The outgoing Commanding Officer of the First Royal Pacific Island Regiment (1RPIR), Lieutenant Colonel Boniface Aruma, performed his last duty of call with an address to his command at St John’s Chapel, Taurama Barracks, today.
A small but significant farewell and handover ceremony was witnessed by Commander of PNG Defence Force, Major General Gilbert Toropo, and other distinguished military officials.
Lt Col Aruma served three years as the Commanding Officer of the 1st Royal Pacific Island Regiment, adding to the 20 distinguished years of service to the PNG Defence Force since 1996. Battalion Intelligence Officer Lt. Nala Jackson said Lt Col Aruma was a former bank officer who has no regrets in deciding to join the army as he had experienced many success and blessings during his deployment.
He took up command of the 1RPIR on the 27th of January 2017.
“Today at the age of 43 he hands over the command to the caretaker administration. Lt Col Boniface Aruma will leave for Australia on 3rd November, 2019, to attend further studies at the defence strategic studies centre,” stated Lt Jackson.
Lt Col Aruma expressed gratitude to the three Platoon Commanders who left their posts in different locations in the country to be present at his farewell today.
“Be honest with yourself,” he encouraged. “As our organisation continues to undertake transformation, there will be increased expectations placed on all of us to embrace these changes going forward.
“We will be expected to be responsible. We will be expected to be accountable, we will be expected to hold others to account. We will be expected to do our job without fear or favour.”
One of the many achievements that Lt. Col Aruma is proud of is the completion of the new mess, and importantly, the general outlook of the force in terms of culture and discipline.
“As you know, in the past 1RPIR has always hit the media for the wrong reasons. And so one thing when I took up command here, we wanted together as a group we wanted to change the way people see us and how citizens and stakeholders see us. We want them to be proud of us.”
The 1RPIR will be under the command of Major Ezron Dekaetavara as Acting CO.