Mindy Mackay had a successful career as an Electronic Warfare Operator with the Australian Army when traumatic work experiences left her struggling to function. Whilst doing rehab, Mindy discovered a love for jiujitsu that helped her rebuild her life.
I spent six and a half years in the Australian Defence Force and was not in a good place when I medically discharged. I’m so happy to say that today, I’ve almost completed my healing process and I’m living a great life in Queensland with my teenage son.
Like many people who join the military, I didn’t have a great family life growing up so I was looking for a career with structure, where I could defend my country and community.
I joined the Australian Army in 2003 as an Electronic Warfare Operator in Signals Corps. I really enjoyed the work and the opportunities it gave me. In 2008, I was selected to travel to the Middle East to undertake specialist training to enhance my Arabic linguist skills.
I have to be honest and say that trip was a huge culture shock for me. Women were treated very differently in the area where I was based and without going into too much detail, I found out the hard way that I needed to be hypervigilant to what was going on around me for my own safety.