Posted on 05/18/2007 8:17:20 PM PDT by Clive
Canucks and Yanks get together
Friday, May 18, 2007
Project Number: 07-069
CFD DUNDURN, Saskatchewan — Canadian Forces Detachment Dundurn was the scene of a gathering of 400 Reservists from 38 Canadian Brigade Group who converged for a week's training culminating in live fire platoon attacks supported by artillery barrages.
Units participating in Exercise BISON WARRIOR came from northwestern Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and from Minnesota, USA. The exercise wrapped up the current training year and brought together units for collective training.
The Americans were invited to take part in order to share lessons learned overseas and to enhance Canadians' ability to work with our allies. A significant number of soldiers who would normally have participated are currently training with Regular Force units in Edmonton and Shilo in preparation for a deployment with Task Force 1-08 in February 2008.
"The intent of the exercise is to enhance all of our soldiers' skills, regardless of trade, both at the section and platoon level," stated Lieutenant-Colonel Malcolm Young, the officer in charge of the exercise.
"We have a good number of soldiers in the brigade who have recently returned from Afghanistan. We used their experiences to develop the training scenarios that the troops were exposed to throughout the exercise."
The American troops carried Canadian weapons and quickly learned our tactics. Some have had tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. They had praise for the quality of training conducted and the responsibility given to junior commanders.
"That personal weapon test where you run from 400 meters. That's great!" praised one unidentified soldier who slipped away before being identified. "We never train to shoot and run like that. I really had to work to keep my weapon under control to hit that target."
The week of training may have focused on personal weapon skills, but it also covered the full spectrum of training to keep soldiers on track for the possibility of deployment on overseas operations.
Article and photos by Sergeant Dennis Power
Friday, May 18, 2007
Project Number: 07-318
CFD DUNDURN, Saskatchewan — Many personnel who are training to deploy hold the personal weapon test (Level 3) (PWT 3) as their goal for weapons training. In reality, PWT 3 is just the starting point.
The test is broken down into four main elements: grouping, snap shooting, a shoot during a run down from the 400-metre firing point and the night shoot. Each level must be completed successfully before moving on to the next.
"We use these tests as stepping stones to the more advanced levels of shooting," stated Warrant Officer Gord Brooks of the 1st Regiment, Royal Canadian Horse Artillery (1 RCHA)(Shilo).
"Every soldier has to do this before moving on to pairs, groups, and live fire section attacks."
It's a logical test of a soldier's shooting skills based on the premise that a soldier who is unable to achieve a good group at 100 metres needs more practice before moving further from the target. The flip side is that a soldier who has run 100 metres, and is able to hit a target 300 metres away seconds later, is probably ready for more advanced training.
"The test shouldn't be that hard for a soldier in the combat arms," suggested Master Bombardier Sean McGowan, a detachment commander.
"Our job is to stay fit, and stay on top of our soldier skills. We don't shoot as often as we'd like to, but passing PWT 3 is just a matter of being fit and applying the marksmanship principles."
Personnel from other branches across the Canadian Forces have already deployed or are preparing to.
"For personnel who are not combat arms, but are deploying to support a mission, the focus has to be that we are all 'soldiers first'," added Captain Jeff Lyttle, operations officer, B Battery, 1 RCHA (Shilo).
"PWT 3 is an important step in weapons handling skills, but only the starting point before moving on with higher levels of training," he continued. "The key thing here is to learn and practice your skills, get and stay fit and, most importantly, be deployable."
Article and photos by Sergeant Dennis Power
The C7 is Canadian modification of the M16.
“The Americans were invited to take part in order to share lessons learned overseas and to enhance Canadians’ ability to work with our allies.”
If they were our “allies”, they would have combat troops on the ground with us in Iraq and Afganistan. Why do they need to learn lessons about something they won’t participate in? Our troops, and the British to a lesser extent, are taking the fight against Islamic World Domination to the enemies home ground. What are the Canadians doing except critisizing us and disarming their own citizens?
