Signaller Sean McCarthy will have left behind devastated family and friends after he was killed by a roadside bomb.

Some Australians will still be questioning whether Australians should be in Afghanistan at all.

But it is clear the Federal Government and the opposition are both keen to maintain a presence there.

They have asserted progress has been made and the Australian soldiers are helping to keep the Taliban at bay while the rebuilding effort goes on.

Former Defence Minister, now Liberal leader, Brendan Nelson said those responsible for the Bali bombings of 2002 had trained with the protection of the Taliban and therefore Australian soldiers in Afghanistan were playing a direct role in keeping terrorism from our shores.

Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard yesterday warned the "fighting season" was about to begin. It is the time when the Taliban becomes more active and already this year there have been warnings that the situation for Australians in Afghanistan will become more difficult.

Along with the six deaths since 2002, 40 Australian soldiers have been injured.

Those returning home from Afghanistan and also Iraq may find they face challenges of a different kind as they re-adjust to a more peaceful existence.

Yesterday it was reported that an American soldier made famous when photographed carrying an Iraqi child to safety, had died.

Life after Iraq had not been good for Joseph Dwyer. In 2005 he shot up his apartment in the Texan city of El Paso and held police at bay with a handgun for several hours, believing he was being attacked by Iraqis.

In late June this year he died after inhaling an aerosol, a habit he had apparently taken up to help him sleep.

He had sought treatment for post-traumatic stress but was still unable to overcome his anxieties.

For some of those fortunate enough to return from a conflict zone the war continues to take a terrible toll.