A few days before his deployment to Afghanistan in June, Private Robert Poate's father Hugh took his son aside and offered him a few words of advice.
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''We'd heard a lot about the green-on-blue attacks and I said to him, 'keep an eye on the ANA [Afghan National Army]'.''
Shortly after arriving in Afghanistan Private Poate called his father to reassure him all was well.
''They're a fantastic bunch of people, they just love us Aussies, they play cricket with us,'' he told his father.
''All you've got to do is respect their customs and there's no problems.''
That respect was betrayed last month when Private Poate was among three Australians murdered by a rogue Afghan soldier at their base in Oruzgan Province.
As the Poate family prepared to farewell their son at a funeral service at Canberra Grammar School today, his mother Janny remembered a loving son who was more concerned about reassuring his parents and friends than fearing for his own safety.
''Robbie used to say, 'Mum, I'm more likely to be glassed in a nightclub at home than be injured in Afghanistan','' Mrs Poate said.
''You know there are risks involved, and you just have to hope your son doesn't draw the short straw.''
Tributes to the 23-year-old Canberran have flooded in to the Poate household since his death on August 29. The letterbox has been jammed full of letters and cards, and flowers that filled the living room days ago spill out the front door and down on to the steps.
One of the most moving tributes to their son has come from his colleagues still serving with the 6th Battalion in Afghanistan. The Bushmaster armoured vehicle he commanded has been named ''Poatey'' by his mates, who have painted his name on its side.
''He was held in such high esteem they wanted to do that for him,'' Mr Poate said. ''Before he left he said, 'Dad, I'm not going to get emotionally involved with any girl because I don't want to take any baggage with me. I've got to be 100 per cent focussed 100 per cent of the time because I'm responsible for every person aboard that vehicle'.''
Mr Poate said his son would probably be a little embarrassed by all the attention and would have been more concerned to ensure he wasn't drawing anything away from the families of his mates Lance Corporal Stjepan Milosevic, 40, and Sapper James Martin, 21, also killed in the same incident.
While many have remembered his quick wit and ability to make others laugh, Mrs Poate said she would also remember her son as a warm, gentle-natured person who loved nothing more than to cuddle up on the sofa for a chat with his mother. ''He'd say, 'come on Mum, sit down, chill out'.''
His former house master at Grammar Peter Wilkins said along with his many sporting achievements Private Poate would be remembered at the school for being the centre of attention in any environment.
''His favourite role was to say something outrageous and then try to defend his position which brought howls of laughter from the rest of the house.''
Grammar has placed video screens outside the chapel for today's funeral to cater for the large crowd expected to attend. Private Poate will be laid to rest with full military honours at the school's Chapel of Christ the King at 1pm today.
