Mike Hunter says he's a changed officer.
The North Bay Police Sergeant was honoured today with a Canadian Peacekeeping service Medal which he received for serving in Afghanistan back in 2011 when he was attached to the European Union Police Mission in Afghanistan (EUPOL) through the RCMP International Police Peace Operations Program and worked in the Field Implementation Office overseeing EUPOL Provincial Reconstruction Team training and mentoring Afghanistan National Police.
Here in North Bay Hunter is in charge of 12 officers, over there he was responsible for more than 130.
Hunter says at that time Afghanistan was a war zone.
“A good day in Afghanistan is a day you don’t get killed at that time, and it was declared a war zone and that was very prevalent every day you were there,” admitted Hunter.
“You were hyper-vigilant, hyper-aware all the time, 24-7.”
He recalls one incident where there was a rocket attack near his headquarters in Kabul.
“Just afterIi left a roundabout (near the headquarters) there was an ISIS attack so we just kind of got the tail end of it, it was a little bit scary,” he recalled.
Hunter says it was stressful but also one of his biggest life changing experiences as well.
“Spending a year over there and taking all my experience from here and sharing that with the Afghan National Police and contributing to that cause was unbelievable,” he said.
“The people and the country itself, again, so much turmoil but the people were wonderful, very heartfelt people, very appreciative people in relation to our contribution so it really touched the heart.”
Hunter got the job after receiving UN Police training in Germany back in 2010.
He currently serves as Officer in Charge for the North Bay Police Service’s Emergency Response Team, Executive Director on the North Bay Police Association, member of Critical Incident Debriefing Team, Colour Sergeant for the North Bay Police Service’s Ceremonial Unit, and member of the International Police Association.
