BIOGRAPHICAL DETAILS OF COMMANDER REPUBLIC OF FIJI MILITARY FORCES

MAJOR GENERAL JONE LOGAVATU KALOUNIWAI CM, MSD, MSc (DSS), MBA, MPP, ACDSS (F), psc

Major General Jone Logavatu Kalouniwai was appointed Commander of the Republic of Fiji Military Forces on 16^th September 2021 after spending sixteen months as Director General National Security and Intelligence at the Ministry of Defense National Security, Policing from May 2020. He enlisted into the RFMF on 23rd October 1987 and was later commissioned into the Officers Corp on 10th May 1992. Prior to his commissioning, he served as a Section Commander in Lebanon and a Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO) Instructor at the RFMF Training School. As a commissioned officer of the RFMF, he served in various officer appointments in various missions with the Multinational Forces and Observers in Sinai, Egypt; UN missions in Lebanon; East Timor; Iraq; and the Golan Heights, Syria. During these overseas missions, Major General Kalouniwai has held various junior and senior command and staff appointments.

His last command appointment was in MFO, Sinai commanding the 2^nd Battalion, Fiji Infantry Regiment. His last Staff appointment was in Syria as a Colonel where he served as the UN mission Chief of Staff for UNDOF overseeing the operational and strategic functions of its Multinational HQ for two years: 2014-15 & 2015-16.

Major General Kalouniwai has attended military courses both locally and overseas in NZ, Taiwan, India and Australia. He has attended various defence and peace keeping seminars in the US, UK, Sweden, Nepal, and South Korea. Major General Kalouniwai did his Command Staff College at the Services Staff College (DSSC) Wellington, India in 2008 and recently graduated from the prestigious Australian War College in Canberra, Australia in Dec 2019.

He has also held various senior command and staff appointments within the RFMF. He was posted as the Battalion Commander for the 2^nd Battalion Fiji Infantry Regiment in Sinai, Egypt from 2009-2010, he also commanded the 3rd Battalion Fiji Infantry Regiment in Suva, Fiji for three years (2010-2013). He later assumed various appointments such as Chief Staff Officer for Operations, Planning & Training, Chief Staff Officer Intelligence for the Land Force Command Brigade HQ, He later became its Chief of Staff, and eventually Commander of the RFMF Land Forces in 2014 before taking up a two-year assignment as UNDOF mission Chief of Staff. In his last assignment as Chief of Staff for the Republic of Fiji Military Forces, he received his promotion as Brigadier General.

Apart from his military courses qualifications, Major General Kalouniwai holds an Executive Certificate in Management from the Australian Maritime College, Graduate Diploma in Management (Central Queensland University), Masters in Business Administration (Central Queensland University), Masters of Science in Defense and Strategic Studies – Madras University, India; and Masters in Politics and Policy from Deakin University in Canberra, Australia.

Major General Kalouniwai for his services has been awarded the following: for excelling in Operational Leadership in an overseas operational mission – the Command Medal; for long distinguished service – the Meritorious Service Decoration; the General Service Medal; Sinai Egypt – MFO Peacekeeping Medal; Lebanon- UNIFIL Peacekeeping Medal; Iraq- UNAMI Peacekeeping Medal; East Timor-UNMISET Peacekeeping Medal; Syria – UNDOF peacekeeping Medal; and the Fiji Republic Medal.

Major General Kalouniwai is happily married to Mrs Folaukitoga Pareti Logavatu and is blessed with six children.