Afghanistan Service Is Recognized

Paul Hunt, facing camera, has spent the last few months a long way from the Rochester where he grew up. He recently finished six months Army service in Afghanistan and is now at Fort Richardson, Alaska. Above, he shares a Bronze Star medal with two others in the 267 Finance Batallion, Specialist Gregory Chinama and Sgt. Donald Washington. Hunt won the medal for his service in Afghanistan.

Carrying a million dollars in cash isn't what you'd usually think of as an example of "heroic or meritorious achievement," but Paul Hunt has received a bronze star for doing just that.

Hunt's work was worthy of a medal, not because he was carrying cash—but because of where he was carrying it.

Paul Hunt, the son of David and Ann Hunt of Rochester, recently ended six-month's service with the Army in Afghanistan. His job was dispersing some $8 million in cash to various Afghani vendors and contractors. The funds they received as the result of sales to the Army, he believes, helped rebuild institutions and communities.

Hunt was awarded the Bronze Star Jan. 2 by Maj. Gen. John Brown, U.S. Army Alaska commander. Hunt is now serving with the 267th Finance Battalion at Fort Richardson, Alaska.

Soldiers become eligible for the Bronze Star by distinguishing themselves while engaged in conflict or military operations against an enemy.

Hunt traveled throughout Afghanistan and Kuwait with as much as $2 million in cash on his person at any given time, said 1st Lt. Gavin Luher of his Alaskan battalion.

"He was like a one-man bank out there," said Luher.

"He had to keep track of eight million dollars worth of money transactions. That is just a staggering amount of money when you stop to think about it."

The money went to projects like paying local contractors to build schools and helping American soldiers with pay problems. Most every day, he drove about an hour from his Army base into Kabul, to buy what the base needed and could buy locally.

The Kabul market, he noted, is arranged according to what is being sold. There may be a street full of lumber dealers, or another where various dealers specialize in automotive parts. It was his job to find the trustworthy dealers and negotiate a fair price.

But having large amounts of cash in an essentially lawless area is a unique situation.

"Since I was dealing with hard cash, there was always the danger that someone would attempt to take it from me," he explained. He did travel with body guards, he noted.

Occasionally, he would take longer trips to refund disbursement agents in other cities, like Kandahar. This involved carrying larger sums—generally $100,000 to $1 million—in $50s and $100s.

"He was chosen by the battalion commander for the job because he was the best soldier for the job," Luher said. "He pays such attention to detail with everything he does."

Hunt, Korean by birth, was adopted when he was nine years old, David Hunt said this week. He received 11 years of his schooling in Rochester but actually graduated from Burr & Burton when his father became principal in Dorset.

He celebrated his 40th birthday on Christmas Day, David Hunt said.

Hunt told The Herald he has "happy thoughts" of his six months in one of the world's most desperately poor countries.

"I got to help the people to rebuild their country," he said "It's a slow process, but at the end of my duty I could say, "Wow, this is nice; I was a part of this."

Hunt, who was in Rochester last summer with his wife Odette, has three children ages 12, 10, and 7.