Military-to-Military exercise underway at Black Rock
Exercise Cartwheel, a multilateral military-to-military training exercise, was underway at the Black Rock Camp in Nadi earlier this week.
Cartwheel is the final Operation Pathways exercise for 2022 which include members of the Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF), and their counterparts from the Australian, New Zealand, and British forces.
They build expeditionary readiness and interoperability by increasing the capacity to face a crisis and contingencies by developing and stressing units at the highest training levels.
The officers are training on urban, rappelling, and also jungle operations with opportunities for unit ministry teams, medical teams, and engineers to trade best practices simultaneously.
Fiji Infantry Regiment, MajorGeneral O.W. Griswold lauded the Fijian effort during Cartwheel.
“The excellent combat spirit, discipline, soldierly bearing, and sportsmanship of every member of the 3rd Battalion has earned for Fijians the highest esteem among the American Forces,” said MajorGeneral
Griswold.
“It is my sincere hope that the fortunes of war will again place your battalion under my command.”
US Navy Commander Victor Lange, who is also the senior defense official/ defense attaché – US Embassy said: “The name of this exercise originates in Operation Cartwheel, a major military operation for the allies in the Pacific during World War II.
“In Operation Cartwheel, forces from the U.S., New Zealand, Australia, and Fiji joined by other Pacific Island nations, fought side by side to neutralise the Japanese base at Rabaul, Papua New Guinea,”
Commander Lange said.
New Zealand army Warrant Officer Class One Chad Dewes said: “We are here to build relationships and to work hard in beautiful Fiji.”
Participants are officers assigned to 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, supported by Army Reserve 797th Engineers, 402nd Forward Resuscitative Surgical Team, and 343rd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment, partnered with Republic of Fiji Military Forces, Australian, New Zealand, and British soldiers during the 11-day exercise.