Soldiers of 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Inf. Combat Brigade, 25th Inf. Division from, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, and 3rd Infantry Regiment of the Republic of Fiji Military Forces hold a closing ceremony for Exercise Cartwheel in Labasa, Fiji July 29, 2019. The U.S. Army Pacific sponsored exercise centered around infantry training events, civic action in local schools and humanitarian programs in and around Vanua Levu from July 29th to August 12th. The exercise demonstrates the U.S. Army’s enduring commitments to Fiji, and promotes cooperation and interoperability with our partners in a free and open Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Army video by Sgt. 1st Class John Etheridge. Drone video footage by Sgt. Scott Vargas)
Today is bittersweet, as the time has come for the Republic of Fiji military forces and the Wolfhounds of the United States’ Army to close out Exercise Cartwheel 2019. Exercise Cartwheel is a huge success. It’s named after an operation that occurred during World War II where the United States’ Army and the Fijian military forces worked hand-in-hand, so it’s a tremendous legacy that we intend to build upon here with the first exercise between the Fijian Army and the United States’ Army. USINDOPACOM is committed to strengthening not only our partnership, but the security posture of the region, assisting Fiji as a leader in the region, for ensuring sovereignty and ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific. We worked shoulder to shoulder with our Fijian counterparts building interoperability, and we look forward to another exercise in the near future.