Her father fled the Taliban by boat. She became the first Afghan woman in the Australian army episode artwork

EPISODE · Aug 28, 2026 · 29 MIN

Her father fled the Taliban by boat. She became the first Afghan woman in the Australian army

from Global Roaming with Geraldine Doogue and Hamish Macdonald · host Australian Broadcasting Corporation

At age nine, Kbora Ali arrived in Australia as an Afghan refugee after her family fled Taliban rule. Less than a decade later, she became the first Afghan woman to join the Australian Army.In this deeply personal conversation, Kbora reflects on her journey from Afghanistan and Pakistan to suburban Adelaide, the challenges of growing up Hazara, and her determination to serve the country that gave her family safety and a future.She speaks to Hamish Macdonald and Waleed Aly candidly about belonging, identity, military life, and the deeply difficult choice she made to remove her headscarf when she first arrived at Kapooka. Now an Air Force flying officer, and co-author, along with her sister,  of her new memoir First of Her Kind, Kabora shares a story that sits at the intersection of migration, service, multicultural Australia and the enduring consequences of war.Guest: Kbora Ali, Air Force flying officer and co-author of First of Her Kind.Get in touch:We'd love to hear from you! Email us at [email protected]

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Aug 28, 2026

Embed this episode

Ready to play

Her father fled the Taliban by boat. She became the first Afghan woman in the Australian army

0:00 29:07

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

No similar episodes found.

No similar podcasts found.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of Global Roaming with Geraldine Doogue and Hamish Macdonald?

This episode is 29 minutes long.

When was this Global Roaming with Geraldine Doogue and Hamish Macdonald episode published?

This episode was published on August 28, 2026.

Can I download this Global Roaming with Geraldine Doogue and Hamish Macdonald episode?

Yes. Use the download control on the episode player to save the publisher-provided media file.
URL copied to clipboard!