Ben Roberts-Smith Biography
Ben Roberts-Smith is an Australian businessman and former soldier who served in the Australian Army. Roberts-Smith is the most decorated serving member of the Australian Defence Force, having received the Victoria Cross (VC) in 2011 and the Medal for Gallantry (MG) in 2006.
How old is Ben Roberts-Smith? -Age
He is 43 years old as of 1 November 2021. e was born in 1978 in Perth, Australia. His realname is Benjamin Roberts-Smith.
Ben Roberts-Smith Family
He is the younger son of Sue and Len Roberts-Smith, a former justice of the Western Australian Supreme Court. In 1995, he graduated from Hale School. Sam, his younger brother, is an opera singer.
What school did Ben Roberts-Smith attend?
He received initial employment training at the School of Infantry at Lone Pine Barracks in Singleton, New South Wales, after completing basic training at Blamey Barracks in Kapooka, New South Wales.
Is Ben Roberts-Smith Married? – Wife
In 1998, he met Emma Groom at Holsworthy Barracks in Sydney. She was born into a military household. The pair married at the University of Western Australia on December 6, 2003. Their divorce was finalized in December 2020. The Shepherd Centre, a non-profit philanthropic organization, named Roberts-Smith the 2013 Australian Father of the Year. He came to Queensland with his then-wife and daughters after retiring from the army in 2015.
Roberts-Smith had a 6-month relationship with “Person 17” in 2017-2018. Person 17 fell pregnant during this time. Person 17 was being monitored by Roberts-Smith, who engaged a private investigator to corroborate her attendance at an abortion facility. After a supper at Parliament House in 2018, Person 17 claims Roberts-Smith punched her in the face. Roberts-Smith claims he never hit her. Person 17 further claimed that Roberts-Smith instructed her on how to explain a black eye she received as a result of the alleged assault.
After failing to sue his ex-wife in Federal Court on charges she accessed confidential emails, Roberts-Smith was forced to pay her legal costs in January 2022.
Ben Roberts-Smith Daughter
He has two daughters; Eve Smith, and Elizabeth Smith, who were born in 2010.
Ben Roberts-Smith House
He marketed his stunning Queensland hinterland estate just days after denying any claims of war crimes. He paid $1.45 million for the five-bedroom, two-story home in Ilkley, in the Sunshine Coast hinterland, in 2015. The enormous property, on the other hand, has undergone several improvements and is now expected to sell for more than its purchase price at auction next month.
Ben Roberts-Smith Salary
He earns an annual salary of $4 Million.
Ben Roberts-Smith Net Worth
He has an estimated net worth of $1 billion.
What are Ben Roberts-Smith tattoos?
He has a Spartan helmet tattooed on his ribcage.
Ben Roberts-Smith Charged
Smith has been questioned about his role in the 2006 assassination of an accused Taliban spotter during the Chora Pass combat. Fairfax Media reported in October 2017 that Roberts-Smith was the subject of an inquiry examining the actions of Australian special forces members in Afghanistan.
An assault on the village of Darwan was recounted in a joint ABC–Fairfax investigation in 2018, in which a detained man was allegedly shoved off a cliff by a soldier called “Leonidas” after the Spartan king. Fairfax also revealed in August 2018 that numerous soldiers had been bullied and subjected to domestic violence. Roberts-smith filed a defamation suit against Fairfax Media, two journalists, Nick McKenzie and Chris Masters, and a former journalist in January 2019.
In the public interest, the Federal Court has established an online file where papers that are considered publicly accessible are stored. Roberts-Smith received a line of credit from Kerry Stokes’ private investment firm, from which he drew $1.9 million. Stokes’ public and private backing for soldiers accused of war crimes in Afghanistan has prompted calls for him to resign.
Ben Roberts-Smith Military
Roberts-Smith was then sent to the Royal Australian Regiment’s 3rd Battalion (3 RAR) in Holsworthy, New South Wales. He was a section leader in the Direct Fire Support Weapons Platoon after starting out in a rifle company. Roberts-Smith served in East Timor twice with 3 RAR, the first time in 1999 as part of the International Force East Timor.
Roberts-Smith was assigned to 3 Squadron at Campbell Barracks after completing the Special Air Service Regiment (SASR) selection course and the SASR reinforcement cycle in 2003. (Western Australia). In 2004, he took part in operations off the coast of Fiji, and in 2005 and 2006, he was assigned to personal protection detachments in Iraq.
Smith served in Afghanistan six times, the first two of which were in 2006 and 2007. He was assigned to 2 Squadron as a patrol 2IC and later as a patrol commander after completing junior leadership training in 2009. Roberts-Smith was a member of Southeast Asian training and aid teams. In 2009, 2010, and 2012, he returned to Afghanistan.
Roberts-Smith stated in 2011 that he expected to be able to continue fighting as a frontline patrol leader after receiving the Victoria Cross. “When you become patrol commander, that is the peak for an SAS operative,” he remarked. “You are the man now.” He left the army full-time in 2013 at the age of 35, with the rank of corporal, and joined the Army Reserve part-time until 2015.
In Roberts-continuing Smith’s defamation trial, several serving SASR troops have testified about alleged bullying and threats made by Roberts-Smith while serving in Australia and Afghanistan. Roberts-Smith allegedly told “Person 1,” a serving SASR member, that if he didn’t improve his performance, he would “place a bullet in the back of his skull.” Other members recommended Person 1 to report Roberts-threat, Smith’s which he did, prompting Roberts-Smith to allegedly threaten him again, saying, “If you’re going to make charges cunt, you’d better have some fucking proof.” Person 43 and Person 10, two other SASR serving members, both reiterated Roberts-bullying Smith’s allegations.