MOST of us think we are confronted by serious pressure in our jobs from time to time, but it is merely a blip on the radar when you consider what those who sign up to serve in the Defence Force have the potential to encounter while on the clock.
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While it is a facet of military service still considered by many to be taboo in general conversation, the agonising reality is that the men and women who choose to don the uniform do so with the acceptance that they may be asked to give their life in the service of Australia.
Since World War I, it is a reality that the families of more than 102,000 Australians have had unwillingly thrust upon them.
If you speak to any of the men and women who serve in the air force, army or navy, they will tell you that their decision was based on a mix of family history, the need for adventure and an inexplicable desire to represent their communities in “offices” the majority of Australians could not fathom walking into.
The risk their chosen vocation presents arguably offsets the overwhelming pride and camaraderie they share with fellow personnel, yet you would be hard-pressed to find anyone currently serving at RAAF Base Tindal who would make an issue out of it.
It is no different with former personnel.
I was fortunate enough to speak to a Vietnam veteran in Brisbane last year who explained that despite seeing horrors no human should witness, he had never considered himself to have done anything special in the service of his country.
His reasoning was that “you never let down your country and you sure as hell never let down your mates”.
That is the Anzac spirit we need to cherish and commemorate on April 25.
It is that unwavering spirit – which has been a constant throughout the past century – which has ensured that whenever our country needed defending, brave men and women have been there to do so on our behalf, without a moment’s though about their own wellbeing.
On Monday, set an early alarm and make the effort to reflect on what Anzac Day means to you at the dawn service.
Compared to what those who paid the ultimate sacrifice went through to defend our country, throwing back the blankets and dragging yourself out of bed before the sun appears on the horizon is the least you can do to show your gratitude.
Lest we forget.