The Australian Defense Force (ADF) is facilitating a nine-day Exercise Long Reach for Natural Disaster Management Joint Seminar at the Grand Pacific Hotel, Suva. A team of defence planners from

by australian high commission

Participants at the RFMF Officer’s Mess at Delainabua on Thursday. Photo: Australian High Commission

The Australian Defense Force (ADF) is facilitating a nine-day Exercise Long Reach for Natural Disaster Management Joint Seminar at the Grand Pacific Hotel, Suva.

A team of defence planners from ADF was hosted to a welcome reception by the Acting Commander Republic of Fiji Military Forces and Chief of Navy, Captain (Navy) John Joseph Fox at the RFMF Officer’s Mess at Delainabua on Thursday.

The seminar is part of a defence co-operation initiative on disaster management.

Captain (N) Fox, in his capacity as Acting Commander RFMF, greeted the ADF team led by Lieutenant-Colonel Andrew Baker.

The seminar ‘Exercise Long Reach’, ends next Friday – November 6.

“I hope that you will all enjoy your brief stay here and we all hope that this joint exercise will be a fruitful one,” Captain (Navy) Fox said.

“We will use this opportunity as a platform to be able to learn from one another on how we develop as Pacific partners and better equipped prior to times of natural disasters.”

The workshop proper is a culmination of the relevant stakeholders of the National Disaster Management Framework in Fiji and other regional partners like Vanuatu which will contribute valuable lessons learned from past experiences and deliberate on how stakeholders can better synergise their effort in future disasters.

Lieutenant-Colonel Baker said this was an approach to strengthen ties and deepen the defence co-operation between ADF and the RFMF.

He said it was an opportunity to learn from one another on how Fiji could enhance readiness and mobility of troops during times of natural disaster.

The exercise which is funded by the Australian Defence Force is attended by participants from the Fiji Police Force, RFMF, Salvation Army, Australian Defence personnel and non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

Australian High Commission

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