 Richards akashanda kuFar East, Germany neNorthern Ireland neRoyal Artillery asati atungamira mauto muEast Timor uye kunyanya Sierra Leone, uko kuita kwake pasina mvumo yepamutemo kwakadzivirira Freetown kubva pakurwiswa nevapanduki panguva yeSierra Leone Civil War. Richards akashandawo neNATO semukuru mukuru, uye semutevedzeri mukuru akatungamira International Security Assistance Force muAfghanistan pakati pa2006 na2007 panguva yekuwedzera kwayo munyika yese. 