In case you have not noticed, Our neighbors to the north are laying it out on the line in Afghanistan every day. OK they are not in Iraq, but do not belittle them because a lot of good Canadians have given EVERYTHING in Afghanistan.
As for the ability of the Canadians: I can tell you from personal experience the RCAF has it together. (yes-Cold lake is appropriately named)
That being said, I must say to those across the border: The cup will reside on our side of the border but within easy viewing distance across the Windsor Bridge
just my 0.02$
Canada BUMP. Just got back from Toronto. Had a great time.
I’m stunned by your monumental ignorance.
Canadian battle groups have been rotating into Afghanistan since the spring of 2002. Moreover they are currently in the hot theatre of Kandahar, unlike allies such as Germany.
Canada was the first nation other than the US to agree (during the month following September 11, 2001) to deploy troops to Afghanistan. This when the job was to oust the Taliban government and displace Al Qaeda from its haven in Afghanistan.
Would you like me to start posting pictures of Canadian KIA in Afghanistan?
We can start with the four soldiers killed by fratricide by US aircraft during a live fire exercise at the designated Tarnak Farm live fire exercise area in April 2002.
BTW, Canadian frigates and destroyers routinely participate in US escort screens and have been deployed to interdiction patrols in the Persian Gulf (Arabian Gulf). At one point the commander of the interdiction forces was a Canadian officer.
I met some Canadian Special Ops guys in Afghanistan. They are men of honor. Who are you?
I’m stunned by your monumental ignorance.
Check out the first line of his FR page -
“For several years I would regularly read and post on this forum. I’m convinced now that it is really a waste of time that could and should be used elsewhere.”
It gets even better.
After poking around a bit, I'm not even sure most, if any, European countries still have "National Service" any more, and while I couldn't find a definitive answer, it appears that Canada has an all volunteer military.
You are right, Canada has a volunteer military. No mandatory military or civil service.
Germany still has a mandatory service but it was shrunk from 18 to 15,12, 10 and now 9 months over the past 30 years. If you don’t want to serve in the armed forces you can apply to be transferred to civil service instead.
In Austria it’s 6 and 9 months, respectively.
In Switzerland you go for about 5 months, but you have to do a refresher every year until you turn 34.
Not sure about details on the other European countries, but in general mandatory military service is pretty common in Europe. Greece and Portugal for example definitely have it.
I knew at some point almost every European nation had some form of mandatory national service, because I remember most of the non-US kids at my DOD High School bitching about having to serve in their home countries after graduation. But that was a long time ago.
Here's a tidbit from even longer ago. Did you know they used to use the empty Swiss military training camps as ski schools for grammar school kids in winter? Loaded kids from all over Europe on trains and shipped them off for 2 weeks. Gave you a dinky little cardboard suitcase and off you went with just a few teachers to ride herd. What a blast!
Please send me a FReepmail to get on or off this Canada ping list.
In English Canada this resulted in the derogatory term "Zombie Army" to describe the conscripts.
Even during WWII, anyone who served overseas was a volunteer, although it must be admitted that regular service NCOs may have occasionally leaned on zombies to get them to "volunteer" for overseas service.
It was trite philosophy that volunteers perform better than conscripts and if they get posted to dangerous or uncomfortable work they have nobody but themselves about whom to complain.
There was an old expression used as a reply to someone who was complaining about having beem put into an uncomfortable or dangerous situation:
"If you can't take a joke, you shouldn't have enlisted."
Please check your facts before you post. The Canadians have been doing a fantastic job in Afghanistan. They have seen some of the toughest fighting and have lost quite a few brave soldiers.
There’s a new government in Ottawa, and we, as Canada’s ally, are grateful for their courage and determination to fight against evil.
“Please check your facts before you post. The Canadians have been doing a fantastic job in Afghanistan.”
I stand corrected and apologetic. I was focused on their stand on Iraq and neglected to notice their contribution in Afganistan.
Several months ago, the Canucks did some serious ass kicking on the Taliban in Afghanistan. It was great!
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