And with a new civilian life and a new excavating business to run, the 27-year-old had only his medals and his army mates to remember his service by. Those medals are now gone however, stolen from the family's Nimmitabel Street residence last week.

Anthony's wife Allison McCudden told The Queanbeyan Age that the family were in the process of packing up their home and moving to Bungendore when it was broken into last Wednesday. Mrs McCudden went to the house that day to finish packing and was instead confronted with a trashed house.

"Every bag of rubbish that I had packed up was ripped apart and put everywhere. And then it clicked in my head that I'd forgotten about Anthony's medals when I was packing," she said.

"We haven't touched them in five years since we lived in the house. I went and checked and they were gone."

Mr McCudden served an eight-month tour in Iraq in 2006, but then left the military in 2009 to start a family back in Queanbeyan.

He lost his infantry combat medal, return from service badge and plaque, general service medal and his medal replicas in the burglary, and his wife said he was devastated by the loss.

"He's not very impressed," Mrs McCudden said.

"There was other stuff taken, but I don't care about that stuff at all. It's only the medals we want back."

n Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Anthony McCudden's service medals is encouraged to call Queanbeyan Police Station on 6298 0555 or email Allison McCudden at allison.shiels@live.com.au.