even+mock+at+Death

The authors way for saying that this soldier does not fear death is to say that he mocks it. Death is the scariest thing to most people and this soldier is staring it in the eye and mocking it. The amount of courage it takes to walking to death and be so ready to die but not be scared is amazingly bold. It takes a strong man to possess that kind of courage. People do it every day in Iraq fighting the front lines to keep this country safe.

I wonder if the soldier feels like he's tempting death when he mocks it? Does it somehow make him feel safer? Does he like the added risk?