Meritorious Service Medal
- Awarded on: May 29, 2009
- Invested on: November 13, 2009
Rank: Lieutenant-Commander
Lieutenant-Commander Williston was deployed to Afghanistan with the Strategic Advisory Team, from August 2007 to August 2008. While working in direct support of the Afghan government, he was single-handedly responsible for several high-profile initiatives that enhanced the Afghan government’s communications capability. His leadership turned a group of untrained, ministry of education workers into the most sophisticated communications department in Afghanistan. Lieutenant-Commander Williston’s Afghan first mentality endeared him to his Afghan colleagues and enhanced the credibility of the Canadian Forces.