Last Diggers out of Afghanistan look to home Leading Aircraftman Lloyd Simmonds at Tarin Kowt. LLOYD Simmonds was just nine when Australia joined the war against terrorism in Afghanistan. Now, he's one of the last Diggers to come home. The leading aircraftman is among the faces of the nation's historic withdrawal from the war-ravaged country who have returned in time for Christmas. The departure marks the end of Australia's 12-year involvement, and Defence personnel had mixed emotions as they closed the door on the nation's longest war. The Herald Sun spoke to LAC Simmonds, an airfield defence guard, and four of his comrades before they left the desert base of Tarin Kowt - and again upon their return to home soil. "Everyone was really excited to leave, after seven months everyone was ready to come home," said Corporal William Gill, 28, the first in command of Security Force 2. But I had a feeling that the Afghan nationals didn't really want us to leave ... we did make it secure. I believe we made a big difference. One who was particularly happy to board the military aircraft on Tuesday was LAC Carter Ringdall, 28. He proposed to partner Hollie Truman during the section's two-week break in July, planning the whole thing from the base. He ordered a ring in Dubai to pick up en route to meeting her in Thailand, and asked for her father's permission via phone. "It was hard having to leave her again after the break," he said. The five men, aged in their 20s, were not just colleagues, they were mates: bound to each other by seven months living and working together in one of the country's most dangerous areas, away from their homes, families and creature comforts. The RAAF members compared it to the closeness of a tight-knit footy club. They slept in bunks in an eight-bed room in an armoured barrack, and would de-stress with games of chess, running, gym sessions, kicking the footy and talking to family and friends on Facebook and Skype. Gradually, the base has been packed up and handed over to the Afghan National Army. In their last couple of days, they even had to wear full body armour on base as they no longer had an early warning system for indirect fire. The gym and the kitchen were shut down at the end of November, and military equipment shifted via land and sky. The closure of the Tarin Kowt mess was especially tough as it was regarded as the best in the country. Diggers dined variously on Italian food, Chinese dishes, curries and, on rare occasions, seafood. But this was replaced with ration packs, including curried sausages, breakfast, cheese, crackers, chocolate milk, and tinned fruit. "The food was quite good until we started on the ration packs," Cpl Gill said. Conditions were dusty and dry in their temporary home - and not just the terrain. The men had not touched alcohol since boarding the plane from Australia seven months ago, and endured temperatures soaring to 52C in summer, down to subzero in winter. They rarely left the base due to security concerns, but described the locals as largely peaceful people who lead simple lives. "The heat is probably the hardest thing, but I'm not going to whinge about anything - we are here to do a job," LAC Simmonds said before leaving. Prime Minister Tony Abbott said this week the 40 lives lost, on top of 261 serious injuries during Australia's occupation, were not in vain. From December 31, only about 400 troops will remain to finish handing over operations to Afghan nationals. By then, life will slowly be returning to normal for these five men. As Cpl Gill said before boarding a RAAF C 17A ­Globemaster: "It won't be very comfortable. But who cares? We are going home. Among the last to leave. Source: Sunday Herald Sun