During his seven months in Afghanistan, Corporal Shane Imrie saw plenty of sand, but no water. That's about to change.
Corporal Imrie was one of the last 180 Army members to operate in Oruzgan province of Afghanistan, but now he's home.
In total, about 260 Australian Defence Force personnel returned to Australia on Thursday morning as they wrapped up their deployment.
Corporal Imrie and his partner Pam Kaminski will be headed to the Gold Coast next week to see family at the beach.
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"There's a lot of sand, but no water (in Afghanistan)," he told AAP.
Standing at Darwin Airport after a long flight, he said the impact of his final return hadn't yet hit him.
"Hopefully this'll be the last time. I really hope so," he said of his second deployment.
He said it was hard to know whether Australia's job in Afghanistan was complete.
"At our level it's hard to see the bigger picture, but we certainly did a lot of work," he said.
"Going back to the early years you can definitely see a big difference. There's a lot more women going to school, and kids, and that's obviously a great thing."
At baggage claim, Captain Tristan Deves was embracing his partner Kate Blagrove.
"I think we've done a good job over there and I'm proud of my team's efforts and everyone that has served with us," he told reporters.
"Now it's really up to the people of Afghanistan."
Lieutenant Colonel Darren Moore was happy to see his troops return to Darwin.
"It's fantastic to see so many happy faces coming home to be welcomed by their families after a fantastic job and long tours overseas," he said.
Although this contingent was the last to return from Oruzgan, there are still about 400 Australian troops left in Afghanistan to mentor the Afghan National Army.
"The Afghan national security forces are now in a position that they have the confidence of the people that they can maintain security in the area," Lieutenant Colonel Moore said.
He said it was in large part thanks to these troops, along with Australia's allies.
"They've made a fantastic difference to the lives of people in Afghanistan," he said.
"I'm filled with pride and so is every person in Australia, I think, with what these people have achieved."
