War hero Ben Roberts-Smith refutes claims he 'betrayed mates' by defending ADF pay deal

Australian Victoria Cross winner Ben Roberts-Smith has taken to the airwaves to clarify his position on the government's controversial 1.5 per cent pay rise for soldiers, saying he would not make "a political statement".

Roberts-Smith told the Daily Telegraph on Monday that he was aware the government had been left with a deficit and understood they had to make some tough budgetary choices.

He was quoted as saying soldiers "never did it for the money", though he was firm that serving and retired personnel, and their families, should be well looked-after.

However, on 2GB this morning he said he would not "take a side" and claimed he had been misrepresented in the media as having turned his back on his mates in the ADF.

"The only thing I care about is defence force personnel getting the best possible deal, and if that isn't the case then I would urge the government to revisit it and look at what they can do," he said.

"But certainly I'm not here to make a political statement."

In an email sent to 2GB host Alan Jones, Roberts-Smith said although he no longer wore a uniform, he would be a soldier at heart for the rest of his life.

"I have been prepared to die for my mates for 18 years. Nothing's changed," he wrote.

The 36-year-old war hero was recently appointed as the chairman of the National Australia Day Council, replacing cricketer Adam Gilchrist.

A former SAS patrol commander, Roberts-Smith was awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions in an engagement in Tizak, Afghanistan, in June 2010.

With his fellow soldiers pinned down by machine-gun fire, Roberts-Smith drew fire towards himself, before storming the enemy position and killing two of the gunners.

The Victoria Cross is Australia's highest military honour.