Ben Roberts-Smith

What does it take to advance into enemy machine-gun fire when your patrol is pinned down and lives hang in the balance? For Corporal Benjamin "Ben" Roberts-Smith, VC, MG, an Australian Special Air Service Regiment soldier, that moment came on 11 June 2010 in the mountains of Afghanistan. His actions at Tizak earned him the Victoria Cross for Australia, the nation's highest military honour for battlefield gallantry. Yet his story extends far beyond one extraordinary engagement, encompassing years of special forces operations, distinguished military service and, later, profound public controversy.

Born on 1 February 1978 in Perth, Western Australia, Roberts-Smith enlisted in the Australian Regular Army in 1996. He initially served with the 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, completing two deployments to East Timor before passing selection for the elite Special Air Service Regiment (SASR) in 2003. His military career subsequently took him to Iraq and Afghanistan, where he completed six operational deployments and served as a sniper, patrol second-in-command and patrol commander.

His first major gallantry recognition came in June 2006, near Chora Pass in Afghanistan. During a dangerous reconnaissance mission, Lance Corporal Roberts-Smith helped establish an observation post overlooking insurgent territory. When enemy fighters attempted to surround the position, he moved forward into an exposed sniper position to defend his patrol. Facing approximately sixteen advancing insurgents and sustained fire from another direction, he held his position alone for twenty minutes before reinforcements arrived, then continued resisting until air support could intervene. His official Medal for Gallantry citation recognised his courage, tenacity and disregard for personal safety while protecting his fellow soldiers. The award acknowledged his actions during Operation SLIPPER, Rotation Three, between May and September 2006.

Four years later, at Tizak in Kandahar Province, Roberts-Smith faced the engagement that would define his military reputation. On 11 June 2010, during his fifth Afghanistan deployment, his Special Operations Task Group conducted a helicopter assault targeting a senior Taliban commander. The force immediately encountered intense machine-gun and rocket-propelled grenade fire. Two Australian soldiers were wounded, and the patrol became pinned down by fortified enemy positions. According to his official Victoria Cross citation, Roberts-Smith deliberately exposed himself to draw hostile fire away from his comrades, creating an opportunity for his patrol to respond. Fighting at extremely close range, he assaulted two remaining machine-gun positions, helping his force regain the initiative against a numerically superior enemy. His actions were recognised in January 2011 with the Victoria Cross for Australia, for exceptional gallantry under extreme danger.

His final Afghanistan deployment demonstrated another dimension of his service: leadership under fire. Between June and November 2012, Roberts-Smith served as a patrol commander, participating in more than fifty high-risk counter-leadership operations and helping train less experienced special forces personnel. On 21 October 2012, he led a reconnaissance patrol into the insurgent stronghold of Char-Chineh. When the patrol came under intense small-arms and rocket fire, he organised its defensive response, coordinated supporting fire and directed its withdrawal while preserving valuable intelligence. His official Commendation for Distinguished Service, awarded in 2014, recognised his operational leadership, tactical planning, mentoring and distinguished performance throughout that deployment.

Following his departure from full-time military service in 2013, Roberts-Smith entered business and public life. His military reputation later became the subject of major legal proceedings. In 2023, the Federal Court dismissed his defamation case against media organisations after finding that significant allegations of misconduct in Afghanistan had been established to the civil standard of proof. His appeal was dismissed in May 2025. On 7 April 2026, he was charged with five alleged war-crime murder offences relating to his service in Afghanistan. Roberts-Smith denies wrongdoing, and the criminal proceedings remained ongoing as of October 2026. These charges are allegations, not criminal convictions.

The military record of Ben Roberts-Smith therefore presents a complex chapter of Australia's modern military history. His official citations document extraordinary battlefield gallantry, special operations experience and leadership during the Afghanistan War, while subsequent judicial findings and criminal allegations have prompted intense scrutiny of his conduct. His story remains significant not only for the Victoria Cross and Medal for Gallantry he received, but also for the difficult questions it raises about military service, accountability and the historical assessment of courage.