More than 70 RFMF soldiers will not be spending the Christmas holiday with their families as they have departed for Peacekeeping duties in Iraq.
The troops will serve as the United Nations Guard Unit of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq.
The departing soldiers together with a detachment that left in August will form the 168 personnel of the 1st Battalion Fiji Infantry Regiment Batt 23 and Commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Netani Kaukimoce.
These RFMF soldiers had completed six weeks of pre-deployment training conducted by the RFMF Directorate Peace Support Operations within the Lololo Training area outside Lautoka.
After spending a few days with their loved ones, the troops had to observe a requirement by the UN and the host country Iraq and enter into a two-weeks of strict pre-departure quarantine protocol before flying out.
They departed yesterday evening on an Adagold Aviation aircraft chartered by the Australian Defence Force.
