BATUS

        BATUS

The prairie of Alberta has provided an opportunity for two types of large-scale training for the British Army. The British Army Training Unit Suffield or BATUS is an organisation situated on one of the most sparsely populated areas of the Alberta plain. It is an area so remote that even individual trees are marked on the maps! BATUS is equipped with a full complement of Challenger 2 tanks and Warrior Armoured Personnel Carriers (APC). Each year a Regiment is sent there for six months to take the part of the 'enemy' for the other six Regiments that are there to train each year. This area is one of the largest our Army trains on and it provides a highly realistic environment. During exercise, each regiment will practice a live firing exercise before pitting its wits against the permanent 'enemy' force. The TESSEX system makes it easy to discover who wins. Acting as an alarm system, it bleeps whenever a soldier or vehicle is hit. In fact, this could be called the most serious game of Quasar ever played! Medicine Man Exercises are held at BATUS.

The six-week exercises allow a full infantry battalion, with support weapons and its attached Royal Artillery Battery to conduct realistic live firing training at all levels. From section tactics to battalion assaults, the training area allows armoured Battle Groups to conduct a wide variety of training, much of which is live firing.

Before the troops leave, they often take part in our excellent adventure training in the Rocky mountains, allowing them to see other areas of North America whilst on Rest and Recuperation.

The British Army Training Unit Suffield (BATUS) is located in the middle of the prairies in Southeast Alberta, 4 hours away from the Canadian Rockies and the magnificent opportunity to pursue the wild outdoors in summer or winter.

The crown village of Ralston is approximately 3 kilometres from BATUS. The British Army have been guests at the Canadian Army Base since 1972 and enjoy cordial relations with the town of Medicine Hat and the neighbouring ranchers.

Medicine Hat is the nearest town and it is 53 kilometres away. It takes about 30 minutes to drive to but longer in the winter depending upon the weather. Personal transport is crucial despite all the facilities available in Ralston. Facilities per capita probably exceed any similar sized community.

Ralston has an ice hockey arena, also used for ice skating, swimming pool, fully equipped library with access to inter-library loans within Southeast Alberta together with five computers with internet access. A restaurant that serves basic fare and is open weeknights. There is also a pub which is open Thursday to Monday. Pub quizzes have been held every month to raise funds for the SSAFA Forces Help Service Committee. UK recorded television programmes are broadcast 9 hours per day.

BATUS offers families some cost price skiing with excellent tuition in the Rockies. Courses are held throughout the winter and water sports are encouraged in the summer.

Temperatures can be as low as -30c in the winter and as high as +30 in the summer. The wind chill factor can reduce temperatures substantially lower than -30c. Mosquitoes are the only complaint about the summer weather.

Western Canada is an exciting part of the world to live where access to British Columbia for whale watching and exploring the many small islands around Vancouver. The neighbouring US states of Montana, Idaho and Washington are easily accessible. Many of the families have driven the BATUS Triangle, across to British Columbia, down to California and across to Alberta via Nevada and Montana and finally back into Alberta.

The opportunity to work in Southeast Alberta is an incredible experience for both professional and personal development.