Mark Donaldson VC: I’d go back if I was asked to

MARK Donaldson was deployed overseas 11 times before discharging from the military last year, but the Victoria Cross recipient claims he would go back to his former role if he was asked. LISTEN TO PART THREE OF THE PODCAST SERIES.

Mark Donaldson talks to soldiers during the Invictus Games in Sydney. Picture: Cameron Spencer

• Voodoo Medics - Part Seven
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MARK Donaldson was the first Australian to be awarded the Victoria Cross in almost four decades, but the former Special Forces Operator claims life before his 15 years in the military was ordinary.

The decorated Corporal sat down with The Daily Telegraph during filming for the Voodoo Medics investigation.

LISTEN TO THE INTERVIEW HERE

After joining the ADF in 2002, Donaldson was deployed overseas 11 times, undergoing seven tours of Afghanistan, two trips to East Timor and two to Iraq.

“Before that I was pretty much a professional bum,” he said.

“I used to chase the snow and surf around the world … before that I did a lot of labour work and labour hire”.

Mark Donaldson VC.

Donaldson remains sentimental about his time in the army and maintained he would easily return to his former role despite discharging in 2017: “My love of the job is huge. I still love it today, I’d go and do it right now if I was asked to”.

“It’s unpalatable for people to say, ‘you know what? I actually enjoyed that’ … However I still stand by the fact that I enjoyed it, I loved it and a lot of us did, we really did and I don’t think we should ever be ashamed of that”.

Mark Donaldson spent 15 years in the military before discharging last year.

The VC recipient was blown up by an IED in 2008 and shot in the leg in 2012.

Donaldson, who was wounded in action twice, has publicly praised the combat medics who he served alongside in Afghanistan.

“They’re there to save our lives. There are not many other jobs like them in the military that are so critical when that time comes,” Donaldson said.

“It’s not just the military side that they’re doing, they’re always doing this humanitarian element as well, which is something really unique to the medic role.

“To be able to help someone out and fix them up regardless of who they are, there’s something really special about that and I take my hat off to them to be able to do that.”