# Canadian troops to train at Va. base



## GAP (21 Feb 2008)

Canadian troops to train at Va. base
 Associated Press - February 21, 2008 11:35 AM ET 
Article Link

BLACKSTONE, Va. (AP) - About 300 soldiers from the Canadian Army Reserve will join troops from Virginia, New Hampshire and North Carolina on Friday for a training exercise at Fort Pickett in Blackstone.

The Virginia National Guard says the event will involve soldiers from Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, the New Hampshire National Guard, helicopters from the North Carolina National Guard, U.S. Navy units stationed in Norfolk and a Virginia National Guard aviation unit based in Sandston.

The exercise will simulate a peacekeeping operation in Afghanistan and will kick off with an air assault near a simulated village.

The training will be conducted in "Cherry Village." It is named in honor of Staff Sergeant Craig Cherry of Winchester, a Virginia National Guard soldier killed in action in Afghanistan in 2004.
More on link


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## Panzer Grenadier (21 Feb 2008)

Good to here fellow reserve units are doing training with US soldiers in the states. There is talk around my unit of doing something along those lines later this year.


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## Nfld Sapper (21 Feb 2008)

Those are soldiers from 36 CBG, and at the end of the month soldiers from 37 CBG will be down.


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## medaid (21 Feb 2008)

Can someone please tell me why 39 CBG seems to always get the shaft for cool things like this?


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## Panzer Grenadier (21 Feb 2008)

MedTech said:
			
		

> Can someone please tell me why 39 CBG seems to always get the shaft for cool things like this?



Its because you guys smell funny.  ;D


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## Michael OLeary (21 Feb 2008)

MedTech said:
			
		

> Can someone please tell me why 39 CBG seems to always get the shaft for cool things like this?



Nobody handed Exercise SOUTHBOUND TROOPER to 36 CBG.  It stated off as a unit initiative by the Princess Louise Fusiliers and was run solely by that unit (and may well still be run primarily by the PLF).  As the exercise garnered attention, space was 'sold' to other units for the cost of their share of administrative expenses and operational stores.  The driving force behind the exercise for years was a very capable Operations Officer at the unit who spent much of his free time coordinating it year-round to ensure its success.  Funding for the exercise, at least for the PLF, was found by tightening up the unit budget in all other areas.  The exercise not only had the benefit of encouraging retention of soldiers who saw it as a focal activity of a good training year, it ensured high attendance at all of the check-point preparatory training which started in the fall. (If you didn't hit the checkpoints it restricted what you could participate in on the exercise.)  When I left the PLF a few years ago after being their Adjutant, the unit actually had a waiting list of applicant files being held by the CFRC who didn't want to join other units.


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## medaid (21 Feb 2008)

MO, 

   That says allot for the dedication of the Ops O to the unit. It's quite weird and annoying since we never seem to do Bde level Exs down in the States. Yeah, yeah for those of you who want to say things about Kitty Spit every year forget about it. The last one was just... w/e. 

   With Lewis right across the border, individual units have had fun down there on their own. Yakima being the only available gun range around... However, we haven't really had a chance to do something jointly with our US counterparts for quite sometime on a larger scale. Certainly not in the past 5 years or so... Oh well. I can dream.


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## Osotogari (22 Feb 2008)

Well, at least you get to go to the USA.  The last time 41 Bde tried, they fudged the paperwork so that we couldn't take weapons across the border.  That was almost three years ago, and they haven't tried again since.


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## childs56 (22 Feb 2008)

I remember a few years ago we had a US Artillery Unit out of Yakima Washington ask us if we wanted to come down and train with them. They had lots of guns, 105 or 155 towed  or Mech. They offered to do conversion course for us and provide all the ammo. They had lots of everything. 

I was the inital contact as their Major and BSM pulled me over in the field and asked me who they should contact. They were talking to me as if I was the one who made the descion to do it. 
I asked them for their number and gave them my CO's number. 

Needless to say in the end it was crushed by ourside for what ever reason. To me getting to train on the Paliden would have been an awesome expierance. 

