Saving members of his unit, the 1st Battalion Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment, from ambushes on 1 May and again on 11 June 2004 at Al-Amarah, Iraq, Beharry sustained serious head injuries in the latter engagement.

The couple divorced, following which the Ministry of Defence released an official statement declaring that the trauma of his war experiences had caused difficulties in his marriage.

[7] On 1 May 2004, Beharry was driving a Warrior Tracked Armoured Vehicle that had been called to the assistance of a foot patrol caught in a series of ambushes.

Due to damage to his periscope optics, Beharry was forced to open his hatch to steer his vehicle, exposing his face and head to withering small arms fire.

A rocket propelled grenade hit the vehicle six inches from Beharry's head, and he received serious shrapnel injuries to his face and brain.

The full citation was published in a supplement to the London Gazette of 18 March 2005 and commented, "Private Beharry carried out two individual acts of great heroism by which he saved the lives of his comrades.

Both were in direct face of the enemy, under intense fire, at great personal risk to himself (one leading to him sustaining very serious injuries)... Beharry displayed repeated extreme gallantry and unquestioned valour, despite intense direct attacks, personal injury and damage to his vehicle in the face of relentless enemy action.

"[8] Beharry became the first Victoria Cross recipient since the posthumous awards to Lieutenant Colonel H. Jones and Sergeant Ian John McKay for service in the Falklands War in 1982.

On 11 November 2008 Beharry served as an escort to 110-year-old Harry Patch, then one of only three remaining British survivors of the First World War, at The Cenotaph in London's Whitehall to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the signing of the armistice which ended that conflict.

[15] On 30 April 2010 Beharry visited Duke of York's Royal Military School to take the salute at parade and to present the Baroness Thatcher Sword of Honour to the JUO of the winning Guard at Drill Competition.

[19] He also defended the royal family against accusations of racism by Meghan, Duchess of Sussex in 2021 after her and Prince Harry’s interview with Operah Winfrey.

According to The Daily Telegraph, a planned 90-minute drama about Beharry was cancelled by the BBC in 2007 allegedly for being too positive about his military service and might alienate members of the audience opposed to the Iraq war.

[26] Beharry then spoke out on BBC News on 28 February 2009 criticising the lack of support for ex-servicemen and women suffering from mental health problems, and revealing his own ongoing flashbacks and other symptoms.

On 11 September 2023, Beharry attended the opening ceremony of the National Army Cadet Force Museum, in the Octavia Hill Birthplace House.