𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗱 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲

The Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF), Force Training Group (FTG) commenced the Section Commanders Course on Monday 17, February 2025, in Nasinu. Now in its third week, the training is set to conclude after eight weeks. This course qualifies personnel for promotion to the rank of Corporal.

A section is a 10-man team that contributes to the formation of a platoon. It is led by a commander who holds the rank of corporal.

This course covers the core competencies of administration, leadership, and operations with a great emphasis on the last.

The course objective is to develop course participants’ skills, knowledge, attitude, and abilities to command a rifle section in peace and on operation.

The eight-week course has so far covered three weeks of essential military training. In the first week, participants completed a recap on navigation and field lessons. The second week focused on offensive and defensive operations. This week, trainees have been delivering back briefs and verbal orders. Training exercises have so far been conducted within FTG, and in the coming week, participants will advance to the Introduction Phase—Field Exercise.

The course participants were fortunate to receive a presentation from guest speaker, Mr. Derek Derenalagi, who shared his personal experience on the importance of Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC). Mr. Derenalagi highlighted how important it is to have the right TCCC training in order to save lives on the battlefield. This was part of a series of guest speaker presentations that allowed participants to learn from real-life experience.

The Section Commanders Course is designed to develop leadership and operational capabilities among military personnel, ensuring they are well-prepared for tactical and command responsibilities.

There are currently two New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) and two British Armed Forces personnel in FTG as instructors on the Platoon Commander and Section Commander courses. This is part of FTG’s goal of increasing engagement with traditional defense partners, improving interoperability through similar standards, and enhancing training through the diversity of its instructors.

FTG operates on a training forecast that is determined by the human resource needs of the RFMF. This is planned in five-year cycles.

FTG will conduct two more promotional courses, two Basic Recruit Courses, and two Gender Courses in the remainder of this year.

In Pursuit of Training Excellence!