Lt Col Gillard with wife - Lucielle, and sons - Matthew 14 and Robbie 8.
Media Release
14 December 2010
NZ Army Officer Receives Honour From HRH the Prince of Wales
HRH The Prince Of Wales has invested Lt Col Nick Gillard, Royal Regiment of New Zealand Artillery as an Additional
Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) at a ceremony at Buckingham Palace.
The award was announced in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List 2010 and because LT Col Gillard is currently based in
London as Military Advisor attached to New Zealand Defence Staff, he had the opportunity of having the honour presented
to him at the Palace.
“I talked to HRH for a couple of minutes and he was keen to thank New Zealand for its efforts in Afghanistan. He was
well briefed about our contribution to ISAF.
“I remain thankful to all members of ARIKI 14 and those contingents who preceded us, whose collective efforts and
professionalism made my job an easy one. I am also thankful to my family for their continued support and it was
wonderful that they could share such a unique occasion.”
Lieutenant Colonel Gillard deployed to Afghanistan from April to October 2009 as Chief of Staff for the New Zealand
Provincial Reconstruction Team (NZPRT) based in Bamyan.
The citation for the award states he effectively practiced mission command at all times, which allowed his staff the
freedom to conduct operations to best effect. He was personally responsible for planning and coordinating the security
aspects of the Bamyan Province elections in conjunction with the Afghan National Security Forces.
The result saw elections being conducted with a high level of security and in an efficient manner. He also oversaw the
successful embedding of United States Military Police into Bamyan, to begin their mission of training the Afghan
National Police.
His understanding of the complex relationships between international forces and the Afghan people saw immense progress
being made by the NZPRT. “
ENDS