USMC/CF Training

[R. Jorgensen]

A while back, my father mentioned something along the lines of "They've been sending U.S. Marines up here to Canada for training before going to desert/urban operations because of sophisticated training programmes."

After doing near to 3 hours of research I haven't found anything relevant so I ask you, if there are any articles or stories of U.S. Marines taking place in exercise/training in Canada.

Much appreciated,


Jorgy.

 

[GAP]

I'm probably wrong, but I think whoever it was, was thinking of Canadians going down to 29 Palms (?) for desert training.....

 

[Klinkaroo]

Not the expert but isn't there alot of british and other countries that go to Wainwright (I think that's the desert training base...) for training, maybe he confused the countries possibly...

 

[Nfld Sapper]

That would be CFB Suffield IIRC

 

[stealthylizard]

Had lots of brits in Wainwright the past summer.

 

[torgarrison]

The first Google search I thought of and a few minutes of reading brought me to:

http://www.ngb.army.mil/news/archives/2008/12/121808-Canada.aspx

where I found what echoes my thoughts on the subject, and what seems obvious to me:

Lt. Col. Jeff Barr, chief of the operational training section for Canada’s Directorate of Army Training, headed up the Canadian delegation of about 20.

He said that increasing training opportunities through meetings like this make sense, especially when U.S. and Canadian troops are serving together in Afghanistan.

Barr said that since 2005, Guard Soldiers have made up the majority of U.S. forces participating in Maple Guardian exercises held at Camp Wainwright in Alberta, Canada, which prepare soldiers for combat in Afghanistan.

“It’s a good opportunity [for National Guard members] to work with a different country. We speak the same language, but do things a little differently,” said Barr, who added that the Canadian Army’s training centers are copied after the U.S. Army’s National Training Center in Fort Irwin, Calif.

This is in keeping with what I see in terms of cross-border and joint training: most of it is done in the U.S. The training and facilities at CTC Wainright is not any more sophisticated than that at the Center from which it is "copied," Fort Irwin. Ex Khyber Thrust is coming up soon, with the 5th Stryker Brigade at Fort Irwin.

As for the USMC (as opposed to the Guard or the Army), very few of them will ever set foot in Canada for any reason, never mind for training or operations. Most of the soldiers who make it to Canada for training are National Guard from nearby states. But there are a good number of Canadian soldiers who have gone on exercises or courses in the United States during their careers, and this will only increase with cooperation in Afghanistan. The Corps has very little to gain from sending troops to participate in a Canadian Ex on Canadian soil. It's generally the other way around. No illusions about trg at Wainright (or Gagetown) when compared to what is available at Ft Irwin or Ft Benning, Ft Bliss, Ft Hood, 29Palms, and Ft Knox, for starters.

That's why you're not finding much info on USMC trg in Canada. It doesn't really happen. The Guard does it.