Fiji’s prime minister visits Nabua Village schoolhouse project

SAVUSAVU, Fiji — Fiji’s prime minister, Hon. Sitiveni Rabuka, met with U.S. Navy Seabees from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 1 on June 3 to review a two-room schoolhouse project underway for Nabua Village, part of the long-running Pacific Partnership mission focused on community resilience and critical infrastructure.

Rabuka spoke with the construction team working alongside Fijian partners, praised their efforts, and emphasized Fiji’s close ties with the United States. The new facility is intended to provide a safe, resilient learning space for children in the village once completed.

“Having Prime Minister Rabuka visit the construction team underscores the importance of this schoolhouse to the Nabua Village community,” said Lt. j.g. Arizona Lenski, officer in charge of the NMCB-1 Fiji Detachment. “From the beginning, our focus has been on delivering a safe and resilient learning environment for the children of Nabua Village. Knowing this facility will serve students and families for years to come makes this project especially meaningful.”

The effort reflects how Pacific Partnership brings together partner nations, local communities, and technical experts to address shared challenges and build long-term capacity. Engineering engagements like this are intended to strengthen relationships, share expertise, and leave infrastructure that benefits communities beyond the mission’s conclusion.

“The dedication of both our Seabees and the local Fijian community is about more than just this one project. It is about building lasting relationships and enhancing our collective ability to support one another in times of need,” said Lenski. “Working hand-in-hand with our Fijian partners has been an inspiring experience that reinforces our shared dedication to the region’s future.”

NMCB 1 is a deployable Seabee battalion specializing in contingency construction, disaster response, humanitarian assistance, and combat operations support. Known within the Naval Construction Force as “The First and the Finest,” the battalion provides rapid engineering and military construction capabilities worldwide in support of theater security cooperation, joint operations, and humanitarian efforts such as Pacific Partnership.

Now in its 20th year and 22nd iteration, Pacific Partnership is described as the largest annual multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster management preparedness mission in the Indo-Pacific. Through collaboration with host and partner nations, the mission is designed to enhance regional preparedness, improve interoperability and disaster response capabilities, and foster enduring partnerships that contribute to regional security and stability.