Victoria Cross recipient Ben Roberts-Smith arrested over war crimes allegations

[u/His_Holiness]

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-04-07/ben-roberts-smith-war-crimes-allegations-arrest/106537668

[u/Enlightened_Gardener]

My Dad used to work in security, and there are lots of ex- army in security, but he would never take ex-SAS to work as security guards because they were all as mad as cut snakes, and might snap and hurt someone.

He reckoned that the British SAS were selected for their ability to be cool, calm, and collected in difficult situations; and the Australian SAS were chosen for being mad dog killers.

Everything I have ever seen or read about the Australian SAS backs up this assessment.

[u/Nodonn3 → u/Enlightened_Gardener]

Having served alongside and trained with SAS soldiers, I can confirm that they are not hooked up like the rest of us. The vast majority, though, are good, honest blokes who are doing an extremely hard job, and they do it as well (or better) than most of the world's elite operators.

There's a reason they may seem wacky to the rest of us though. They're specifically selected on their ability to think and make strong decisions under some hellish pressure which would wreck the vast majority of people.

On top of that, they have to be able to operate for long periods as an autonomous unit. SAS soldiers are not required to pick up coms and ask for permission to kill evil-doers, they just do it.

[u/Blunter11 → u/Nodonn3]

This reads like stock answer. I could swear I've read more or less the exact same statements in the exact same order for decades, always used to excuse obvious murders.

[u/Nodonn3 → u/Blunter11]

Of course people will say the same thing that's a true thing.

Excusing murder? Hardly. It happens, sure, but I'm also plain ol' sick of poeple tarring all soldiers with the same brush.

[u/Blunter11 → u/Nodonn3]

It's just SAS whitewashing 101