by Dr Kay Danes, OAM (Human Rights and Veterans Advocate)
FEB 17, 2026
When a decorated soldier stands accused, the nation watches. When that soldier is abandoned by the very institution they served with distinction, we witness not just a personal tragedy, but a profound failure of duty and loyalty.
Australian Defence chiefs once celebrated Corporal Ben Roberts-Smith’s valour and pinned medals to his chest, the highest in the land. Yet those same leaders distanced themselves with unseemly haste when controversy arose. Where was the distinguished service in command that earned these Defence leaders their own medals for leadership during the Afghanistan conflict? The moral injury inflicted by this institutional desertion may prove more damaging than any courtroom verdict. When an organisation turns its back on its people during their darkest hour, it sends a chilling message to all who serve: you are expendable, your service forgotten when politically convenient.
Recent revelations about secret payments and media dealings only underscore how this matter has been handled with more concern for optics than justice.
Nine pays $700k to BRS mistress in secret deal https://www.news.com.au/national/nsw-act/courts-law/nine-pays-700k-to-brs-mistress-in-secret-deal/news-story/5a3d3f6a9556e2bc098f7f7e1d3e056d
From the moment allegations first emerged within the patrol, Command should have acted decisively according to established Defence policy: immediately refer all allegations to the appropriate lawful authorities for formal investigation, ensuring confidentiality and procedural fairness for all parties.
But they didn’t.
This raises a critical question: why? Several possibilities emerge, none flattering to military leadership. Perhaps it was fear of institutional embarrassment—prioritising public image over member protection. Or maybe political pressure drove Command to appear decisive rather than follow due process. More troubling still, a formal investigation might have exposed systemic failures in oversight, training, or rules of engagement—questions that would reflect poorly on senior leadership themselves. Internal factional dynamics may have also influenced the response, with Command effectively choosing sides instead of upholding impartial justice. Or perhaps most damning: leadership simply lacked the moral courage to stand by a decorated veteran during controversy.
Whatever the reason, this failure represents a profound dereliction of responsibility with devastating consequences for Roberts-Smith and every member of the SASR community affected. A duty of care to serving members and veterans does not evaporate when controversy arises. Command should have prevented the divisive culture that emerged, emphasising that lawful investigation and due process—not rumour, media leaks, or factional division—was the proper forum for resolution. Every member of the SASR family, regardless of which side of an allegation they stood on, deserved the protection of proper military justice procedures dealt with swiftly, not left to fester for over a decade.
More troubling still, the failure appears to extend beyond mere inaction. By not immediately referring these matters to lawful authorities, Command effectively covered up serious allegations that should have been handled through established military justice channels. This deliberate circumvention prevented independent investigators from examining the facts and determining the truth. The consequences will echo through the Australian Defence Force for years to come—a cautionary tale of what happens when institutions not only abandon their people in favour of expedience, but actively obstruct the path to justice by shielding matters from proper legal scrutiny.
Journalist Nick McKenzie admits to ‘deceptive methods’ if in the public interest during Ben Roberts-Smith bid for appeal
Failures of Command by Hugh Poate https://www.amazon.com/Failures-Command-death-Private-Robert/dp/1742237231
Numerous questionable court findings clearly make the case that every litigant or defendant has the Constitutional right to a jury of his peers. Editor
If you want to see rank lack of courage under fire, look at all those in power who sold out the population during CVD and the numbers of the sheeple who willingly turned on anyone with a backbone and sanely said a big fat FU to the brain dead ,bullies and demonically possessed pharma shills…….
It’s pretty telling …..Lest We Forget….
https://rairfoundation.com/french-general-pays-tribute-to-the-unvaccinated-they-embody-the-best-of-humanity-they-are-superheroes/
“Even if I were fully vaccinated, I would admire the unvaccinated for standing up to the greatest pressure I have ever seen, including from spouses, parents, children, friends, colleagues, and doctors.
People who have been capable of such personality, courage, and such critical ability undoubtedly embody the best of humanity.
They are found everywhere, in all ages, levels of education, countries, and opinions.
They are of a particular kind; these are the soldiers that any army of light wishes to have in its ranks.
They are the parents that every child wishes to have and the children that every parent dreams of having.
They are beings above the average of their societies; they are the essence of the peoples who have built all cultures and conquered horizons.
They are there, by your side, they seem normal, but they are superheroes.
They did what others could not do; they were the tree that withstood the hurricane of insults, discrimination, and social exclusion.
And they did it because they thought they were alone and believed they were alone.
Excluded from their families’ Christmas tables, they have never seen anything so cruel. They lost their jobs, let their careers sink, and had no more money… but they didn’t care. They suffered immeasurable discrimination, denunciations, betrayals, and humiliation… but they continued.
Never before in humanity has there been such a casting; we now know who the resisters are on planet Earth.
