Why a former SAS commander is ‘shocked but … not surprised’ by Ben Roberts-Smith findings

A former SAS troop commander who served four tours in Afghanistan says he’s “shocked but … not surprised” about a Federal Court judge’s findings about Australia’s most decorated living soldier, Ben Roberts-Smith.

Mark Wales, who has written a book about his war experience — Survivor: Life in the SAS — told Neil Mitchell a “smaller cohort of soldiers” were “probably exposed to it (conflict) for too long a period of time”.

“Your sense of what is normal gets warped over time,” he said.

Press PLAY below to hear toll life at war takes on soldiers

MARK WALES: “It changes your level of tolerance for suffering in society, there’s no doubt it does warp your views over time.”

NEIL MITCHELL: “But does that put you in a dangerous position where you disregard the value of the life of the enemy and perhaps kill when you shouldn’t?”

MARK WALES: “Well yeah, it can. I think that’s the risk you face when you’re deploying people time and time again.”

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