Major General Evan Williams, ONZM for services to the New Zealand Defence Force
Major General Evan Williams has served the New Zealand Defence Force for 38 years. From December 2019 to March 2023, he was Force Commander for the Multinational Force and Observers (MFO) in the Sinai Peninsula, Egypt. During this time he suffered a personal loss and led through the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing ISIS-led insurgency. His leadership was key to increasing mission resiliency, improving infrastructure and re-establishing key operating arrangements. He developed trust with the senior leadership of the Egyptian Armed Forces and the Israel Defence Forces, facilitating dialogue and setting the conditions for agreement and compromise, including the signing of the third amendment to the Treaty of Peace. Major General Williams worked with the MFO’s Troop-Contributing and Donor States to adjust troop contributions and meet budgetary constraints.