Ben Roberts-Smith

In June 2018, a joint ABC-Fairfax investigation detailed an assault on the Afghan village of Darwan in September 2012 during which a handcuffed man was allegedly kicked off a cliff by an Australian special forces soldier codenamed "Leonidas".

On 6 July 2018, Fairfax Media reported that Roberts-Smith was "one of a small number of soldiers subject to investigation by a quasi-judicial inquiry looking into the actions of Australian special forces soldiers in Afghanistan." In August 2018, Fairfax Media also reported allegations that Roberts-Smith had bullied several soldiers and committed an act of domestic violence in Australia. Roberts-Smith has denied these allegations. In response to this article series, Roberts-Smith commenced defamation proceedings against Fairfax. In its truth defence, Fairfax defended its reporting as "substantially true", detailing a series of six unlawful killings alleged to have been carried out by Roberts-Smith in Afghanistan, including those in Darwan.

In 2017, Roberts-Smith's actions in Afghanistan came under scrutiny in light of a quasi-judicial inquiry into breaches of the laws of armed conflict by Australia's Special Operations Task Group in Afghanistan. Following the publication of allegations that he was involved in the unlawful treatment and execution of detainees, Roberts-Smith, with assistance from a legal team hired by Seven Network owner Kerry Stokes, sued Fairfax Media for defamation. Since June 2018, Roberts-Smith has been the subject of a war crimes investigation by the Australian Federal Police.

Following the publication of No Front Line in October 2017, Fairfax Media's Nick McKenzie and the ABC's Dan Oakes covered the story—linking the case to an ongoing Inspector-General of the Australian Defence Force inquiry into criminal misconduct on the battlefield by Australian special forces. Responding to the coverage in an interview with The Australian, Roberts-Smith described the scrutiny as "un-Australian".

In April 2015, Ben Roberts-Smith was appointed deputy general manager of regional television network, Seven Queensland. He was offered the job when Neil Mooney, general manager of Seven Queensland, saw his potential while he was undertaking leadership seminars for the station. In July that year he was promoted to general manager. In April 2016 Seven Brisbane was added to his responsibilities after the retirement of the long time General Manager.

In 2015, Roberts-Smith recorded "Lest We Forget" with Lee Kernaghan for his album Spirit of the Anzacs.

Roberts-Smith is married to Emma and they have twin daughters. His brother, Sam, is an opera singer who graduated from the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts and from 2015 to 2017 sang with the Ten Tenors.

Roberts-Smith noted that he—and the ADF—expected him to be able to continue to fight as a frontline patrol commander following the receipt of the Victoria Cross. He said that "[O]nce you reach patrol commander, that is the pinnacle for an SAS operator. You are now the man."

On 26 January 2014, Roberts-Smith was awarded the Commendation for Distinguished Service as part of the 2014 Australia Day Honours. The award arose from a 2012 tour of Afghanistan, in which Roberts-Smith "distinguished himself as an outstanding junior leader on more than 50 high risk" operations.

From 2014 to 2017 he was chair of the National Australia Day Council, an Australian Government-owned social enterprise.

Roberts-Smith left the full-time army in 2013 to study business at the University of Queensland. In 2014 he was appointed chair of the National Australia Day Council and made deputy general manager of the regional television network Seven Queensland. He has subsequently been promoted to general manager of the rural network and of metropolitan station Seven Brisbane.

In October 2013, Roberts-Smith formally announced that he was leaving the full-time Army for a career in business, but will continue to serve in the Army Reserve. In a press conference, Roberts-Smith stated that he was studying a Master of Business Administration at the University of Queensland, and intended to pursue a corporate career.

Roberts-Smith was named Australian Father of the Year in 2013.

Roberts-Smith was named the number-one ticket holder of the "Fremantle Dockers" (AFL) football club in March 2012.

On 11 June 2010, a troop of the Special Operations Task Group conducted a helicopter assault into Tizak, Kandahar province, in order to capture or kill a senior Taliban commander.

On 31 May 2006, Lance Corporal Roberts-Smith was employed as a patrol scout and sniper that was tasked with establishing an observation post near the Chora Pass in Oruzgan province, Afghanistan. On 2 June, the observation post had become the focus of the Anti-Coalition Militia force and repeated attempts to locate and surround the position ensued. In one particular incident the Militia attempted to outflank the observation post. Roberts-Smith was part of a two man team tasked to move out of their relatively secure position in order to locate and neutralise the Militia and regain the initiative. This task was successfully achieved.

After completing the Special Air Service Regiment (SASR) selection course in 2003, and completing the SASR reinforcement cycle, Roberts-Smith was initially posted to 3 Squadron. In 2009, after completing junior leadership training, he was posted to 2 Squadron as a patrol 2IC and later as a patrol commander. He was a member of training and assistance teams throughout South-East Asia, and also took part in operations off Fiji in 2004. He was also part of personal security detachments in Iraq throughout 2005 and 2006. Roberts-Smith was deployed to Afghanistan on six occasions, in 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010 and 2012.

With 3 RAR, Roberts-Smith was deployed to East Timor twice, the first time as part of the International Force for East Timor in 1999.

Roberts-Smith joined the Australian Army in 1996. After completing his initial training at Lone Pine Barracks in Singleton, New South Wales, he was posted to the 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (3 RAR). Initially part of a rifle company, he subsequently became section commander in the Direct Fire Support Weapons Platoon.

Benjamin Roberts-Smith VC MG (born 1 November 1978) is an Australian businessman, former Australian Army soldier and a recipient of the Victoria Cross for Australia (VC), the highest award in the Australian honours system. Roberts-Smith was awarded the VC for his actions during a helicopter assault into Tizak on 11 June 2010 as part of an offensive in the Shah Wali Kot region while serving with the Special Air Service Regiment in Afghanistan. The medal, together with his Medal for Gallantry awarded during a tour of Afghanistan in 2006, made Roberts-Smith the most highly decorated serving member of the Australian Defence Force. He was presented with the VC by the Governor-General of Australia, Quentin Bryce, at a ceremony in Perth on 23 January 2011. He was also later awarded a Commendation for Distinguished Service for his leadership as a patrol commander during a 2012 tour of Afghanistan.