When Tauranga’s Katie Emmett joined the New Zealand Army as a chef, her mother told her she’d get the chance to see the world.

That prediction came true, with several international opportunities in her military career so far; the latest being a trip to Washington DC to cater an exclusive event.

Emmett recently returned from a deployment to the US capital, where she and fellow chef Sergeant Tyrone Broad catered a reception at the New Zealand Embassy, hosted by the New Zealand Diplomatic Service.

They were joined by two members of the Army’s Māori Cultural Group; Sergeant Tara Oldehaver and Captain Tipene Lee, who performed with NZDS staff in a pōwhiri, two haka and a waiata.

Emmett and Broad prepared a Kiwiana-style feast for about 300 guests, which included lamb chops, fish and chips and pavlova.

New Zealand Army chefs Sergeant Katie Emmett and Sergeant Tyrone Broad at the NZ Embassy in Washington DC. Photo / Supplied

“In the lead-up to the event we were spending 12-hour days preparing the food,” Emmett said.

“Afterwards we went out and everyone flocked to us to tell us how amazing it all was.”

While in Washington, Emmet had some time to explore and soak in the city’s history and see the famed monuments on the National Mall.

“When I was asked to do the task, I became a bit emotional - I really worked hard to get an opportunity like this, and I was lucky to receive it.”

Joining the NZ Army in 2011 made sense to Emmett; she loved playing sports, being part of a team and being a leader.

“My mum was a huge advocate for the Army. She said, ‘you get all these benefits, and you want to see the world, I think this is definitely something for you to do’.

“When I got into the organisation, I just tried to take in every opportunity there was.”

While Emmett hasn’t had many overseas deployments as a chef, being in the NZ Army has provided other international opportunities.

“I went to the Somme and Messines at the First World War centenary commemorations as part of the catafalque guard, I’ve catered deployments in Tonga, and I’ve been to Sydney for the Anzac 100-year anniversary. But this trip tops all of those.”

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