taking initiative – leading the organisation of an interservice futsal competition under the ADF Football Federation.
His twin brother, Able Seaman Harper Meredith-Vincent, took a different route, joining the Navy as a marine technician in 2019.
Now posted to Fleet Support Unit – West, Able Seaman Meredith-Vincent’s hands-on mechanical skills have found a home providing maintenance support for the senior service.
Their sister, Leading Aircraftwoman Darcy Meredith-Vincent, was first to enlist, joining Air Force as a military working dog handler.
Despite a lifelong love of dogs, she never had one growing up until Squadron Leader Collins joined the family.
He introduced them to the RAAF Military Working Dog foster care program, fostering military working puppies until they are ready to begin training.
'I have always been very positive about my service and I think it has provided each of them with a great grounding for the rest of their lives.'
In 2014, while studying landscape architecture, Squadron Leader Collins brought her to a RAAF Security and Fire School open day, where she discovered dogs could be her full-time career.
She joined the next year as a military working dog handler and posted to Darwin, taking part in “all the exercises you could think of”.
Leading Aircraftwoman Meredith-Vincent deployed to Thailand and Singapore in 2017 and the Middle East in 2021.
She has since transitioned into a personnel capability specialist role and said the stories of her adventures piqued her brothers’ interest in serving.
“I've always told them, join the Air Force, don't join any other service. So they clearly didn't listen to me,” she said.
“Despite being twins, they are very different. Harper is very hands on and mechanical – that's his passion. Riley's got more of an engineering mind, so they've picked roles that suit them well.”
Although they took different paths in Defence, all three trace the start of their journey back to Squadron Leader Collins.
He met their mother Desiree in 2013. By the following year, the family was living together and the kids were attending open days and formal events that would later shape their decisions to enlist.
“They’ve all chosen fields that interest them and they’ve taken advantage of the opportunities that have come their way,” Squadron Leader Collins said.
“I have always been very positive about my service and I think it has provided each of them with a great grounding for the rest of their lives.”
Over the years, Squadron Leader Collins and Desiree have travelled to graduations and postings across the country.
Squadron Leader Collins is proud to watch his step-children thrive in Defence, even if there are sometimes interservice rivalries.
“All the rivalries are good natured. Harper knows that the Navy is the senior service, Riley thinks Army is superior, but Darcy and I know that Air Force is best,” he said.
