Major contribution recognised

As a teenage reservist studying at agricultural college, it is safe to say Maj Dominic Nicholl could not have imagined that 45 years later he would be an Army medical officer receiving one of Defence’s rarest honours.

Maj 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 Cmdr 1 Div Maj-Gen Ash Collingburn, during a ceremony at Gallipoli Barracks.

Maj 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,” Maj Nicholl said.

“My wife and I married when I was a young digger. We were both 20, and she’s still here with me.”

Maj 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,” Maj Nicholl said.

“So I ended up with my third choice – the devil you know – and I went to infantry.”

After serving three years in the infantry and one year in intelligence, Maj Nicholl applied to become an officer.

Following acceptance into general officer training, Maj 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, Maj 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,” Maj Nicholl said.

“I have always loved being up there on the edge, it’s exciting.”

Maj 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 perform, and whether they can deploy.

“Just because someone can’t carry a pack any more, doesn’t mean they can’t still provide capability,” Maj Nicholl said.