Speaking outside the Australian War Memorial after the Dawn Service, his first in Canberra, Corporal Roberts-Smith said people were going through a lot of hard times.

“Although as soldiers we sometime have to make to ultimate sacrifice, it's the families that actually suffer and we need to make sure that we maintain the momentum of looking after those families,” he said.

“There are a lot of guys that get wounded and potentially get forgotten. They come home and they're just another face in the street. Those people as well need to be remembered and they need to be supported, particularly when Afghanistan winds down.”

Corporal Roberts-Smith will be marching later with the children of two fallen soldiers, who he described as “the face of enduring sacrifice”.

“When people see them marching, it will hit home what today is about,” he said.

Before this morning’s service, Corporal Roberts-Smith read excerpts from the experiences of Australians serving in Afghanistan.

He said their stories were important for Australians.

“The writings are from the guys' hearts, and to me, I know what they've done and what they've been through,” he said.

“It is emotional. The idea today was not to talk about the guts and the blood, it's to talk about the emotion - what people go through and what it means to them to serve. It's important and that's why we do it.”