'A rollercoaster': Anzac reflects on time as a commando in Afghanistan

The Wangi Wangi resident served with the 2nd Commando Regiment, a special forces unit of the Australian Army.

He did three tours of Afghanistan over seven years and spent a decade in the army.

Mr Schumacher, 42, attended the Anzac Day service at Wangi.

He felt much emotion at the service, "especially at a community-based Anzac Day like this".

"I've been to big Sydney marches and others around Australia. They're large, they get a lot of media, but this is warm," he said, of the Wangi service.

Mr Schumacher doesn't regret his time in Afghanistan.

"It's definitely something I've come to appreciate more, as I move on through life," he said.

"It truly was an adventure. It was fun, dark, scary, exhilarating, sad and an emotional rollercoaster."

As a commando, he was tasked with "specifically targeting individuals who were part of the [Taliban and al-Qaeda] leadership group".

"We did intelligence-based targeting. We would go out and hunt them."

He approached his deployments with a "professional mindset".

"It's such a professional outfit," he said, of his regiment.

"You are in a different mindset over there. Coming back into a civilian life and looking for civilian work ... it's hard to wind down."

It had been a decade-long path towards recovery.

"It's not just physical injuries, but you do battle with mental illnesses," he said.

"It's inevitable. You can't do what you do and not be scarred or have challenges."

Mr Schumacher, who has three kids, said his time in the army had "not just afflicted me, but it involves your family".

"Over time it's about healing and working on your mental health, as much as your physical injuries.

"It's about focusing on what matters, moving forward and having a family life."

He sought to become a commando because "it's the pinnacle".

"It was a continuous test of my mental and physical abilities," he said.

"There's nothing else that comes close to special forces for those challenges."

Nowadays, to replace that desire, he regularly embarks on adventures.

"But it's more of a teaching role with my kids," he said.

It had been "a long road to learn to enjoy life" without the need for elite-level challenges, like those in the special forces.

"I've had to retrain myself to enjoy other elements of life, rather than those absolute challenges and being the best."

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