ARTICLE: HIGH INTENSITY MILITARY EXERCISE PREPARES RESERVISTS FOR POSSIBLE DEPLOYMENT TO LATVIA
Resolution and resolve dominated the landscape last weekend at 5th Canadian Division Support Base Gagetown as more than 100 Reservists from 36 Canadian Brigade Group converged to hone their readiness skills as part of Exercise Steel Robur.
The gathering, designed to facilitate training needed for possible deployment to Latvia, brought together infantry units from the Nova Scotia Highlanders, West Nova Scotia Regiment, Cape Breton Highlanders, and Princess Louise Fusiliers.
“This is part of their getting ready to deploy (training),” Lt.-Col. Michael Bennett, the exercise director, said. “We are in a state with Latvia now where we are routinely deploying our soldiers. There are five soldiers from my unit right now who are deployed in Latvia. This is part of that – getting them ready.”
According to the Department of National Defence, Canada has approximately 1,900 Armed Forces members in Latvia in support of Op Reassurance, this country’s contribution to NATO deterrence and defence measures in Central and Eastern Europe. Canada has been leading the multinational brigade (formerly a battlegroup) in the northern European country since 2017.
Bennett said the Gagetown exercise, which wrapped up Sunday, is designed to bring soldiers from an individual state of readiness to a collectible state of readiness.
“When they arrived (at Gagetown), they (had already) achieved a very high standard as individual soldiers with the use of the weapons system,” Bennett said. “When they leave they will be able to prepare in what we call a section level, using live fire ammunition. They take it from a simple way of operating to a larger scale collective way of operating.”
In military terms, Bennett said, "readiness" means soldiers will have the skills needed to respond to challenges given to them, including engaging in combat, should the government ask them to.
“We have to make sure our soldiers achieve certain readiness standards as we progress,”? Bennett said. “Those take time and, as reservists, we have to be very careful with the use of our time. The Army commander wants us to be at what we call a level two - live for readiness, which is section level.”
The intense training saw soldiers deal with various challenges, including close quarter battle lanes. The scenario exposed participants to a live fire range where they were tasked with clearing a path while dealing with a series of pop-up targets at a range of up to 50 metres.?
“Exercises like this are a fantastic opportunity to get out there and develop those individual soldier skills,” said Master Cpl. Damian MacCullum, who served a full tour in Latvia in 2020 and has recently applied for a second deployment. “Doing jungle lanes, which are our close quarter combat lanes, is a really good development for helping you to develop your fire and moving techniques.”
MacCullum said when the targets popped up during his run there was only one thing that went through his mind: “get him” before he “gets you.”
“The thrill of the jungle lanes is it’s a weird adrenaline rush because it’s just you alone on the lane while these targets are popping up and you are kind of there for yourself.”
Reservists were also exposed to live pairs advancing in line training, as well as section attacks. Soldiers were required to successfully complete each battle task standard before moving onto the next. Each element culminated in what was described as “level two”? live fire section attacks.
Drones with night capabilities were used throughout the exercise to capture aerial imagery.
Bennett said some participants who trained at Gagetown over the weekend have already been selected for the next rotation of personnel set to go into Latvia.?
Cpl. Jessica Moores, who praised the exercise and the challenges that went along with it, said she's not looking to go to Latvia at this time because of commitments she has regarding her civilian job as a nursing home worker, although several others she knows are interested and are in a list.
“I would be interested in the future,” Moores said. “However, currently, I have a civilian job and owe some time to the government, too … Deployments are very difficult to come by … They are an amazing opportunity to showcase your skills and off build (from them), as well.”
Exercise Steel Robur will return to Gagetown from Oct. 18-20.
Both gatherings will allow participants to meet the prerequisite criteria for participation in level three live fire as part of Exercise Maroon Raider 25, set for Fort Barfoot, Va., in February.