Officers from the Australian Defence Force will study in Fiji for the first time

Australian High Commissioner John Feakes has announced that this year the officers from the Australian Defence Force will study in Fiji for the first time.

Feakes highlighted this while officiating at the 30th anniversary of the Officers Training Centre in Vatuwaqa where he was also accorded the Guard of Honour.

He also announced that the Australian government will be funding the Republic of Fiji Military Forces Infantry Captains Course and the Warrant Officers Course which the officers from Australia will be part of.

Feakes says the move comes as part of an enhanced partnership between Australia and Fiji on officer training.

He says their support also includes the upgrade of the facilities at the Force Training Group in Nasinu and the Officers Training Centre in Vatuwaqa.

Feake says these work will be completed by a team from the RFMF and a team of engineers from the Australian Defence Force.

Meanwhile, the RFMF Officers Training School Commandant Lieutenant-Colonel Avinesh Kumar says during its 39 years tenure, the School has primarily focused on promotional courses such as Grade 2 and 3 Staff and Tactics Course and Junior Staff Officers Courses.

Kumar says the centre has delivered various other courses and seminar under the leadership of exceptional Commandants and hardworking staff.

He says the centre has also designed and delivered training to civil servants and other agencies on as and when required basis.

Kumar says the Centre also served as an operational hub for the RFMF in times of crisis.

He says in 2014, the crisis management team was stationed at the Centre during the hostage incident in Golan and since 19th March this year, the COVID-19 planning team has been operating from this premise.

Kumar says they have reviewed the Learning Management Package for all the courses conducted by the Centre as well as designed and developed new courses to complement the existing ones with the assistance of the Australian Defence Force.

He says they are on the verge of rolling out new leadership training program throughout the RFMF with the assistanceof New Zealand Defence Force.