Corporal Richard Atkinson, killed on patrol in Afghanistan earlier this month, has been farewelled at a funeral service in Launceston.
Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Opposition Leader Tony Abbott attended the service at St John Anglican Church on Monday, along with defence chief Angus Houston and Tasmanian Premier Lara Giddings.
Cpl Atkinson, a member of the Darwin-based 1st Combat Engineer Regiment, was killed by improvised explosive device while on patrol on February 2.
He was the 22nd Australian soldier to die in Afghanistan. About 60 members of Cpl Atkinson's unit travelled from Darwin for the service, as did two of his mates currently serving in Afghanistan.
An honour guard of 30 soldiers presented his family with an Australian flag, a slouch hat and his medals.
Brigadier Gus McLachlan said Cpl Atkinson, known as "Akka" to his mates, was an "ordinary hero".
"Much is made of sporting heroes and celebrities in our culture, but few of them are real or worthy of our genuine respect," he said.
"Recent events in Australia have allowed some more ordinary heroes to emerge as floods raged through Ipswich and the Lockyer Valley. "Richard Atkinson was another one of these ordinary heroes acting to protect the lives of his mates far away from the gaze of the media.
"Richard, too, would've been embarrassed to be singled out as a hero when mates were so important to him." Ms Giddings described the service as a "very moving tribute".
"It made you feel proud of the sacrifice that Richard Atkinson has made for Tasmania, for Australia, for us as a nation," she said.
"It also makes you proud of what you see in our Australian defence forces."
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