Growing up in Warrnambool, Jon Moore became fascinated by the life of a soldier as depicted in the tale of King Arthur and his knights.

But it was in the young nation of East Timor and under the hot sun of Afghanistan that his life in the defence force was forged.

Speaking at Warrnambool’s Anzac Day ceremony, Mr Moore said he enlisted as a rifleman in early 2011 and in 2012 was deployed to East Timor.

“It wasn’t long before I was on my first deployment. In 2012 I was flown to Timor-Leste, or East Timor as it is more commonly known, as a member of the last infantry platoon to serve on operations in the newest country of the 21st century.

“This was a country that Australia had an integral role in helping gain its independence and bringing peace to its people,” he said.

“Not long after the Christmas of 2012 I was back on a Hercules, Adelaide-bound and looking forward to a break.

“That break was put on hold, however, as the day after our return to Australia we got the call up that most of my platoon had been kept together to form the OGA platoon and we were going to Afghanistan.

His time in Afghanistan was spent guarding members of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and OzAid as they liaised with local government to develop schools, hospitals and infrastructure.

“Afghanistan was a major turning point in my life and shaping me into the person I am today,” Mr Moore said.

“Being in a country where war and death is normality, where children walk the streets missing limbs and women hide in fear behind closed doors –  it opens up your eyes to a world far from our own.”

He has since left the defence force and is now based in Melbourne. He said it took time to settle back into “normal life”. “No matter what your individual experiences are, war is not pleasant and it takes a way a little piece of everyone it touches,” he said.

“For me, it gave me a new appreciation of the good in life and a deeper understanding of what is really important.”