Once, in a simulated battle, I was crouched in a ditch – sleep deprived and with bleeding blisters, a skin rash, camouflage paint in my eyes, a chest cold and coughing up some blood.

Oh, and I was out of phone credit, too. I know what you’re thinking, and you’re right ... I need a better phone plan.

Our platoon was headed by a sergeant whose constant complaining and shouting sounded like a frustrated Carlton supporter, and I began to wonder if this was all worth it.

Is it? We don’t muse on the fact often, but unless a country has an army of soldiers willing to give up their freedom to the point of death to protect that country, then that country is not free.

I probably trained and/or lectured somewhere around 10,000 soldiers and recruits in my time in the Australian Army.

And without a doubt, the greatest inspiration in the minds of these men and women were the Anzacs.

Indeed, we are a rare breed here in Australia.

While other nations celebrate their military victories and successful battles in their homeland, we Australians focus on a battle that took place on enemy soil in another country, halfway around the world – a battle in which we were defeated.

I’m proud to say that in my family, military service is a strong tradition.

I won’t name them all, but I would like to pay homage to my great uncle Harold (Sonny) Cole who fought in World War I, and my great uncle Percival (Percy) Eugene Cole, an Anzac. 

My father and mother remember Uncle Percy as always laughing and always joking, even though he had shrapnel in him which caused him pain for the rest of his life after he was shot in the back at Gallipoli. 

My grandmother (Uncle Percy’s little sister) used to say he had “a hole in his back you could put your fist in”.

And here am I complaining about a little bit of pain in a ditch and a few blisters … actually, it was a lot of pain I was in in that ditch, really. Oh, and I had heaps of blisters not just on my feet, but also on my hands from my rifle.

Seriously, I suffered no pain in comparison to Uncle Percy and countless others over there and over here too.

Perhaps more pain was suffered over here, and for much longer, among those who lost family and friends.

The Australian Defence Force is like a not-for-profit company that defends the nation and the weak around the world – by its employees literally putting their lives on the line.

Nothing in this world, humanly speaking, is worse than war.

It brings out the worst in humanity and it should be avoided at all costs.

It might sound counterintuitive to some, but the more power we put into our defence force, the less likely is a war.

As US President Ronald Reagan once stated: “We maintain the peace through our strength; weakness only invites aggression.”

God sent his Son into the world to teach us, among other things, that even God does so much of his work through human hands.

How can we ask God to bless and protect our country and then not pray for and support our soldiers?