Victoria Cross awarded to an Australian SAS Trooper

[Zip]

What he did sounds like something from a movie! The Taliban must have been ****ing them selves by the 3rd Mg nest

THE brown dust from the departing choppers that carried the SAS squadron south from their base at Tarin Kowt had barely cleared when all hell broke loose.

It was October 2010, at the height of the Afghanistan fighting season, and a large Taliban force had established numerous firing positions around heavy machineguns.

More than 24 elite Perth-based Diggers from the Special Air Service Regiment were under withering fire.

Realising his mates were in grave danger, and with no regard for his own welfare, the SAS Corporal charged headlong into the Taliban machinegun fire.

The sight of the 202cm Australian warrior coming at them must have shocked the bearded Afghans.

Within minutes three enemy guns had been silenced and numerous Taliban fighters lay dead.

West Australian Ben, or "RS" to his mates, had taken out three machinegun positions single handedly.

His comrades said it was the most extreme example of conspicuous gallantry since Albert Jacka VC jumped into a trench full of Turks at Gallipoli in 1915, killing seven with his rifle and bayonet.

"He just tore into the enemy," one of his mates said.

"He is the epitome of the Spartan soldier. It was only a matter of time before he would demonstrate his true ability."

Now the soldier - already awarded a Medal of Gallantry - will become the latest to be awarded the nation's highest military honour, the Victoria Cross For Australia.

"This guy is a warrior," one of his ex-colleagues said ahead of Sunday's investiture ceremony.

The battle that led to the honour came during an offensive in the Shah Wali Kot area.

Signals intelligence had intercepted enemy "chatter" about a large group of Taliban fighters moving to attack a combined force of commandos from the Sydney based 2nd Commando Regiment and the Afghan National Army.

Signals intelligence had intercepted enemy "chatter" about a large group of Taliban fighters moving to attack a combined force of commandos from the Sydney based 2nd Commando Regiment and the Afghan National Army.

The SAS had been mounting helicopter-borne assaults throughout the offensive, targeting Taliban commanders and bomb makers.

As soon as word came through, the troops from the squadron based at Camp Russell near Tarin Kowt immediately mounted several US Blackhawk choppers for the 15-minute flight into battle.

After landing the SAS took the fight to the enemy, but it was clear they would falter unless the machineguns were neutralised. Step forward "RS", the biggest man in the regiment by a fair margin.

"RS" joined the SASR in 2002 from the army's 3rd Battalion. He is a specialist sniper and "assaulter" and a devoted husband and father of two young daughters.

He was awarded a Medal for Gallantry in December 2006 for his courage under fire in Afghanistan's Chora Valley in the same battle in which Sergeant Matthew Locke, who was killed in action during 2007, won his MG. During that fight, according to comrades, "RS" tore a Taliban fighter off his back like an insect, stood on his throat and shot him dead.

By the time the battle was over about 60 Taliban lay dead from small arms fire, hand-to-hand combat and close air support.

Ben's Victoria Cross will make him the most decorated Australian soldier in decades.

His good mate Rob Maylor, whose book SAS Sniper was released last year, describes him as an outstanding soldier: "He has excelled as an operator in the Regiment, and is also an SAS sniper, but his main calling is as an assaulter and he is exceptional."

http://www.news.com.au/national/he-...f-blood-and-fire/story-e6frfkvr-1225992077678

 

[Zip]

What's a 'digger'?

Its what Australian Soldiers get called as a nickname

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digger_(soldier)

 

[Zip]

A bit more on him and what he did.
He had his Award Ceremony today which was aired on TV too.

An SAS digger has become the most highly decorated member of the Australian Defence Force after being awarded the Victoria Cross for conspicuous gallantry shown while attacking Taliban machine gun positions in Afghanistan.

Corporal Benjamin Roberts-Smith, 32, on Sunday received his VC from Governor-General Quentin Bryce at a special ceremony in Perth, adding to his Medal for Gallantry awarded for bravery under fire in Afghanistan in 2006.

The full military ceremony at Campbell Barracks for the Perth-born soldier was attended by Prime Minister Julia Gillard, Opposition Leader Tony Abbott and Chief of Defence Force Angus Houston.

Cpl Roberts-Smith is the father of two five-month-old twin girls and son of Western Australia's Corruption and Crime Commission head, Len Roberts-Smith.

He is only the second Australian to be awarded the Victoria Cross for Australia, after it was established in 1991.


SAS Trooper Mark Donaldson received a VC in 2009 for protecting wounded soldiers under fire and running across open ground to rescue a wounded Afghan interpreter in Afghanistan's Oruzgan province.

The only other living Australian holder of a VC, awarded in 1969 under the previous imperial awards system, is 77-year-old Queenslander Keith Payne, who earned it for extraordinary heroism during action in the Vietnam War.

The actions for which Cpl Roberts-Smith earned his VC took place on June 11 last year after helicopters landed his troop near the village of Tizak in Afghanistan's Kandahar province to capture or kill a senior Taliban commander.

The VC citation states the unit was immediately pinned down by machine gun and rocket propelled grenade fire from elevated Taliban positions, and two soldiers were wounded.

Under covering fire, Cpl Roberts-Smith and his patrol manoeuvred to within 70 metres of three Taliban machine guns in a fortified position south of the village.

The patrol commenced an attack on the position but after getting within 40 metres were prevented from going further by heavy and sustained fire.

As Cpl Roberts-Smith headed toward a small building that provided some cover, he saw an insurgent ready to engage his patrol so instantly shot him dead at point-blank range.

He then showed his own position to the insurgent machine gunners to draw fire away from his patrol, enabling his patrol commander to throw a grenade and silence one of the guns.

'Seizing the advantage, and demonstrating extreme devotion to duty and the most conspicuous gallantry, Corporal Roberts-Smith, with a total disregard for his own safety, stormed the enemy position, killing the two remaining machine gunners,' the citation reads.

Cpl Roberts-Smith went on to attack other positions and he and another patrol member killed more insurgents as his troop, no longer pinned down, cleared the village of Taliban.


The citation says the decisive engagement caused the Taliban to retreat from the Shah Wali Kot district and Cpl Roberts-Smith's most conspicuous gallantry in a circumstance of extreme peril was instrumental to the success of the troops against a numerically superior force.

'His valour was an inspiration to the soldiers with whom he fought alongside and is in keeping with the finest traditions of the Australian Army and the Australian Defence Force,' the citation says.

Cpl Roberts-Smith was awarded the Medal for Gallantry for bravery in June 2006 when his patrol was manning an observation post under insurgent attack near Afghanistan's Chora Pass.

At one point, while alone in an exposed position, he used his sniper rifle to stop the advance of 16 insurgents and held his position while under fire from other militia until air support arrived.

Following the actions for which he was awarded the VC, Cpl Roberts-Smith was posted back to his regiment's base in Perth in time to be with his wife Emma for the birth of their twins, Eve and Elizabeth.

While his VC and his gallantry medal make him the most decorated member of the Australian Defence Force, he may still return to frontline duty.

http://bigpondnews.com/articles/Nat...ger_gets_VC_for_taking_on_Taliban_567936.html