They wanted to field all their guns, and didnt have enough soldiers to do it with. Seen us as a way to make that happen, It was going to be a great deal, we show up on a bus, get off, spend a day training on the equipment then go fire, at the end of the week drop the guns off in their gun park get on the bus go home. All cleaning and maintenance was done by their maintenance section who had full time positions to do just that. 

39CBG gotto love em


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## 241 (22 Feb 2008)

Osotogari said:
			
		

> Well, at least you get to go to the USA.  The last time 41 Bde tried, they fudged the paperwork so that we couldn't take weapons across the border.  That was almost three years ago, and they haven't tried again since.



They tried sending us (41 Bde) in either 05 & 06 or 06 & 07 but as you can tell something screwed up.  There was even a thread on here where a member of the 41 Bde Staff (posting as greybeard I think) was trying to explain why it didn't happen.


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## tomahawk6 (22 Feb 2008)

Politics. With the Harper government training in the US is good. Under Chretien minimal interaction.


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## George Wallace (22 Feb 2008)

Today with the "Bean Counters", the "Lawyers", the Logisticians, and the PC world we find ourselves in, there are many levels by which such training can be cancelled.  The "Bean Counter" may squash it because funds were not allocated in advance, the JAG may find legal problems of an accident causing injury or death while in another country, the Log guy may question what transport and equipment may be required and the wear and tear on that equipment.  Short notice, may not allow for any planning.  The questions go on and on.  The event may come and go and the questions will just continue to come in.  Then there is the "Next year." response, which usually means that by the time next year comes around, no one knows about or remembers it.


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## Dissident (22 Feb 2008)

MedTech:

There could be a case for us to bring along our own medics on Joint Thunder/Golden Coyote.

http://forums.army.ca/forums/threads/46372.0.html

I just re-read it and must apologize for the spelling mistakes.

That, and can someone please remove the:"FIBUA used paintball markers, a very effective tool." I know better now.


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## Harris (26 Feb 2008)

Just got back from South Bound Trooper VIII and it was a blast.  Unfortunately it was marred somewhat by MWO Ferchette's death, but we soldiered on.  The majority of the soldiers participated in the following:
Air Show day- Everyone was taught how to load and unload from the many different helos used on the Ex.  (5 Different Types as I recall).
MOUT City Dry Trg- The Pl's practiced drills in a MOUT City with actual En Force and Civ Force players
IPBC (Indiv Platoon Battle Lane) Live Fire- The Platoons worked up to a Live fire platoon attack, some with helo gunship support
UAC (Urban Assault Course) Live Fire- The Platoons worked up to Section Live fire as well as indiv and pairs in a kill house
Convoy/IED Lane- The Platoons were involved in IED trg and conducted ops in a simulated village, again with En Force and Civ Force as a Convoy
C6, 84mm, and M203 Live Fire ranges for the Heavy Weapons Platoon and some other Coy pers
Assault Rappelling for some
FOB Security- Platoons manned the actual FOB gate we were living in and dealt with En Force and Civ Force, as well as Medevac and QRF Tasks
Finally the entire Company Group (~240 pers) commanded by myself participated in a 24hr C&S of a village with all the toys.  I had at my disposal 5 Pl of Inf (One of which were US, one was Hvy Weapons), 1 troop of Armoured Recce, 1 Pl of US armoured MP's (Armoured HUMVEES with Grenade launchers and M240), Cdn MP Det, Engr Sect with Engr Veh, PSYOPS Det, CIMIC Det, Int, Ariel Recce (Was supposed to be Air assault, but freezing rain cancelled that part), US and Cdn Combat Camera teams, Medics with Vehs, and a FOO Party with 3 Btys in support (Notional unfortunately), plus tpt for all of this provided by both US and Cdn drivers.

It was a great time and I suspect I'll never command such a force again.  Thanx to all who participated and for all the hard work you did.

To the other Brigades, we've done it, it's a lot of work but it can be done.  Don't take no for an answer.


