Posted on 06/17/2013 6:28:34 AM PDT by Pan_Yan
The Pacific Ocean island nation of Fiji will be replacing some of the UN Peacekeepers that have withdrawn from the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) mission in the Golan Heights, according to the Fijian online newspaper The Fiji Times.
According to the report, The United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations' military adviser at the Office of Military Affairs, Lieutenant-General Babacar Gaye told the paper that Fiji would be sending 170 individuals to the mission. Gaye said, a three member team from Fiji visited UNDOF last month and that the Fijians are expected to be deployed to the mission by the end of June.
Gaye told the paper that Fiji and a number of other states had offered to send personnel to strengthen the mission's dwindling number of troops, following the withdrawal of troops from Croatia, Japan, and most recently from Austria.
(Excerpt) Read more at jpost.com ...
The look a lot more disciplined than the Bangladeshi, Egyptian and Nigerian rabble that normally make up a UN Peacekeeping force.
Well, now that I know how they’ve been trained, perhaps it’s not so bad they’re going to be involved in this after all.
Seriously? Fiji?
No offense to Fiji meant, but war zones aren’t simple places where generally non-combatant nations should be playing.
Agreed ... but I couldn’t resist the best of the HAKA type dances.
Wiki:
The first two regular battalions of the Fiji Infantry Regiment are traditionally stationed overseas on peacekeeping duties; the 1st Battalion has been posted to Lebanon, Iraq, and East Timor under the command of the UN, while the 2nd Battalion is stationed in Sinai with the MFO. Peacekeepers income represents an important source of income for Fiji. The 3rd Battalion is stationed in the capital, Suva, and the remaining three are spread throughout the islands.
I thought those were interesting. I hadn’t seen that before. No insult intended...
Interesting. Thanks Pan_Yan.
I noticed they didn't say "Gurkha."
Overqualified...
LOL
“We have brought our long pig wooden forks. Captured terrorists will be killed, roasted, and eaten.”
;^)
Mothers in the area are used to saying to their kids, "Hungry? I'll Fiji."
Heh heh heh... that will instill terror in the hearts of men. :^)
I spent 6 months in the MFO 85/86. The Fiji BAT soldiers are great allies to have. Big, strong, and easy going they make great Peacekeepers. Never seen them in combat but I would not want to go 1 on 1 / hand to hand with any I that met. I got hurt worse playing volleyball against them than any injury in my Army career :)
Thanks. One of the nice things about FR is no matter where you are posting about someone has been there and has a story. Fiji has a lot of experience in UN operations (see post #6) but I’m wondering how long it will be before The Phillipines pulls out their 800 men and then suddenly the thin blue-helmeted line between Israel and Syria becomes only a few hundred.
BTW, spent as much time as I could in Israel while in the MFO. Love the people and the land, reminds me of west Texas. In 1985/86 an American GI's money was worthless in most Tel Aviv and Eliat bars, hope they still like us as much.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.