GRP 93-Victoria Cross: The story of Mark Donaldson an SAS Trooper

Global Recon

John Hendricks

Government

4.8 • 592 Ratings

🗓️ 6 October 2017

⏱️ 86 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

GRP 93- It’s with great reverence that I introduce our guest for this week’s podcast. Mark Donaldson is a retired Australian Special Air Service Regiment trooper and recipient of the Victoria Cross. The Victoria Cross is Australia’s highest award for most conspicuous bravery, or some daring or pre-eminent act of valor or self-sacrifice, or extreme devotion to duty in the presence of the enemy. It’s the Australian equivalent to our Medal of Honor. We discussed Mark’s early life and motivation for joining the Army as he experienced a traumatic event with the loss of his mother at the age of 19. We discussed how one can turn a tragic event into a motivating force. We discussed the mindset required to train for and get selected into a Special Operations unit like the SAS, and how that same mindset can help surmount obstacles in life. We discussed leadership, the bottom-up approach, and the changing strategy and role for western forces in Afghanistan. This is part one of the interview. The second part will be released within the coming days. Three U.S. Army Special Forces Green Berets have been killed in action this week while on patrol through western Mali, in Niger. We’d like to send our deepest condolences to the friends, teammates, and family of these fallen warriors. 0:00- Episode Overview 6:36:00- Motivation to join the Army, and later the SAS. Using the loss of a loved one to drive you forward in life. 15:51:00- “The best way to honor my mates is to come back and live a good life”-Australian WW1 veteran 28:19:00-The mindset required to make it into Special Operations and surmount obstacles in life. Training for selection. 57:06:00- The bottom-up approach. Leadership and team building. “I’m the guy on the ground I decide what I drop”-British Special Boat Service JTAC to brigade command over the radio 1:09:00- The evolution of the strategy in Afghanistan and the changing role of the special operations units. This episode is sponsored by Abes Baumann a law firm that provides legal services and fights for the rights of disabled veterans. To learn about what they can offer you visit http://www.abesbaumann.com/vets Follow my co-host and my pages on social media. Links below. Global Recon: www.Globalrecon.net https://www.instagram.com/igrecon https://www.instagram.com/blackopsmatter www.twitter.com/igrecon https://www.facebook.com/GlobalReconPodcast/ Chantel Taylor: https://www.instagram.com/mission_critical https://www.instagram.com/altern8rv Music provided by Caspian: www.caspianmusic.net

Transcript

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0:00.0	This is going to be part one of the conversation that we had with Australian Special Air Service trooper and recipient of the Australian Victoria Cross Mark Donaldson.
0:09.5	For those who don't know what the Victoria Cross is, it is the equivalent of our Medal of Honor.
0:15.8	Three U.S. Special Forces, Greenberries were killed in Africa during an ambush on patrol in Niger.
0:22.8	This is this week's Global Recon podcast. I'm I'm I'm
0:38.3	I'm
0:39.3	I'm
0:40.3	I'm This podcast is brought to you by Abe Bauman.
1:07.9	For more than 20 years, their experienced attorneys have helped veterans across
1:11.8	the country get the benefits they deserve. No one fights harder to protect the rights of veterans.
1:16.8	Find out more at Avesbalman.com slash vets. That's A-B-E-B-A-U-A-U-A-U-N-N.com slash vets.
1:26.2	United States Africa Command, Afrocom, has announced that three U.S. Army Special Forces,
1:31.8	Greenberries, were killed while two were wounded in an ambush in western Mali.
1:36.9	There were also five Nigerian casualties.
1:39.3	Afrocom says that the operation was a routine training mission, not a combat operation.
1:43.8	Perpetrators are unknown, but there are several terrorist groups that operate in the region.
1:49.0	Groups affiliated with al-Qaeda and the Islamic State, they often operate in Western Niger,
1:54.4	as to numerous criminal gangs involved in smuggling and things like that.
1:58.8	According to New York Times, these are the first U.S. casualties
2:02.8	from hostile fire in Niger. American casualties of any sort have been few and far between,
2:09.8	in part because the U.S. presence is very small. As part of the trans-S. Sahara counterterrorism
2:15.3	partnership, the U.S. military provides training to Sahelian
2:19.0	militaries, including Niger's, but this involves relatively few U.S. civilian and military
	...

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