Women, men, old, young, rich, poor, of all races and all religions, the unvaccinated, the chosen ones of the invisible ark, the only ones who managed to resist when everything fell apart. Collapsed.
You’ve passed an unimaginable test that many of the toughest marines, commandos, green berets, astronauts, and geniuses couldn’t pass.
You are made of the stuff of the greatest that ever lived, those heroes born among ordinary men who shine in the dark.”
To Julius Sanders, I want to nominate you for 2 awards: most loyal goyim, and most braindead cow.
The “boys and girls” in the ADF willingly followed orders to enforce covid lockdowns, quarantine camps. At one stage, a rifle company from each of the regular battalions was training to deploy armed on the streets to reinforce police, guard “essential infrastructure” (aka the houses of politicians and party HQs) and crush protests under aid to civil power legislation. If you conveniently forget this, you are a useful idiot.
I’d also remind you that ADF tactics that were refined in Iraq/Afghanistan were shared and adopted by the state police forces. ADF equipment including LRAD and helicopters were also used during the police operations against anti-vaccine protesters.
As for the Vietnam protesters, they were right. Australia was not threatened by a war far away from our shores. There is even the argument to be made, that Vietnam was a product of defense lobbying. Australia was turning away from British doctrine and equipment and reorienting itself towards America. To solidify that, Australia had to commit troops to an American war. Young national servicemen died for something that had no relevance to their nation’s interest – they were used, sacrificed and discarded for nothing. Any RSL will be full of returned servicemen who share these sentiments.
As for the girls in the ADF, I salute you!!!! Thank you for your cervix!!!
Aussie diggers = zogbots = cattle to be sacrificed in useless wars.
TO Sir Rope SIR ROPE = C.U.N.T. Stay anonymous. YR like those vietnam protesters. Paid pricks who have no fkn idea.
Yr almost not worth replying to. BUT>>>>>
you confuse the boys and girls doing the right thing with the top of the ADF who are captured by the globalists.
To the men and women of the ADF.. I honor your service
AND
ignore the C.U.N.T s like Sir Rope
Good. Aussie diggers are zogbots – they willingly implement Jewish policy in foreign countries but do nothing as their country is destroyed at home. They deserve to be charged and stabbed in the back. They voted for it, stood by and did nothing, so they deserve it. Plus 99% of the ADF is vaccinated so who cares about them.
Aussie diggers = bovine.
Mal there are dozens of these spam videos on Youtube please don’t send them in comments. Ed
OK Nev we will send you an Oxford dictionary and write comments in Word first then copy and paste. Please send the beer. Ed
This may tame future U. S. Presidents
Doesn’t look good for Donald Trump.
ht tps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDx0kU4
Trust our political bureaucRats? Sure can! They luvs us all. And at the going down of the sun, we’ll be going down by them, for them and on them.
Dear Editor could you please make it possible for us to edit the spelling in our Posts ?
If you do I will double my subscription money .
Then you can afford to buy a carton of beer each month to lubricate your mind
Obviously the author doesn’t understand Latin…
Novis Ordo Seclorum.
I have a un breakable deal with Donald Trump that Australia’s will not become involved in anymore US wars .
As the great Jordan Maxwell said: “All wars are hostile corporate takeovers.”
THE POLIS DON’T LIKE HEROES AS THEY WOULDN’T KNOW WHAT DEDICATION TO SERVICE MEANS, JUST AS THEY DON’T KNOW HOW TO SERVE AUSTRALIANS. THEY ARE A BUNCH OF LOSERS AND IN TIME THEY WILL BE PROVEN TO BE SO.
Time to get out of Treaties that lock us into war.
America is not our ally.
Australians are NOT to fight in any other war that doesn’t IMMEDIATELY threaten our country.
The wars today are only to benefit ONE FOREIGN country. And we are being sucked in more and more to support them.
We must not fight any of America’s war for them or with them. If they want war, they can send their sons and daughters. NOT OURS.
NO. SIMPLY NO. Unless of course those who say yes are off to the front lines with the troops.
And their sons and daughters are willing to serve in front-line duty.
The only wars being fought are for an Imperialist Rothschild long game to take over the Middle East, force a regime change in their favour and set up their own Z-ionist kingdom.
Give me a good reason why anyone would want to be in the Defence Force and fight for that cause.
But for those who did fight and maybe didn’t know why exactly – they deserve the respect and justice of the Country who sent them.
It’s an appalling betrayal.
When you understand the psych of those who do serve, who are prepared to die with their boots on – then you understand the gravity of betrayal.
Where are we up to with the Z-ionist thuggery today?
Reference: Middle East Eye “I-srael to declare W-est B-ank land ‘state property’ (Youtube)
When the politicians who is supposed to be the Treasurer washes his hand of the consequences of his inept handling of the nation’s exonomy, the morals and abilities of the rest of our politicians in parliament will be clearly seen for what they are i.e. duplicitous and untrustworthy.
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