With the news of the death of an Australian soldier in the middle east, I would like to quickly examine the dangers our troops face.

I served an extended period of time in the Australian Defence forces, and have had family members deployed to conflict zones including Iraq, so I have some understanding of the situation, albeit limited. The risk to the soldiers is huge, but the training and leadership that the Australian military has, some of the best in the world, minimises those risks as best as it can. This video shows the danger of a roadside blast and exactly what soldiers may face on any given day on the road in Iraq

As far as the soldiers are concerned they are doing their job, even though they have to face these risks. This is what they trained for and they should be supported by the public 100%. If anyone has issues with the deployments it should be against the governments policy and not the people doing their duty.

I’m all for peace and a conscious evolution to a new way of thinking for humanity, but we have to face and deal with the current dangers, threats and environments. This is the world we live in. To ignore them would be folly.

I feel for the families of those lost and injured, and I offer my condolences. I can only hope that they come through this difficult time.