On any given day in Oxfordshire, while you and I are going about our normal lives, something very special happens at RAF Brize Norton. It’s something most of us will never get to see but on Monday I was privileged enough to witness this event.

It’s not something that involves a fanfare or much fuss, but for hundreds of dads, mums, sons and daughters, it’s probably the best few seconds of their year.

It’s the moment when the plane bringing troops home from Afghanistan touches down on British soil. Sitting on the TriStar as it broke through the clouds over a frosty Oxfordshire morning, I hadn’t known what to expect.

Would there be a cheer? No, the only visible reaction appeared to be several subtle leans forward to catch that first sight of land out of the window. One of the guys told me there is no better feeling than touching down on British soil, and there’s no better word to describe it than simply ‘home’.

I had only been away a week (with my ace Jack FM team) whereas some on the plane had been in Afghanistan for six months.

I wouldn’t even try to speak for them, but for me, strangely, the joy coming home safe was mixed with a slight tinge of sadness. I guess it’s mainly because of the people we met, and their sheer determination to always find the bright side, no matter what horrendous event occurs.

Without exception, everybody I spoke to at the British base at Camp Bastion was inspirational. It’s a camp full of people with a purpose, and truthfully it makes me feel a little guilty about the inane, unimportant things we waste time getting upset about here on Civvy Street.

It’s a strange thing to say, but I feel like everyone should experience the last week I’ve enjoyed, and at the risk of seeming sentimental (which would completely destroy my tough Aussie credibility), without a doubt, two of the best moments of spending last week in Afghanistan were seeing RAF Benson’s Corporal Matthew Cullinane’s face when we linked him and his fiancée Sophie up for a chat and she told him she’d felt their baby kick for the first time.

Similarly the twinkle in Verity Skinner’s eye when she heard her parents had brought her dogs into the Jack FM studio to say hello. Seeing how important those few extra minutes of talk time with their families were to them will stay with me forever.

But in an attempt to restore my ‘tough Aussie’ persona, let me share my favourite moment of last week with you.

There I was strapped into a Merlin helicopter, kitted out in a helmet and body armour, watching the moonlight landscape of Helmand province fly by as we travelled from Kandahar to Camp Bastion. Exhilarating!

To everyone at Camp Bastion or serving in Oxfordshire, thank you for sharing your stories with us and, more importantly, thank you for everything you will continue to do in the years to come.