As a teenage reservist studying at agricultural college, it is safe to say Major Dominic Nicholl could not have imagined that 45 years later he would be an Army medical officer receiving one of Defence's rarest honours.
Major Nicholl's extraordinary career in Army was formally recognised in April when he was awarded his second Federation Star.
The sixth clasp to the Defence Long Service Medal was presented by Commander 1st (Australian) Division Major General Ash Collingburn during a ceremony at Gallipoli Barracks, Brisbane.
Major Nicholl's family were there by his side, just as they have been for the duration of his impressive career.
"I've been very lucky to have such a strong family to help carry me through," Major Nicholl said.
"My wife and I married when I was a young digger. We were both 20, and she's still here with me."
Major Nicholl enlisted as a reservist in 1980 while studying at the Queensland Agricultural College, transferring to the regular Army 11 months later.
"I wanted to join signals or engineers, but those were for guys who had already been corps enlisted," Major Nicholl said.
"So I ended up with my third choice - the devil you know - and I went to infantry."
'I've been very lucky to have such a strong family to help carry me through.'
After serving three years in the infantry and one year in intelligence, Major Nicholl applied to become an officer.
Following acceptance into general officer training, Major Nicholl graduated from Royal Military College - Duntroon in 1986 where he was awarded the Queen's Medal for the best overall officer performance in his graduating class, before being assigned to the Royal Australian Army Medical Corps.
He has gone on to serve in numerous corps and non-corps postings around Australia, including operational service overseas in Somalia, East Timor and the Philippines.
Reflecting on his career, Major Nicholl said he enjoyed the challenging aspects of his job, especially in the Medical Corps where there was always something to do and something new to learn.
"The times I found the most challenging were actually the quiet postings," Major Nicholl said.
"I have always loved being up there on the edge, it's exciting."
Major Nicholl continues to serve with the Medical Employment Category Advisory and Review Service (MECARS), helping soldiers continue serving.
MECARS reviews complex medical cases and provides expert advice to help decide what duties an ADF member can safely perform, and whether they can deploy.
"Just because someone can't carry a pack anymore, doesn't mean they can't still provide capability," Major Nicholl said.
