Anzac Day will see Air Force medical technician Sergeant David Grieger return to Gympie, the place that shaped his values long before his service took him across Australia and overseas.
Raised there and educated at Cooloola Christian College, Sergeant Grieger remembers a childhood defined by family, community and the outdoors.
"Some of my fondest memories are having fish and chips in the park under the big old pine trees to the deafening screeches of the rainbow lorikeets," he said.
"I also remember canoeing in the Mary River, swimming in Glastonbury Creek and rock-hopping the creeks at Mother Mountain."
The first in his family to join the ADF, Sergeant Grieger enlisted in Air Force in 2010 after finishing school. What began as a search for opportunity became a career built on service and care for others.
"I was looking for a challenge and an adventure," he said.
Returning home was a reminder of why the day mattered - that it was a time to reflect on service, sacrifice and the communities that continue to stand behind those who serve.
Over more than a decade of service, he has deployed on Operation Slipper in Afghanistan, Operation Accordion in the Middle East, and Operation COVID Assist supporting aged-care facilities across Australia.
Throughout that time, he said the steady support of his wife Amanda has been essential. For the past 10 years, he credits her sacrifices and understanding while raising their two young children as the reason he could serve.
Now an instructor at 294 Squadron, Sergeant Grieger trains Air Force health personnel in aeromedical evacuation, tactical combat casualty care and operational health support.
"I enjoy my work and overcoming the challenges of a changing and evolving environment," he said.
"But more than that, I like doing it with friends. It's the people that make experiences stand out."
On Anzac Day, Sergeant Grieger will attend the Gympie dawn service and visit his former college for commemorative events. He said returning home was a reminder of why the day mattered - that it was a time to reflect on service, sacrifice and the communities that continue to stand behind those who serve.
