Australian Commando Operation in Afghanistan Gone WRONG

About this video

An Australian commando officer recounts a 2012 Afghanistan mission in Helmand Province where his unit, supported by U.S. Marine Corps tanks, conducted clearance operations in a dangerous area. The speaker describes losing Corporal Scott James Smith to an IED, the intense firefight that followed, and how he refocused his team to complete the mission in Smith’s honor. He later discusses his post-deployment career progression, including an exchange position with the U.S. 75th Ranger Regiment.

Key takeaways

• The speaker recounts how his platoon lost Corporal Scott James Smith to a zero-metal-content pressure plate IED during a mission to clear Kashmesh Khan, an area where two Australian sergeants had been killed the previous year
• The speaker describes refocusing his team after Smith’s death by connecting them to a higher purpose, emphasizing proper tactics, and framing the mission as one to be completed in honor of their fallen comrade rather than driven by vengeance
• The guest explains that Australian military decompression after deployment consisted primarily of about a week at an airbase with equipment processing and brief medical/psychological check-ins, which he characterizes as ‘box ticking,’ followed by four weeks of leave

Episode details: published April 7, 2026 · 14.9K views · 26:22 long. Summary written by Self Growth Videos from the episode itself. Stories told by Mike Ritland’s podcast guests are the guests’ own accounts, attributed to them — not independently verified. Commentary is Ritland’s, presented as his analysis.

← Previous: The Iran War EXPLAINED: Nukes, Oil, Israel and the REAL Reason Behind It All | Ep. 286 · Next: The Unwritten Rules That Separate DEVGRU From Everyone Else →

All Mike Ritland videos · Mike Ritland profile · Mike Drop (official site)