Our People in NSW
Dave Boulton - Narrandera Man Interpreting Uruzgan
Narrandera’s Dave Boulton will be spending Christmas and the New Year with the Australian Army in Afghanistan’s Uruzgan Province.
The Warrant Officer Class Two has been in the Army for 24 years and is no stranger to overseas deployments. He has already served twice in East Timor.
“Deploying to Afghanistan as an Australian Soldier is a career highlight,” Dave said. “You work for many years training for difference scenarios to hopefully be picked up for an overseas deployment, and here I am.”
Dave began his current deployment to Afghanistan in May of this year. His job is to provide Afghan interpreters to coalition forces who are operating across the province.
The interpreters are the voice of the coalition force mentors to the Afghan National Army and Afghan National Police, and are vital to liaising with Afghan local nationals.
“I ensure we have enough interpreters for the right jobs. I manage over 250 interpreters for Special Forces, headquarters and the Australian trainers,” Dave said.
The interpreters, who are passionate about their work, also accompany the patrols when they go outside the relative safety of the camps. At the same time they provide the vital interface for the Australian soldiers as they interact with the Afghan locals.
Most of Dave’s work is based in Tarin Kot but he has travelled around a few provinces transporting interpreters. He added, that at times, the seasonal climate reminds him of home.
“The Afghan climate is similar to Narrandera, hot summers and cold winters. We are just getting into winter,” Dave said.
Recently Dave took his well deserved leave from Afghanistan and went to Europe and proposed to his fiancée in Italy.
“Next year when I return home I am going to take Roslyn back to Narrandera and show her where I grew up.”
Warrant Officer Dave Boulton will be deployed over the Christmas holidays but is looking forward to some well deserved leave early next year after his nine months in Afghanistan.