Naupoto says the biggest damage to the RFMF was the personalisation of loyalty during the 1987 and 2006 coups

The biggest damage to the Republic of Fiji Military Forces was the personalisation of loyalty – when loyalty was personalised to the person rather than the institution.

Those are the words of Immigration Minister and former FijiFirst MP, Viliame Naupoto on fijivillage Straight Talk With Vijay Narayan as he spoke about the challenges he faced when he was appointed as the Military Commander.

Naupoto says the personalisation of loyalty happened during the 1987 coup to Sitiveni Rabuka and the 2006 coup to Voreqe Bainimarama.

He also says that when he became the Military Commander, he inherited a military that was government since 2006, and it was used to being in power as the government.

Naupoto says the biggest challenge for him was to try and change the attitude of the military to a thinking of a military in a democracy where you sit under those that are elected.

He says he had to re-tune the military thinking, he has never talked about what he wanted, and he invested heavily in training, talking to his counterparts in Australia and New Zealand, asking them to give positions for senior level positions.

Naupoto says that has helped reset the attitude of the military.

He also says that he thought it was good for him to be in the military when the coups took place, and especially in 2006, where he took up the role of being the voice of reason during those difficult times when things would go wrong.

Naupoto also spoke about his early life in Vatoa, Lau.

An emotional Naupoto recalls the time when he was in class 8, and his father was told he only had two weeks to live.

Naupoto says he looked after his dying father, and his father emphasized the values to Naupoto until his father eventually died in his arms on the island.

He was taught to be humble and simple to everyone he meets.

Naupoto then went to Queen Victoria School and that was when he wore shoes for the first time.

At times, he would not attend school if his mother could not pay the fees after cutting copra.

He eventually joined the Fiji Navy although he was terrified of the sea when he was young and always got seasick when he went out fishing with his father.