On the first anniversary of the outbreak of the Libya conflict, Malta’s female Defence Director drops her guard for Pink magazine to talk about the behind-the-scenes action.

Vanessa Frazier, whose six-year term heading the Defence Directorate within the Office of the Prime Minister is about to end, talks about juggling the military and motherhood.

In the February issue of Pink, which is distributed with The Times tomorrow, the 42-year-old diplomat reveals how she wrote a will and left handwritten notes for her two children in a drawer when she led a mission to transport patients within Libya.

Ms Frazier may have 2,000 soldiers at her feet but she has never lost her feminine touch. Maybe it can best be seen in the detailed organisation of the mass evacuations from Libya, where the children were given soft toys and party bags; or in the strong human element behind the human-itarian aid.

For the first time, in Pink tomorrow, Ms Frazier shows how a woman can take on what is traditionally a man’s role and make it her own thanks to family-friendly measures that raise no barriers to women.

The fashion photo shoot of this issue also focuses on the softer and sweeter side of life, with a look that is dominated by pastel colours and a vintage and angelic feel.

The February issue includes the usual regulars: health, horoscopes, food, fitness, beauty, books, psycho-logy, homes, history and humour.

Pink is a monthly magazine, published by Allied Newspapers Ltd, printed by Progress Press and produced by Mediamaker.