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## Nfld Sapper (26 Feb 2008)

Harris said:
			
		

> Just got back from South Bound Trooper VIII and it was a blast.  Unfortunately it was marred somewhat by MWO Ferchette's death, but we soldiered on.  The majority of the soldiers participated in the following:
> Air Show day- Everyone was taught how to load and unload from the many different helos used on the Ex.  (5 Different Types as I recall).
> MOUT City Dry Trg- The Pl's practiced drills in a MOUT City with actual En Force and Civ Force players
> IPBC (Indiv Platoon Battle Lane) Live Fire- The Platoons worked up to a Live fire platoon attack, some with helo gunship support
> ...



Sounds pretty much what 37 CBG Ex. Maritime Raider is going to be. So looks like it will be a great go for us too.

EDITED TO ADD

Condolences on the death of MWO Ferchette.


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## Nfld Sapper (10 Mar 2008)

Article Link

Fort Lee’s 49th Supports Canadians
By T. Anthony Bell, Staff Writer 
The 49th Quartermaster Group’s motto, “Fueling the Force,” doesn’t begin to describe all the combat service support it provided for the 36 and 37 Canadian Brigade Groups during field training exercises held at Fort Pickett the past two weeks. 

“What we extended to the Canadians was, ‘Anything that you need, we will provide,’” said the 49th QM Group’s commander, Col. John P. Curran, during the exercise.

Maybe that should be the unit’s new motto. The 49th provided the full range of its sustainment capabilities to more than 400 members of the Canadian Army Reserve, the principal participant in the joint Granite Triangle, Southbound Trooper VIII and Maritime Raider field training exercises held at the Virginia National Guard installation.

That included fuel support for ground vehicles and aircraft, transportation functions and a 500-personnel-capacity tent city built from the ground up for exercise participants.


More than 700 Soldiers from the 49th QM Group took part in the training centered on a peacekeeping operations scenario. Curran said the training was invaluable.

“My assessment is that we are better than when we came out here,” he said. “There’s always time to improve your fox-holing and get better. As they say, ‘even the best batters have holes in their swing.’”

The exercise, which also included Virginia, North Carolina and New Hampshire National Guard Soldiers and U.S. Navy units from Norfolk, affords the 49th a rare opportunity for large-scale training.

The exercise was even larger than last year’s because the unit set up a group tactical operations center in addition to tactical operations centers for its 530th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion and its 240th QM Battalion.

“The idea here,” said Curran, “is that, at the same time we’re providing support to the Canadians, we’re exercising all of our systems and processes – our automation systems, tracking systems and all of our requisitioning systems.”

The bulk of the 49th’s support, however, comprised the fuel piece. It provided the numerous vehicles with fuel supplies at locations around the post and established a forward area refueling point at Fort Pickett’s air field.

Capt. Matthew Messerschmitt, 58th QM Co. commander, 240th QM Bn., said he had about 45 Soldiers supporting the air field operations.

“We conducted about 10 missions a day, and so far we’ve completed 55 aircraft refuels,” he said, noting that rain, high wind and freezing temperatures made it all the more difficult.

Those 55 refuels included ‘hot refuels,’ a potentially hazardous practice in which Soldiers refuel aircraft while engines are running.

“This is outstanding training,” he said, noting that Fort Lee doesn’t have an air field. “We don’t experience this type of training back at Fort Lee. They (Soldiers) get to see another part of their (military occupational specialty).”

While Soldiers of the 58th were taking full advantage of their training opportunities, Soldiers of the 267th were also making the best of theirs. The company, an element of the 240th, is a fuel pipeline unit that was not directly involved in the exercise. However, about 60 Soldiers from the unit deployed near the action and fully engaged themselves in a project to install, operate and maintain 3.4 miles of pipeline.

“Our job was to set up the system (pumping water, not fuel) in 48 hours,” said Staff Sgt. Mitchell Mier, 267th pipeline platoon sergeant. “It took us about two and half days, so I think our guys did a great job.”

In a real-world deployment, the company would be charged with operation and maintenance of the Army’s Inland Petroleum Distribution System. During Southbound Trooper, however, the unit actually laid the pipe, a job that is normally accomplished by engineers.

“You learn more about the system when you set it up,” said Mier. “It was very hard work, but I think that guys were motivated and we’re proud of our efforts.”

