An Australian soldier who repeatedly braved enemy fire in Afghanistan to save his colleagues during an ambush was on Thursday awarded a rare Victoria Cross for his actions.
Corporal Daniel Keighran, 29, was bestowed with the honour after breaking cover on multiple occasions to draw intense enemy fire during a ferocious three-and-a-half hour battle.
He is only the third Australian soldier to be awarded the country’s highest military honour since Australia began its deployment in Afghanistan more than a decade ago.
The citation said Keighran showed great bravery when a joint Australian-Afghan patrol came under attack in the village of Derapet in Uruzgan province on August 24, 2010.
Defence force chief David Hurley said Keighran “deliberately and repeatedly” drew intense enemy fire away from other members of his patrol, one of whom was killed.
“Despite the enemy bullets biting into the dirt at his feet he returned fire and provided critical information about the insurgents’ positions,” he said, adding that Keighran helped turn the fight in Australia’s favour