FINALLY HOME AFTER UN DEPLOYMENT
Three officers of the Republic of Fiji Military Forces were welcomed back into the country after returning from their respective missions and completing their mandatory 14-day quarantine.
The Officers were:
■ Major Monty Naulumatua who was Fiji’s first Military Observer deployed to Yemen with the United Nations Mission in support of the
Hudaydah Agreement(UNMHA)
Major Sanaila Vutikalulu and Major Arvind Lal who served in South Sudan with the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).
The personnel were originally scheduled to return in 2020 after completing their 12-month tour of duty.
However, as a result of the COVID -19 pandemic, their deployments were extended.
This extension was because the RFMF had to alter its selection and pre deployment procedures in order to comply with UN regulations for deployment in the time of COVID-19 and the officers’ respective missions had requested to have them stay on and stand in for Military Observers who were to have been deployed to the Mission Area but could not, as a result of the high rates of infection in their countries and travel restrictions and bans that were imposed at the time.
Major Monty spent one year and six months in Yemen, while Major Vutikalulu and Major Lal spent one year and 11 months respectively in South Sudan.
In addition to these extensions, when returning they were faced with delays and COVID-19 tests at each of the countries they landed in before reaching our shores.
In their service they exemplified the sacrifices that are often required of our troops when deployed but are never spoken as they are part and parcel of donning the uniform and serving our beloved country.
The three Staff Officers were officially welcomed at the Blackrock Camp by Colonel Luveni, the Director of Peace Support Operations.