I'm in prison for blowing the whistle on the Australian Defence Force
I told the truth about the Australian Defence Force’s unethical, harmful and highly politicised leadership which fostered a culture of impunity in Afghanistan. As my team and I continue to fight these unjust criminal charges, I am asking for your support!
Donate to the David vs. Goliath Appeal Fund
On 14 May 2024, the ACT Supreme Court jailed David McBride for trying to expose the Australian Defence Force’s unethical, harmful and highly politicised leadership. He is not giving up. David McBride is appealing this outrageous sentence and he needs your help to fund his appeal.
I believe the lives and sacrifices our people in uniform make should never be taken for granted.
Up until the 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan, Australian troops had been fighting a war in Afghanistan for 20 years. In 2011 and 2013, I served in Afghanistan as a military lawyer to the Royal Australian Regiment and Australian Special Forces respectively. When I joined the Australian Defence Force, I swore an oath to fight for Australian values.
Over my two deployments, I became increasingly concerned that the war was dictated by politics rather than the best interests of Australians and Australian soldiers. I saw the Rule of Law and the rules of war not being followed, and indeed being breached with complete impunity because of the indifference of Command. I saw people in leadership avoiding tough decisions because their political careers were more important than people’s lives.
The Nature Of Honour - Now Available!
Son, father, soldier, lawyer, adventurer, crusader – the colourful and fascinating life story of David McBride.
Son of the renowned Sydney obstetrician, Dr William McBride, who raised the alarm on the anti-nausea drug thalidomide in the 1960s and was later struck off the medical register for falsifying research results in a bid to challenge the safety of another drug. David chose to study Law, firstly at Sydney University and then at Oxford. There he met some British army officers and decided that soldiering was his calling, going on to train at Sandhurst. He commanded a platoon in Northern Ireland while bomb and sniper attacks on British soldiers were still happening.
In civilian life he worked in security protecting diplomats, journalists and businesspeople in Rwanda in the immediate aftermath of the 1994 genocide and in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
After growing tired of the travel and the action, David returned to England, where he worked in reality TV. On moving back to Sydney, he briefly joined a major law firm and then joined the Australian Army as a lawyer, going on to serve two tours of duty in Afghanistan, on the frontline confirming or denying decisions made by soldiers under international laws. He was medically discharged with PTSD in 2017.
In 2018, he was charged with offences relating to national security and is awaiting trial.
David was reregistered to practise law in NSW in 2022 and spends a bit of time defending those facing charges. Crammed with colour, adventure, achievements and some diversions, too David McBride leads a big life.
Available in paperback, e-book and audiobook.