# Corporal Daniel Keighran awarded Victoria Cross for Afghanistan courage



## digrar (Oct 31, 2012)

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/g-g-to-award-new-victoria-cross/story-e6frg6n6-1226508058450



> *ROYAL Australian Regiment soldier Daniel Keighran has become Australia's 99th Victoria Cross recipient, receiving the medal today for drawing fire away from his mates during a battle with Afghan insurgents. *
> Corporal Keighran is from the RAR's 6th Battalion and not from the SAS, the first time that such an award in Afghanistan has been awarded to a regular soldier.
> Today's VC, Australia's highest military honour, is the third given to a serviceman for action in Afghanistan.
> Corporal Keighran was honoured for extraordinary courage on the battlefield in 2010 as part of  Mentoring Task Force One.
> ...


 
Well done that man, also a feather in the cap of the best little Infantry Battalion getting around, 6RAR.


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## Dame (Oct 31, 2012)

Congrats to that Digger!


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## 21C (Nov 1, 2012)

Just read the full citation on the defence website. Well deserved, mate.  You're not biased at all are you dig?


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## digrar (Nov 1, 2012)

:-"


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## Ravage (Nov 1, 2012)

http://www.army.gov.au/Our-work/News-and-media/Australian-Soldier-Honoured-with-Victoria-Cross

*The Chief of the Defence Force, General David Hurley, today congratulated Corporal Daniel Keighran, VC on being awarded the Victoria Cross for Australia.*







His citation reads: “For the most conspicuous acts of gallantry and extreme devotion to duty in action in circumstances of great peril at Derapat, Uruzgan Province, Afghanistan as part of the Mentoring Task Force One on Operation SLIPPER” on 24 August, 2010. 

At the time, Corporal Keighran was a member of the 6th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (6 RAR) who was deployed to Afghanistan with Mentoring Task Force 1. 

He is only the third recipient of the Victoria Cross for Australia, which in 1991 replaced the British or Imperial Victoria Cross awarded to 96 Australians, and is the first member of the Royal Australian Regiment to receive the country’s highest military honour. 

Speaking at the Investiture Ceremony at Government House in Canberra, General Hurley said Corporal Keighran’s selfless actions were of the highest level of bravery. 

“Corporal Keighran acted with exceptional clarity and composure that spread to those soldiers around him, giving them confidence to operate effectively in an extremely stressful and dangerous situation,” General Hurley said. 

“His actions identified and suppressed enemy firing points and turned the fight in our favour. 

“Corporal Keighran joins an esteemed group of Australians revered for their courage in combat. The official citation will show that “his valour is in keeping with the finest traditions of the Australian Army and the Australian Defence Force”, but perhaps the greatest honour comes from one of his comrades who said “I would fight to serve with Corporal Dan Keighran in the future.” 

The Chief of Army, Lieutenant General David Morrison, commented on the enduring humility, dedication and mateship demonstrated by Corporal Keighran. 

“Corporal Keighran has shown tremendous humility and has continually recognised that his actions were undertaken as part of a team,” Lieutenant General Morrison said. 

“His dedication to his mates and to the operation saw him repeatedly put himself in harm’s way that day. He epitomises ‘Duty First’, the motto the Royal Australian Regiment. 

“All Australian soldiers should feel tremendously proud of the actions of Corporal Keighran and the recognition that the award of the Victoria Cross represents. 

“The valour of his actions and those of the other members of his patrol, are exemplars of the very best in Australian soldiering.” 

Corporal Keighran said he was surprised and honoured to receive the award. 

“This is a very unexpected and humbling experience and I don’t think it has really sunk in yet,” Corporal Keighran said. 

“I am very proud of the boys from Delta Company, 6 RAR and how they performed that day. This award is as much for their efforts as it is for mine. 

“I would also like to acknowledge my family, friends and especially my wife Kathryn. They have been very supportive throughout my service and deployments and I would like to recognise and thank them.”


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## digrar (Nov 1, 2012)

http://www.shadowspear.com/vb/threa...victoria-cross-for-afghanistan-courage.15970/


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## RackMaster (Nov 1, 2012)

Well done!

Threads Merged.


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## ÉIREGOBRÁCH1922 (Nov 1, 2012)




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## Viper1 (Nov 1, 2012)

Well done!


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## Red Flag 1 (Nov 11, 2012)

Congratulations! Good on ya!

RF 1


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## digrar (Aug 24, 2013)

3 years since Crash was killed and 3 years since Dan went batshit insane and earned his Victoria Cross a couple of dozen times over.

Rest in peace Jarad, you're missed. 



http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/features/beyond-the-call/story-e6frg8h6-1226530656130

This piece was written by Major General John Cantwell.



> *THE sun has set behind the mountains of Uruzgan province, Afghanistan. The punishing heat is fading, but in the still-warm air the sweat dries slowly on the faces of the Australian soldiers gathered in a small patrol base called Anar Juy. They are preparing to mourn a mate killed in battle earlier that day. *
> The patrol base in which they stand is a rough rectangle of earth-filled steel mesh cages, with a dozen layers of sandbags on top to provide further protection from incoming bullets and rockets. Two flatroofed observation towers rise above the walls. Perched on a dusty knoll, this is home for a group of around 20 Afghan soldiers and roughly the same number of Australians who are their trainers and mentors. When the base was first built, one of the Diggers looked up at its towers, radio masts and Afghan national flag, and said it looked like a buccaneer sailing ship. The name stuck; for the men who live here between patrols into the deadly Tangi Valley below, patrol base Anar Juy is known as the Pirate Ship.
> 
> In the twilight gloom the Australians begin their act of remembrance. One of the soldiers hefts an 84mm Carl Gustav, a weapon similar to a bazooka, onto his right shoulder. He hears and feels the clunk as his mate shoves an illumination round - a flare - into the rear of the weapon. He raises the muzzle to a 45-degree angle and braces his legs against the coming recoil. The watching soldiers press their hands over their ears as he says, "Firing now," then squeezes the trigger.
> ...


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## Mac_NZ (Nov 9, 2014)

https://au.news.yahoo.com/sunday-night/video/watch/25468661/dan-keighran-a-hero-s-story/

You guys in the States should be able to watch this, it's playing in NZ ok.  Quite interesting and a bit WTF to watch him running off up the side of the worlds most exposed feature with rounds kicking up dust.


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## pardus (Nov 9, 2014)

Mac_NZ said:


> https://au.news.yahoo.com/sunday-night/video/watch/25468661/dan-keighran-a-hero-s-story/
> 
> You guys in the States should be able to watch this, it's playing in NZ ok.  Quite interesting and a bit WTF to watch him running off up the side of the worlds most exposed feature with rounds kicking up dust.



Won't play for me...


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## RackMaster (Nov 10, 2014)

pardus said:


> Won't play for me...



I watched it on this link.

https://au.news.yahoo.com/sunday-ni...victoria-cross-soldier-saving-mates-revealed/


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## CDG (Nov 10, 2014)

Wow.  Well done Corporal Keighran.


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## Ooh-Rah (Nov 10, 2014)

What an amazing story...no video to find though.


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## Gunz (Nov 10, 2014)

Bravo, well done.


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## digrar (Nov 11, 2014)

https://au.news.yahoo.com/sunday-night/video/watch/25475874/dan-keighran-a-hero-s-story/

It's not working right now, but I have watched it in Thailand in the last couple of days.


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