Warren Snowdon (Lingiari, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Defence Science and Personnel) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Fadden and compliment him for his contributions not only today but also on the condolence motion for Corporal Atkinson. For the second time in just two years our country’s highest military honour, the Victoria Cross for Australia, has been awarded to a Special Air Services Regiment soldier. I will comment further on the regiment a little later. I endorse the remarks made by the member for Fadden. Corporal Benjamin Roberts-Smith was honoured with the VC last month after demonstrating the most conspicuous gallantry in circumstances of extreme peril during engagement in Afghanistan in June 2010. We know that his bravery almost certainly saved the lives of a number of his comrades.

This outstanding individual had already received the Medal for Gallantry for actions in Afghanistan in 2006. As such, he has now become our nation’s most highly decorated soldier. I congratulate Corporal Roberts-Smith, his unit and his family on this inspiring achievement.

I say that having as a backdrop the condolence motion, the debate on which we have just completed, about the death of Corporal Richard Atkinson. His death is, in a way, as inspiring—to know that young people are prepared to put on this great uniform and fight for our nation and be prepared to pay the ultimate sacrifice. This is precisely what Corporal Roberts-Smith was prepared to do on the day that he won his Victoria Cross. He needs to understand, and I am sure he does understand, how proud of him are the Australian Defence Force—his defence family—and the Australian nation.

I also congratulate a second soldier from Corporal Roberts-Smith’s unit, named only as Sergeant P, who was awarded the Star of Gallantry for his brave actions during this same engagement in June last year. These guys who work in the regiment are not all anonymous, but they crave anonymity for security reasons and for the purposes of their work. So unfortunately we cannot identify Sergeant P publicly, but he and his colleagues, who proudly wear the beret and are able to wear the beret, are a unique bunch of Australians. I was recently in Afghanistan with a number of special forces soldiers, two of whom—comrades of Corporal Roberts-Smith—were travelling with us constantly. It was for that reason that I was unable to attend the ceremony in Perth on 23 January this year, because it was then that I was visiting our troops in Afghanistan, where I was again able to see at first hand the fine work of that our Defence Force personnel are carrying out in the name of our great country.

It is, of course, not surprising that during the trip the bravery of Corporal Roberts-Smith was commented upon by a number of Australian Defence Force personnel. His deeds in the face of a numerically superior enemy are impressive not only to his colleagues but also to the wider Australian community. I remain astounded by and am incredibly proud of our deployed personnel and the way they conduct themselves, often in very difficult, trying and very dangerous circumstances far away from home and their loved ones. Like many of those who wear the sandy beret, Corporal Benjamin Roberts-Smith is modest when recalling his achievements, but I think it is worthwhile reading into Hansard the details of the event for which this Victoria Cross has been awarded:

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.

Immediately upon the helicopter insertion, the troop was engaged by machine gun and rocket propelled grenade fire from multiple, dominating positions. Two soldiers were wounded in action and the troop was pinned down by fire from three machine guns in an elevated fortified position to the south of the village. Under the cover of close air support, suppressive small arms and machine gun fire, Corporal Roberts-Smith and his patrol manoeuvred to within 70 metres of the enemy position in order to neutralise the enemy machine gun positions and regain the initiative.

Upon the commencement of the assault, the patrol drew very heavy, intense, effective and sustained fire from the enemy position. Corporal Roberts-Smith and his patrol members fought towards the enemy position until, at a range of 40 metres, the weight of fire prevented further movement forward. At this point, he identified the opportunity to exploit some cover provided by a small structure.

As he approached the structure, Corporal Roberts-Smith identified an insurgent grenadier in the throes of engaging his patrol. Corporal Roberts-Smith instinctively engaged the insurgent at point-blank range resulting in the death of the insurgent. With the members of his patrol still pinned down by three enemy machine gun positions, he exposed his own position in order to draw fire away from his patrol, which enabled them to bring fire to bear against the enemy. His actions enabled his Patrol Commander to throw a grenade and silence one of the machine 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.

His act of valour enabled his patrol to break-in to the enemy position and to lift the weight of fire from the remainder of the troop who had been pinned down by the machine gun fire. On seizing the fortified gun position, Corporal Roberts-Smith then took the initiative again and continued to assault enemy positions in depth during which he and another patrol member engaged and killed further enemy. His acts of selfless valour directly enabled his troop to go on and clear the village of Tizak of Taliban. This decisive engagement subsequently caused the remainder of the Taliban in Shah Wali Kot District to retreat from the area.

Describing the events which led to the award of the VC, Corporal Roberts-Smith said:

I just looked across and saw my mates getting ripped up. I just decided to move forward because I wasn’t going to sit there and do nothing. I thought I’d have a crack, not let my mates down.

When you hear those words—and not only his view of it at that time but the description of the action that took place—for those of us who have not experienced this, I think it is almost unbelievable. The element of bravery which is part of the Australian way of doing business in the Australian Defence Forces is really intriguing. Here we have someone who took it upon himself to clearly lay his life on the line in the most obvious way by attracting fire for his mates. We throw barbs across the chamber and feel a bit personally damaged at times, but we can never, ever appreciate what it is to be in such danger. When you contemplate what it is this man has achieved, he must be a mighty bloody warrior.

And he is not on his own. He is, as I said at the outset, our nation’s most highly-decorated soldier. I know that his mates, those whom he works with, all share the characteristics which he exhibited. Having met and worked in different ways with members of the Special Operations Task Group, most particularly members from the Special Air Service Regiment, I believe that we should be internally proud of what they do and understand that their capacity to be able to do the work and have the courage to make the sorts of decisions which Corporal Roberts-Smith made, is due to the training that they have received, the leadership that they are shown, and the leadership which is developed within them. They are extraordinarily competent and professional individuals, and Corporal Roberts-Smith is a compliment to them and to all those who serve. I know that his valour is an inspiration to the soldiers whom he fights alongside and of course is in keeping with the finest traditions of the Australian Army and the Australian Defence Force.

Today we can publicly salute the courage, spirit and strength of Corporal Benjamin Roberts-Smith, VC, MG. I congratulate him, and I know that his wife, Emma, and his daughters, Eve and Elizabeth, will come to appreciate in future years the value of these achievements and the truth of what he has done. His family must be so proud of him and I know the nation certainly is.

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