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Auckland Accountant, Sinai Soldier
In a chunk of Egyptian desert within firing range of the volatile Gaza Strip, Captain Anthony Mitchelson was as far away from the bustle of downtown Auckland as he could possibly get.
And the young New Zealand Army officer was making the most of every minute he spent in the “other life” he leads.
In civilian life, he is an Auckland-based accountant, who at the time was an audit for international accountancy firm KPMG; in military life this territorial force officer was Sinai-based, and was serving as a member of the New Zealand Defence Force contingent in the Multinational Force and Observers (MFO).
In the Sinai Captain Mitchelson was one of four “battle captains” for the peacekeeping force. From America, Canada, Fiji and New Zealand, the battle captains work in shifts with a small number of other staff, effectively as duty operations officers. They monitor force operations, receiving regular reports from Force units and sub-units, and initiate investigations into potential treaty violations.
The MFO numbers about 2200 personnel, 600 of them civilians, from countries including the United States, New Zealand, Columbia, Fiji, Norway, Canada, France, Italy, Uruguay, Australia and Hungary. It monitors, from two camps on the Sinai Peninsula, the peace treaty between Israel and Egypt, and works to prevent any treaty violations.
The Sinai has been home to a contingent of Kiwis since 1982, when the first group of NZDF personnel arrived to oversee compliance of the peace treaty. In the beginning the New Zealand contribution also included RNZAF helicopter crews, but is now a 27-member tri-service team.
The contingent carries out a variety of tasks: a group of eight drivers ferry huge Volvos around the peninsula and into Israel, delivering water and supplies to remote outposts, and collecting supplies for the base camps. Another team of Kiwi driving instructors teaches other MFO personnel how to drive to the harsh Sinai conditions, and tests them on MFO driving regulations, which are a combination of Egyptian and Israeli law. Others within the unit train personnel from contributing countries on how to perform their MFO functions. The New Zealand contingent also includes force liaison and engineering officers, as well as filling the post of the Force Commander’s aide-de-camp.
Now 31, he joined the Territorial Force when he was 18, inspired by his father who had completed a stint of Compulsory Military Training. He also enjoys being outdoors, and doesn’t want to “sit behind a desk all my life.”
“I like the change of scenery, and I can keep fit as part of my job. It’s good being part of an operational military unit, and having daily contact with soldiers. I can use my military skills, and I enjoy being in this part of the world. It’s full of history, and by being here you get a much better appreciation of exactly what is going on in the Middle East.”
While he valued the “fun” part of military life, he also appreciated the strong work ethic and the sense of responsibility expected of him. “You can enjoy yourself, but there are also other spin-offs too that can affect the way you look at life.”
His years at university gave him plenty of time to devote to Territorial Force activities, but on entering the workforce this changed, hence his decision to take 10 months leave without pay, and deploy to the Sinai.
“My manager at the time was very understanding when I asked if I could have leave without pay, and I appreciated that. It isn’t always easy (to give someone extended leave) but I love my civilian job too, so I suppose it works out in the end.”
Captain Mitchelson went back to his civilian job upon returning from the Sinai in late 2005 and has since gone on to work for McGrath Nicol and Partners, a small boutique accountancy firm which split away from KPMG and specialises in insolvency and corporate recovery work.
This page was last reviewed on 04 November 2008 and is current.