The 109th replaced the 267th last week and began retrograde operations. The entire exercise will terminate by the end of the week. Exercises, such as the ones held the past three weeks, are building blocks to individual and unit proficiency, Curran said.

“The number one priority is to train our Soldiers so they are ready to fight and win,” he said. “Our number one focus is force protection. Soldiers need to know how to protect themselves and how to conduct their missions in a combat environment. If we can train them to do those things, they are going to come back to us.”


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## Nfld Sapper (10 Mar 2008)

Article Link

Exercise gives reserve soldiers taste of 'Afghan type' action
Training Brigade Group in Virginia to lift skills to next level

Canadaeast News Service 
Published Thursday March 6th, 2008 
Appeared on page A2
FORT PICKETT, VA - More than 300 army reserve soldiers from 37 Canadian Brigade Group (CBG) (New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador) are now in Virginia for a nine-day exercise with the goal of presenting "Afghan type" scenarios to hone soldier skills in the areas of urban operations and range training.

"There are some great advantages in terms of some of the ranges that we don't currently have in Canada - When you go to Gagetown 15 times in a row you get to know the terrain," said Maj. Mike Bech, an operations officer with the 37 CBG. "By coming here everything is new and there's a heightened sense of awareness of the environment."

Known as Exercise Maritime Raider, it is the largest training event for 37 CBG this year and aims to teach skills that will aid Reserve soldiers in future deployments to conflict areas around the world.

The exercise started on Feb. 29 with a day of general skills taught for those who may not have been previously trained with their individual units. Then the next three days focused on section and platoon level missions and personal weapons.

For the final three day operation, soldiers will have to undergo a 24/7 rotation where they participate in one of three activities - one is a mock search for explosive materials or enemies, another is dealing with an attack on a building and the final one is a defensive posture on home base out in the field.

Bech says thus far response from the soldiers has been overwhelmingly positive.

"It's been a resounding success. They're very happy with the level of training and have fired a lot of ammunition and are becoming confident with the weapon systems. It's really an awesome chance for them to bring it up to another level," he said. "By and large, everyone is really pleased with the training, really satisfied and looking forward to next year."

While the soldiers in attendance from New Brunswick are likely happy to get away from the miserable weather that is looming in the area, the weather has been far from perfect in Virginia.

"It's actually quite funny - we've had pretty reasonable weather the whole time up until (Tuesday)," Bech said noting that a tornado warning and a flash flood through the camp caused the power to have to be cut from operations. "It was raining sideways, if you can believe that."

Bech says the goal is to have soldiers become prepared for more intense training, as realistically some reserves could see themselves deployed overseas within a year.

The simulations are also making much use of people "role playing" and use of sensor equipment which allows full electronic monitoring for further feedback on training missions.

"Everyone's got (sensors) on, so you never know what villager is going to be a bad guy in actuality, until he pulls a weapon out and fires at you," Bech said of the simulations.

Bech says the simulation strives for as much realism as possible, whether it's having the same tents that are used in overseas deployment to having names on the maps similar to what you would find in Kandahar.

"It's the best we can provide for an overarching scenario that provides them with the look and feel of Afghanistan. While it's not a 100 per cent solution, I think we've got it pretty darn close," he said.

The 37 CBG soldiers will return on March 9.


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## geo (10 Mar 2008)

tomahawk6 said:
			
		

> Politics. With the Harper government training in the US is good. Under Chretien minimal interaction.



not really.  Reservists from 34 CBG have been going to Florida  and those from 35 CBG have booen going to Mississippi for the last 10 years or so.  This year 34 & 35 CBGs went down to Mississippi for a combined ex...
A second exercise was conducted in Northern Quebec - somewhere above the tree line - Povungnituk (?) I believe.


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## Nfld Sapper (15 Apr 2008)

Slightly dead topic, but here is an update

Maple Leaf Link


Exercise fever
by Capt Giselle Holland

As the buses rolled up the dark trail to the forward observation base (FOB), a camp created to simulate Kandahar Air Field in Fort Pickett, Virginia, “exercise fever” began to take over. This was how Exercise MARITIME RAIDER began.

