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Master Warrant Officer (Ret-d) W. K. (Willy) MacDonald

Master Warrant Officer (Ret-d) W. K. (Willy) MacDonald
W. K. (Willy) MacDonald, SMV, CD, grew up in Regina, Saskatchewan, and served with the Canadian Armed Forces for 25 years. During his career, Willy deployed operationally a total of six times, to Bosnia, Kosovo, and Afghanistan. In 2008, Willy was awarded the Star of Military Valour for “Leadership and courage under sustained and intense enemy fire” while in Afghanistan, and in 2009, he was awarded the Star of Military Valour. Willy retired from the CAF in January 2015 and lives with his wife and son in Calgary.

Videos
Recognizing the difficulties in recognizing and treating PTSD and mental health challenges
The problem of assuming we all must have PTSD
In most cases the CAF takes care of its people
Ways of dealing with trauma and PTSD
It’s common to create your own narrative about trauma
In battle you don’t have time to grieve those who have been lost or injured
If I can save one 12 year old girl, then what we’ve done is important
Trying to figure out how to live outside of the structure of the CAF
There are often difficult hurdles for those in the reserves when they leave the military
It is important to advocate for yourself when you retire
What’s happened to the children I’ve encountered?
Ultimately it is about whether I have lived a good life
Resilience is born out of experience
My difficult return from Afghanistan
When you retire you lose some of the care from your tight-knit group
You have to leave knowing you are replaceable
Retiring was a difficult decision
My career in the military informed my identity
How I dealt with survivor's guilt
Questioning whether we did anything good in Afghanistan
I tend to use dark humour with colleagues who have been injured
Remembering a fallen colleague in a meaningful way
Sharing tears with a fallen hero’s parents