Mark L. Donald, Battle Ready: Memoir of a SEAL Warrior Medic

The most decorated Physician Assistant in the history of the United States Navy and one of the highest decorated combat veterans of the Afghan and Iraq wars, former Navy SEAL Mark Donald shares his unique experiences as a warrior and  medical officer. Sponsored by Women for Wounded Warriors.

Navy Cross, Silver Star, Bronze Star, and Purple Heart recipient Mark Donald, a former Navy SEAL lieutenant, served his country with valorous distinction  for almost 25 years, surviving some of the most dangerous combat actions imaginable.

From the rigors of BUD/S training to the horrors of the battlefield, Battle Ready dramatically immerses the reader in the unique life of the elite warrior-medic who advances into combat with life-saving equipment in one hand and life-taking weapons in the other. It is also an uplifting human story that reveals how a young Hispanic-American bootstrapped himself out of a life that promised a dead-end future by enlisting in the military. That new life begins with the Marines and includes his heroic achievements on the battlefield and the operating table, and finally, of his inspirational triumph over the demons caused by Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder that threatened to destroy him and his family.

MARK L. DONALD, the son of a retired U.S. Army Warrant Officer and a Mexican mother, enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps before transferring to the Navy to train as a Corpsman. He subsequently completed Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training and served as a Navy SEAL until 1996, when he was selected for the Intra-service Physician Assistant Program. He graduated from the University of Nebraska and was commissioned a Medical Service Corps officer. Following the September 11 terrorist attacks, he was assigned as operational medical support to special operations where he served in a number of capacities until his retirement. Donald was awarded the Navy Cross—the highest medal awarded by the Department of the Navy—for extraordinary heroism while engaged in enemy action against al-Qaeda fighters in southern Afghanistan. He lives in Hampton Roads, Virginia where he manages and co-owns JIC Global — a service-disabled veteran-owned consulting firm specializing in global health, workforce development and cross-cultural strategies.