Swapping Teaching For Military Service

Fijian Army Major Tadeo Nariva never told his parents he had applied for the military.

After seeing a newspaper ad for officer cadets, the then-high school teacher wrote his application between classes and hand delivered it to the military base in Suva after school.

His parents found out when they saw their son’s name in the paper among the successful applicants.

“They had sent me to university and wanted me to pursue my teaching career,” Major Nariva said.

“My uncles in my village were in the military and growing up I saw them going in and out of Sinai and Lebanon. It made me curious.

“My parents did not understand, but later they realised how important my service was to me, my family and our community, and they were very proud.”

For the past nine months, the army officer has been serving his country in a different way, as the land planner in the Pacific Response Group (PRG).

The PRG is a multinational military unit set up in October 2024 to provide humanitarian assistance and disaster relief to Pacific Island nations.

It comprises Australia, Fiji, France, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Tonga, whose militaries supply expertise in areas including operations, health and logistics.

‘The people of the Pacific see themselves in the PRG [Pacific Response Group], they see our uniforms and know we represent them. It is about our traditions, our values and cooperation.’

Having spent most of his 24-year career in peacekeeping missions across the Middle East, Major Nariva was excited to serve in the Pacific.

“Fiji had a severe tropical cyclone, Winston, in early 2016, which devastated most of the outlying islands,” he said.

“We were really helpless.

“For me, when I think about the PRG I think about our Pasifika. Most of our cultures are similar, most of our languages are similar, so when one Pacific nation needs assistance, the others cannot be bystanders.

“The people of the Pacific see themselves in the PRG, they see our uniforms and know we represent them. It is about our traditions, our values and cooperation.”

Working hard and serving his community were values instilled in Major Nariva from a young age.

“That is part of my culture,” he said.

“One is not to be served but to be of service to others.”

And that is how he has viewed his role in the PRG.

“The Defence ministers brought our militaries together to better serve our island nations and it is an honour to be part of that,” Major Nariva said.

“The PRG is a symbol of Pacific unity but also so much more than that, a real military unit that must be utilised across the Pacific. Because we need it.

“My hope is that the PRG continues to grow as a respected and trusted unit that Pacific nations can rely on in times of need.”