Commander of the Republic of Fiji Military Forces
| Commander of Fiji Military Forces | |
|---|---|
 Coat of arms of Fiji | |
since September 2021 | |
| Member of | Republic of Fiji Military Forces |
| Reports to | Minister for National Security and Defence |
| Appointer | President of the Republic |
| Formation | 1971 |
| First holder | D. J. Aitken |
| Unofficial names | Commander RFMF |
| Deputy | Deputy Commander |
| Website | Official website |
The Commander of the Republic of Fiji Military Forces is the highest-ranking military officer of in the Republic of Fiji Military Forces, who is responsible for maintaining the operational command of the military. The current commander is Major General Jone Kalouniwai.
List of commanders
[edit]British rule
[edit]During British rule, the Commanders were:[1]
| No. | Portrait | Commander | Took office | Left office | Time in office |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ? | ? | ? | ? | |
| 2 | Major general William Cunningham (1883–1959) | 1940 | 1942 | 1–2 years | |
| 3 | Major general Owen Mead (1892–1942) | March 1942 | 25 July 1942 † | 0 years | |
| 4 | Brigadier John George Concanon Wales (1886–1967) | July 1942 | 1943 | 0–1 years | |
| 5 | Brigadier George Dittmer (1893–1979) | 1943 | 1945 | 1–2 years | |
| 6 | Colonel Clive Lochiel Pleasants (1910–1988) | 1949 | 1953 | 3–4 years | |
| 7 | Colonel Thomas Coats Campbell (1911–1984) | 1953 | 1956 | 2–3 years | |
| 8 | Colonel J. P. Sanders | 1956 | 1958 | 1–2 years | |
| 9 | Colonel R. W. Foubister (1910–?) | 1958 | 1960 | 1–2 years | |
| 10 | Colonel Robertson Mackay Paterson (1918–1972) | 1960 | 1962 | 1–2 years | |
| 11 | Colonel Frank Rennie (1918–1992) | 1966 | 1969 | 2–3 years | |
| 12 | Colonel John Moore Morris (1924–2017) | 1969 | 1971 | 1–2 years |
Independence
[edit]| No. | Portrait | Commander | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Defence branch | Commander-in-Chief | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brigadier D. J. Aitken | 1971 | 1974 | 2–3 years | Army | Elizabeth II | [1] | |
| 2 | Colonel Paul Manueli (1934–2019) | 1974 | 1979 | 4–5 years | Army | Elizabeth II | [1][2] | |
| 3 | Colonel Ian Thorpe | 1979 | 1982 | 2–3 years | Army | Elizabeth II | [1] | |
| 4 | Colonel Epeli Nailatikau (born 1941) [a] | 1982 | 1987 | 4–5 years | Army | Elizabeth II | [1] | |
| 5 | Major general Sitiveni Rabuka (born 1948) [b] | 1987 | 1992 | 4–5 years | Army | Elizabeth II Himself Ganilau | [1] | |
| 6 | Major general Epeli Ganilau (1951–2023) | 1992 | 1 March 1999 | 6–7 years | Army | Ganilau Mara | [1] | |
| 7 | Commodore Frank Bainimarama (born 1954) [b] | 1 March 1999 | 5 March 2014 | 15 years, 4 days |  Republic of Fiji Navy | Mara Himself (twice) Iloilo Nailatikau | [1][3][4] | |
| 8 | Brigadier Mosese Tikoitoga | 5 March 2014 | 31 July 2015 | 1 year, 148 days | Army | Nailatikau | [1][5] | |
| 8 | Rear Admiral Viliame Naupoto | 1 August 2015 Acting until December 2015 | 16 September 2021 | 6 years, 46 days | Republic of Fiji Navy | Nailatikau Konrote | [6] | |
| 9 | Brigadier General Jone Kalouniwai | September 2021 | Incumbent | 3 years, 2 months | Army | Konrote Katonivere | [7] |
See also
[edit]Notes
[edit]- ^ Later served as President.
- ^ a b Later served as Prime Minister.
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Commanders". Republic of Fiji Military Forces. 2013. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 12 January 2019.
- ^ (23 December 2006). Military, GCC agree to talks Archived 2012-09-05 at the Wayback Machine, Fiji Times, Retrieved November 22, 2010
- ^ Fiji coup leader Frank Bainimarama quits military post for poll run Archived 6 March 2014 at the Wayback Machine, The Australian, 5 March 2014, accessed 6 March 2014
- ^ Vuibau, Tevita (6 March 2014). "Military pays tribute to 'David'". Fiji Times Online. Archived from the original on 7 March 2014. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
- ^ Vuibau, Tevita (6 March 2014). "By the book". Fiji Times Online. Archived from the original on 7 March 2014. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
- ^ "Commander resigns - Fiji Times Online". www.fijitimes.com. Archived from the original on 1 August 2017. Retrieved 28 October 2017.
- ^ "Brigadier General Jone Kalouniwai is the new Commander of Fiji's Miilitary Forces". Pacific Islands News Association. Retrieved 25 September 2021.