MEET THE FIJIAN-AUSTRALIANS ON BOARD THE HMAS ADELAIDE
THEY ARE PART OF MORE THAN 600 AUSTRALIAN DEFENCE FORCE PERSONNEL DEPLOYED TO CONDUCT CYCLONE YASA RELIEF WORK. The HMAS Adelaide was in Suva on Thursday, January 7, 2021 to load supplies which were shipped to the North on the same day.
L Lieutenant Commander Roneel Chandra
Lieutenant Commander Chandra was born i in Suva and moved to Australia with his fami ily when he was young. He joined the Australian A Army Reserve in 2000 as an Infantryman while c completing his Bachelor of Nursing.
After serving in the Reserves and pursuing a f full-time nursing career, Lieutenant Commander C Chandra transferred to the Regular Army in 2003 b before combining his skills and commissioning a as Lieutenant in Royal Australian Army Nursing C Corps in 2005.
Lieutenant Commander Chandra transferred to Royal R Australian Navy in 2018 to diversify his career r in Maritime Health.
His operational service has seen him deploy to E East Timor in 2004 for Operation Citadel, Afghani istan in 2008 with Special Operations Task Group V VII and Tactical Assault Group East in 2009 and Iraq 2016 with Task Group Taji III.
He was also deployed on Operation APEC Assist i in 2018, Indian Pacific Endeavour in 2019, Operat tion Bushfire Assist in 2019 – 2020 and Operation C COVID-19 Assist in 2020. Operation Fiji Assist is h his first humanitarian assistance and disaster rel lief operation in the South West Pacific.
Leading L Seaman Michelle Vocea
Leading Seaman Michelle Vocea was born in B Brisbane, Australia. LS Vocea’s father is from Van nua Levu and mother is from Wallis and Futuna. L Leading Seaman Vocea lived in Suva until she w was nine, when her parents immigrated back to A Australia. LS Vocea joined the Royal Australian N Navy as a Communications Information Systems S Sailor in 2015.
LS Vocea has deployed on Indian Pacific Endeavour o in 2017 and 2019 and the Rim of the Pacific multinational m exercise in Hawaii in 2018. LS Vo
cea has also deployed as part of APEC in 2018 and Operation Bushfire Assist in 2019 – 2020. Operation Fiji Assist is LS Vocea’s first humanitarian assistance and disaster relief mission within the South West Pacific region.
Seaman Douglas Miller
Seaman Douglas Miller was born in Suva, Fiji. After completing his Year 10 studies in Fiji, Seaman Miller finished his education at boarding school in Brisbane before winning a swimming scholarship to the University of Iowa Central in Iowa, U.S.A. Seaman Miller transferred to Golden West College, California before completing his studies and returning to Fiji and then back to Australia.
Seaman Miller joined the Royal Australian Navy in 2018 as a Maritime Logistics Support Operations Sailor. Operation Fiji Assist is his first humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operation as a sailor.
Able Seaman Koloba Vuniwaqa
Able Seaman Koloba Vuniwaqa was born on the island of Levuka Ovalau, the village of Nabureni, Fiji. AB Vuniwaqa moved to Australia in 2009. AB Vuniwaqa joined the Royal Australian Navy on the 15th January 2017. AB Vuniwaqa has deployed on HMAS Canberra for Indian Pacific Endeavour 2019, including a series of engagement activities and military training exercises during port visits to Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam.
Operation Fiji Assist is AB Vuniqawa’s first humanitarian assistance and disaster relief mission within the South West Pacific region.