On 1 July, Major General Simon Stuart of the Australian Army received the General Yamazaki Chief of Staff Commendation Award from the Japanese Ambassador to Australia, Mr Reiichiro Takahashi. Major General Stuart was the previous commander of the Multinational Force and Observers (MFO), a peacekeeping force in the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt, made up of personnel from a range of countries, including Australia and Japan. Ambassador Takahashi expressed his gratitude to Major General Stuart for his leadership of the MFO and his support to the initial deployment of JSDF staff officers to the observer mission. In receiving the award, Major General Stuart commented on the dedication of the Japanese staff deployed to the MFO.
