MILLS, Robert James

C20679, Lieutenant Commander, Royal New Zealand Naval Volunteer Reserve

CITATION

New Zealand Distinguished Service Decoration

Queen's Birthday Honours List 2007

Congratulations to Lieutenant Commander Robert James (Joe) MILLS, DSD, VRD, RNZNVR. Lieutenant Commander MILLS transferred to the

Regular Force and deployed at short notice to serve with the UN Mission in Sudan from November 2005 to June 2006. He was posted as the

Staff Officer Military Planning, which would normally be a higher ranked position. On arrival, the Mission was in start-up phase and it was

imperative to provide operational guidance to troops assigned to the Mission, as well as to UN Military Observers working in a tenuous security

situation at a high operational tempo and within limitations imposed by the government of Sudan. This was not a role that he had any training

in, but with diligence and determination and using his experience in civilian police work, robust plans were drawn up. Lieutenant Commander

MILLS was also personally responsible for resolving discord between the military and civil divisions of the United Nations police force.

KNOWN AWARDS

New Zealand Distinguished Service Decoration

New Zealand Operational Service Medal

United Nations Special Service Medal (UNSSM)

New Zealand Volunteer Reserve Decoration (VRD)

THE PRO PATRIA PROJECT