Distinguished Service Decoration (DSD)

Colonel Ruth Putze was posted to the United Nations Truce Supervision Organisation (UNTSO) from July 2015 to February 2016, and served as the Chief of the Observer Group in Lebanon, as well as the Senior National Officer for the New Zealand contingent.

In this role she was responsible for all UNTSO operations within Lebanon, the safety of the military Observer Group personnel under her command, and for maintaining liaison and a cooperative working environment between the Observer Group, the United Nations Interim Observer Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), other UN agencies and local communities. As one of only two female commanders serving in the Middle East (both with UNTSO) and the only one in South Lebanon, her exceptional performance has made her a role model for women throughout UNIFIL and UNTSO. Her work ethic and ability to build relationships with her counterparts and seniors across more than 40 troop-contributing nations, as well as community leaders and members of the national military forces, were significant factors in the success of her command. During this time she instituted and completed a number of important projects, including the replacement of the Force’s armoured vehicles and an enhanced induction training regime for new observers. As the Senior National Officer, Colonel Putze added considerably to New Zealand’s knowledge of current events in Lebanon, Israel and Syria. AWMM