Major General David Mulhall, commander joint logistics in the Australian Defence Force in Canberra, was awarded the sole Distinguished Service Cross in this year's Queen's Birthday Honours for his work in Afghanistan.
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He received the honour for his "distinguished command and leadership in war-like operations as Commander Joint Task Force 636 and deputy chief of Staff Support Headquarters International Security Assistance Force and Headquarters Resolute Support on operations Slipper and Highroad from May 2014 until May 2015".
"In essence, I was the senior logistics officer in the Coalition headquarters in Afghanistan, working to the US four-star officer," he said.
"I had responsibility for logistics – so that's distribution, maintenance, health, telecommunications, contracts, signals and a range of other services.
"I also had some responsibility for what we call security force assistance, in other words trying to assist the Afghan national army and the Afghan national police in the development of their own systems.
"So I had a staff that dealt with both the Afghan and the Coalition side."
He also saw the transition to the Afghan army and police taking the lead on security which necessitated the closing of some bases and shipping equipment and supplies out of the country.
His citation credits his "distinguished leadership, devotion and professionalism" getting the job done.
"I feel very privileged to be recognised in this way," he said.
"I would very much like to recognise the contribution of the 30,000-plus Australians who've now committed to Afghanistan. And I want to note the personal sacrifice of those who have been killed or wounded or otherwise mentally injured."
In the unique position of working with the Australian and Coalition forces from a range of nationalities, Major-General Mulhall, 51, said the work in Afghanistan was not done.
"I believe that Australia needs to remain committed to the Resolute Support mission," he said.
"Afghanistan continues to need the support of the international community so it can continue to develop and re-join the international community as a normalised and stable sovereign country on which we can rely.
"It's not easy. It's a hard slog. But I think it's right we remain committed to it with our coalition.
"I'm a firm believer that what the Coalition is able to do is allow the government of Afghanistan and the people of Afghanistan make choices about their future in a way that, under the Taliban regime for example, they were unable to make those choices.
"So the fact there are, I think, three million girls in schools now represents a significant choice from the parents of those girls ... The fact you've got lots of young men and women choosing to join their army and police force ... also represents a powerful choice."
