Fijian Navy midshipman Vinit Vikash Raj will be among seven who will be commissioned at the Stanley Brown Naval base in Walu Bay, today.

Once commissioned, he will be the only active Indo-Fijian naval officer in the Fiji Navy.

“The journey has been tough in the last six years. I joined the Fiji Navy in 2010 where we did our officer training for three years and was promoted to midshipman.”

The 24-year-old from Sabeto, Nadi, was among those who graduated with a Bachelor of Computer Science from the Jawalhalr Nehru University.

The programme was offered to those in the National Defence Academy (NDA) in Pune, India.

Midshipman Raj was part of the Academy’s passing out parade in Pune last month.

Fijian midshipman Josaia Burerua was also part of the passing out parade and will be commissioned also.

“In December 2012, I was sent to India to do further studies in a Bachelor of Computer under Jawalhalr Nehru University.

“This is  a three-year course at the National Defence Academy.

It was an honour to be part of the prestigious defence academy where the best from all over India are trained,” Midshipman Raj said.

“NDA is a tri-service institution, one of the first in the world where the army, navy and Police officers are trained. So it had be a privilege to trained from such institution, it will help us academically, mentally and physically.

“The journey has been great, with the endless support from Fiji Navy, relatives and loved ones for the last six years,” he said.

Midshipman Raj said training in NDA was quite tough.

“Academically they are very sound, secondly physical training is very tough and the routine starts very early in the morning and ends late in the night.

“I am ready to take up my new role at the Fiji Navy and I hope to use my knowledge once I am given the field that I will be responsible for.

“Years of hard work and perseverance have paid off; the journey to a new level will begin soon; it will come with challenges because every road to success is never easy.”

 Edited by Jonathan Bryce

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