Soldier dad's insight into hardships on home front and abroad

But it will not just be his own service and that of his colleagues in his thoughts on Thursday.

For the first time, his daughters Jasmine, 8, and Sophie, 6, are set to march as part of a school group in the Albury parade and they have their own medals reflecting their status.

Child of the ADF medallions were presented to them and around 68 others in a Border first at the North Bandiana army base last Friday, April 19.

The proud Warrant Officer Class Two believes such a decoration is well deserved, given the irregular life his daughters have known.

"The girls have experienced many weeks without me being there to tuck them in and say goodnight, but I think we look at the positives of it and it builds resilience in them," WO2 Sutherland said.

"They get to develop coping mechanisms and strategies to deal with my absence which as you can see it hasn't impacted their ability to talk to people."

Indeed the girls, who attend Thurgoona Public School, happily told The Border Mail of their excitement at receiving the medals.

"It will be third badge, I've got an eco-warrior badge and a student representative council badge," Jasmine said.

Unlike his children, WO2 Sutherland had a settled childhood, growing up in the town of Walla and attending the local public school before studying at Culcairn's Billabong High School.

He joined the army as an 18 year-old in November 2007 and after induction at Kapooka he found himself at the Army School of Electrical Mechanical Engineering at Bandiana developing the weapon maintenance skills that took him to Afghanistan.

From May to December 2011, the then bachelor was stationed at Tarin Kowt base where he was part of a crew servicing rifles and sidearms.

Nine Australians died in that period, some by enemy fire, others through bombs and one when his helicopter crashed east of Tarin Kowt.

WO2 Sutherland said he did not know the men intimately "but you're wearing the same uniform and it can take its toll for sure".

"The good thing about defence life is that you share that burden and nowadays, and especially with the culture that is represented across society and defence especially, never pass up an opportunity to talk and offload some of that burden," he said.

"It can come at just a chat over a brew and the healthy approach to that nowadays is more so than ever."

After postings in Darwin, Sydney, Bandiana, Kapooka and Randwick, WO2 Sutherland returned to the Border at the start of this year at his old school where he is now wing sergeant major of the armament and construction wing.

That involves him overseeing 115 apprentices who receive contracted training in plumbing, material tech, carpentry and weapons tech.

"I'm like a head teacher of a department," WO2 Sutherland said.

"There is a couple of people between the apprentice and myself but the contact time I have with enough people bridges that gap and gives them enough confidence that they can engage me with concerns, because at the end of the day I represent their interests."

On Thursday, WO2 Sutherland will be at the dawn service at the South Bandiana army base and expects his first text messages to arrive early on Anzac Day.

"I'll be up probably at 3.30, four o'clock and they'll start coming through then and then all throughout the day and more so when the footy kicks off," the Richmond supporter and former Culcairn footballer said.

As for that what the anniversary of the Gallipoli landings means, WO2 Sutherland stitches together his military and personal bonds.

"It's an opportunity to reflect, I get limited opportunities to talk to friends that I've served with and that deliberate day to stop and reflect on my time overseas on operations with my mates (is welcome)," he said.

"But then more importantly nowadays it's to reflect on the hardships we've endured as a family as a result of defence life."

And the chance to join his wife of 10 years Bobbie-Lee and watch proudly as their daughters join in Australia's most conspicuous military display, an Anzac Day march.