From February 29 to March 9, more than 360 Reservists from the nine units of 37 Canadian Brigade Group (CBG) were challenged with situations that confront our troops overseas every day. Ex MARITIME RAIDER honed their personal, trade and collective war-fighting skills to a fine edge, reinforcing combat skills in counter-insurgency operations, framework patrolling, urban operations, cordon and search operations, offensive and defensive operations, and weapons proficiencies. 

“This training has been designed to provide an opportunity for the soldiers of this Brigade to work in a combat team framework,” said Major Mike Bech, the G3 of 37 CBG, the officer in charge of training. The exercise, he added, not only brought units together, but also was an excellent opportunity for Brigade soldiers to practise what they have learned at their home units. 

The combat team is a combined arms fighting force comprising infantry, armoured recce, combat engineering, artillery, and combat service support personnel. Normally, these units train independently, so the exercise was a new and relevant experience for them. 

The outstanding exercise planning and coordination, according to Maj Bech, took almost seven months. It included 37 CBG, 36 CBG, and coordination with elements of the US Army and civilian agencies. 

Maj Alex Brennan, 1st Battalion, The Royal Newfoundland Regiment, was officer commanding of the combat team. It was his job to pull the soldiers together and get the job done.

“In my 20 years of Reserve training,” he said, “this was one of the best planned exercises that I have seen. Every soldier and every officer had an important role to play. With all the skill sets being utilized, it benefited the soldiers who carry the weapons in the manoeuvre elements.”

Training like that offered by Ex MARITIME RAIDER will build knowledgeable, experienced soldiers who, when they go to Afghanistan, will be able to draw on that knowledge and experience to complete the mission. 

Next year, when soldiers arrive at Fort Pickett for Ex MARITIME RAIDER 2009, there will likely be more cases of “exercise fever” – with no one lining up at the medical tent for a cure.


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## RCD (15 Apr 2008)

This would be nice if it's continuous


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## Nfld Sapper (15 Apr 2008)

It would be nice.



> Maj Alex Brennan, 1st Battalion, The Royal Newfoundland Regiment, was officer commanding of the combat team. It was his job to pull the soldiers together and get the job done.
> 
> “In my 20 years of Reserve training,” he said, “this was one of the best planned exercises that I have seen. Every soldier and every officer had an important role to play. With all the skill sets being utilized, it benefited the soldiers who carry the weapons in the manoeuvre elements.”



I will go against what Maj. Brennan said I found this ex was a cluster f**k just like ARCON espcially with respect to Engineers and some CSS support.

Hopefully the "lessons learned" will be put to good use next time around.


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## dapaterson (15 Apr 2008)

NFLD Sapper:

Every exercise is an Engr and CSS cluster f**k, as we never inculcate proper planning ability in Res formations on employment of them.  So we make the same mistakes over and over.

I'd go intom ore detail but then I'd start naming names, dates and places, and get myself into more trouble than usual (already have one BGen p*ssed with me today, why keep digging deeper?)


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## geo (15 Apr 2008)

Hey DAP, glad you're keeping your averages up 

For the most part, the time lines required to go thru engineer operations process are longer than what most infantry types are willing to wait.
They create a scenario where they come up to a mine field (fine) 
They call up the Engineers (fine)
The engineers start going thru their battle procedures to clear one or several paths thru the minefield... but THAT takes time... time that Infantry on Ex will tell you they do not have any to waste - and they once again miraculously declare the minefield breached and barrel thru.....

Yup, been there, seen that.....


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## Nfld Sapper (15 Apr 2008)

You hit the nail on the head there geo.

On average I was getting my orders  from the Platoon Comd at around 2300-2400 hrs,  mission starts at 0900 so...... my orders ended up being just a brief to my section on what was going to happen.

At least we knew what we where going to do breaching wise.

BTW Pl Comd where getting their orders at 1700.


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## geo (16 Apr 2008)

Better for the engineers to go off on their own & do plateau training that is pertinent to their trade.  Leave a nominal section of Engineers with the Infantry - the Grunts won't know what to do with any more.... other than make us do what is secondary to our tasks... fight as infantry.


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