My petty whinging about iPhone prices and data really means nothing. My thoughts go out to the family of the recently killed Australian Solder. Since I have a number of family and friends whom are serving members (some overseas) – I have a very small idea how they must feel. I’m an ex-military and ex-Signaller myself: so I know how committed one can be to the job and the corps.

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.