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FORMER soldier Des Green doesn't hesitate when he names Australians the best soldiers on the planet.
And that, he says, is not just Aussie bias talking.
"Australia really does have the best trained soldiers in the world," Mr Green, 47, of Lake Munmorah, said.
"You get the same feedback [about Australians] from other countries."
It's why America requests Australian assistance in major operations, he said.
What makes Australian soldiers so good is part DNA and part preparation.
It was Australia's first soldiers whose actions laid the foundation for the Returned and Services League (RSL) creed of courage, mateship, loyalty, endurance and sacrifice, Mr Green said.
"Those traits are what we continue to see in Australian soldiers today . . . that, and our larrikinism."
Having a small army, by world standards, has also helped.
"Because we have such a small army our training encompasses various roles," Mr Green said.
"You train as a soldier first, then you train in your trade craft, then throughout your career you do exercises in things like minor infantry tactics."
It makes for soldiers who are versatile, skilled and ready.
Formerly based in Townsville, Private Green was deployed to Somalia for five months in 1993.
His expertise was in petroleum operations - or pet-ops.
The specialised job involved bulk fuel installations, kerbside refuelling of vehicles, and refuelling for aircraft including helicopters from France, the US, and Australia.
"On top of that we'd do 'normal' soldier stuff including going out on patrols with the infantry.
"I went out on two patrols and got involved in a minor skirmish on what we called the two-way rifle range," he smiled.
So what was it like for a pet-ops man to come under enemy fire?
"It's what we train for. And muscle memory is a magnificent thing.'