Hera [not her real name], 18, had just finished high school when she joined anti-government protests following the coup. She has put university plans on hold to become a PDF platoon commander in central Myanmar. She says she was motivated to join the PDF after the high-profile death of student Mya Thwe Thwe Khaing who was shot during the February 2021 protests. Hera"s parents were initially concerned when their daughter began a PDF combat training course, but they relented when they realised she was serious.