Book description
Fascinating dispatches from a Kiwi Commander in Afghanistan. As
Commander of the New Zealand troops in the Bamiyan Province of
Afghanistan, Colonel Richard Hall gained a unique insight into the lives
of Kiwi soldiers serving in a harsh climate amid daily threats, as well
as into the lives of the locals - from the female governor trying to
establish order in a patriarchal society, to the farmer scratching a
living from an inhospitable land, to the orphaned girls destined to be
sold into marriage at a young age. He vividly and movingly recalls his
experiences, but also explains the vision he tried to implement on
behalf of New Zealand. He tackles the complex issues involved in an army
that seeks to bring both aid and a Western way of doing things in a
deeply Islamic country. And he offers an astute perspective on working
with New Zealand troops, American soldiers, corrupt Afghani officials,
intransigent aid organisations, while tackling crippling poverty,
insurgent attacks, impossible terrain and severe weather. This is an
important and fascinating view of New Zealand's role in Afghanistan.
Richard Hall joined the British Army in 1976 and, after training in
Sandhurst, was commissioned into The Gloucestershire Regiment. He served
with his Regiment in a variety of roles in England, Northern Ireland,
Cyprus and Germany. He commanded his Regiment between 1996 and 1998, a
period that included an operational tour in South Armagh - the so-called
'Bandit Country' - in Northern Ireland. He was also involved in the
British Army's operations in the Balkans and the Middle East and has
participated in or led training activities in Canada, Denmark, Ethiopia,
Ghana, Kenya, Kuwait, Norway and Zimbabwe. He was awarded the MBE in
1991 for his contribution to the first Gulf War and the OBE in 2001 for
leading the implementation of a strategic defence review. In 2000, he
retired from the British Army to live in New Zealand. Since his arrival
in New Zealand he has worked at the Auckland University of Technology.
He maintained his military roots, however, by becoming a member of the
Reserve Forces. He volunteered to command the New Zealand contingent in
Afghanistan, which he did for the period from October 2008 to April
2009. At the end of the tour in Afghanistan he, along with Lieutenant
Colonel John Howard and Sergeant Major Rapana, was awarded a US
Meritorious Service Medal. In the 2010 New Years Honours list he was
appointed as an Additional Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in
recognition of his service in Afghanistan.
