Meritorious Service Decorations - Military Division
Meritorious Service Medal
Awarded on: 2003-11-12
Invested on: 2004-11-26
With outstanding leadership as Commanding Officer of Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship WINNIPEG during Operation AUGMENTATION from March to September 2001, Capt(N) Williams, then Cdr, enabled the ship and her crew to excel in all facets of her involvement as part of the USS CONSTELLATION Battle Group operations in the Arabian Gulf. He led his ship’s company as the Maritime Interception Commander during 64 armed boardings, which resulted in the seizure of 14,000 metric tons of contraband Iraqi oil, a first for a Canadian ship. Capt(N) Williams’ professionalism and dedication to duty contributed significantly to the excellent relationship that continues between the Canadian and United States navies. His focus on the mission reflected highly on our military traditions, bringing great credit to himself, to the Canadian Forces and to Canada.