About

Pieter Nortje, better known as Piet, hails from the Karoo and began his compulsory military service in 1978. After completing a Junior Leaders course, he was among the first volunteers to undergo the 32 Battalion reconnaissance wing selection and training. Out of 45 candidates, only 15 made the cut, with Nortje among them. Opting to pursue a career in the South African Defence Force (SADF), he remained with 32 Battalion, becoming the training sergeant major at Buffalo base in the Caprivi. At 25, he became the youngest Permanent Force Regimental Sergeant Major (RSM) in the SADF’s history, as 32 Battalion grew into one of the SADF’s largest operational units.

Nortje’s decade-long service with 32 Battalion saw him participating in major operations inside Angola. His role as RSM gave him a unique perspective on the unit’s transformation, as former Angolan rebels were integrated into a highly effective SADF unit. He was earmarked to become the Gazankulu Defence Force sergeant major, should Gazankulu gain independence, but this never materialized. In January 1988, Nortje was transferred to 113 Battalion at Phalaborwa, intended to be the core of the Gazankulu Defence Force. However, with the end of compulsory military service in 1992, 113 Battalion was merged into 7 SA Infantry Battalion, and Nortje was transferred there as training sergeant major.

In 1996, Nortje was appointed RSM of 121 SA Infantry Battalion, the Zulu ethnical battalion in Mtubatuba, KwaZulu-Natal. After a decade of service, he resigned in 2005 to join the United Emirates Armed Forces as a Military Contract Officer, later promoted to major, overseeing the Border Guard’s northern battalion until his retirement in August 2021. His unexpected authorial career began with a desire to preserve the history of 32 Battalion, leading to the publication of his first book, despite having no prior writing experience.