GIFF JOHNSON
The Australian Embassy in Majuro marked the 20th anniversary of the RAMSI mission in the Solomon Islands last week by working with the local media to support a basketball giveaway contest.
The contest was to honor RAMSI and the Marshall Islanders who participated in the peacekeeping mission in the Solomon Islands. At least a dozen MIPD and Sea Patrol officers took part in six-month rotations between 2006 and 2017, RAMSI wrapped up.
The acronym “RAMSI” stands for Regional Assistance Mission Solomon Islands and was a multi-national force, including law enforcement officers from the Marshall Islands and around the Pacific, that helped the Solomon Islands recover from serious internal strife.
The contest was promoted by the Marshall Islands Journal and Power 103.5FM. It required callers to correctly name at least one RMI law enforcement officer who participated in RAMSI. The first two to successfully do so would win a basketball from the Australian Embassy.
The first two who successfully identified Marshallese participating in RAMSI were Terina Kilma-Lewis and Majuro Nitijela Member Kalani Kaneko.
On Wednesday, Australian Embassy Chargé Derek Taylor handed over the prize to Terina at the national police station in Uliga.
The Journal compiled a partial list of RMI law enforcement officers who participated in RAMSI from 2006 through 2017. If readers know others not listed below who participated please give us the names by calling 625-8143 or emailing: [email protected].
RMI law enforcement officers who were in RAMSI:
• Sgt. Carlson Jacklick, MIPD 2006
• Sgt. Clemson Jormelu, Sea Patrol 2006
• Sgt. Peter Abner 2008
• Sgt. Smith William 2008
• Tarry Tarkij, MIPD 2009
• Banien Kelen, Sea Patrol 2009
• Bolear Bokna, Sea Patrol 2010
• Isaac Hermios 2013
• Christopher Johnson 2013
• Alex Maine, MIPD 2014
• Capt. Bee Jay Jacob, MIPD Ebeye 2014
• Marmar Lejjena, Sea Patrol, 2017.