“I AM going to miss being there on ANZAC Day with the rest of the RSL sub-branch and all the mates I have made,” Bulahdelah’s Corporal Sean Sullivan said.

Sean is a RAAF Avionics Technician based at Williamtown and is currently on deployment.

His wife Ren, and daughters Josie, Annie, Polly and Mindy, will be proudly attending local ANZAC services in his honour.

“We are very proud of the job that he does,” Ren said.

“It is really important to show our support to all people who have served, and to the people who are currently serving.”

Sean is away for around six months each year, which Ren said has a big impact on the family.

“He can’t tell me a lot when he is in a warzone, but we certainly know that they’re going through very trying times at different points,” she said.

“I just try and make sure that the girls stay in contact with their father while he is away.”

Sean has missed countless birthdays and other special events including Christmas, Father’s Day, Easter and ANZAC Day throughout his 12 years of service.

“We just try and find creative ways to fill in those times, even if it is a laptop with him on it at the Christmas table,” Ren  said.

“We do lots of crazy things like take silly photos and make sure that there is a happy birthday message in there somewhere.”

Although Ren and the girls miss Sean when he is away, they are very supportive of his service.

“It is a great career for him, so though I would like him home a bit more, I think it is really important that we have serving members,” she said.

“People in the community have been wonderful, they always come around and see how we’re going, they’re very supportive of both our family and what Sean does.”

For Sean, the hardest part of deployment is being separated from his family.

“I count down the days until I can return home and see them,” he said.

By Daniel SAHYOUN