Canadian Ranger Recruiting Video: More than just the eyes and ears of the CF in the North

Another AMAZING video put up by 2 Canadian Ranger Patrol Group!

Great work!

News Update – 17 Oct 12

MCpl Max Lahaye-Lemay received the SAR Tech of the Year Award, which was presented to him at the national SAREX 2012 in Val d’Or, Que. on September 21. Credit: DND.

RCAF assists Environment Canada Arctic project
The frigid waters in Canada’s Arctic have historically been locked in ice nearly year-round, making them virtually inaccessible to even the toughest ships. But this is changing. Sea ice cover is declining and with increased attention to the North, marine traffic is on the rise.
http://www.rcaf-arc.forces.gc.ca/v2/nr-sp/index-eng.asp?id=13283

Search and rescue base proposed for Yellowknife
Response times for search and rescue operations in the North could be drastically reduced under a new proposal that would add a Canadian Forces search and rescue aircraft base to Yellowknife.
http://nnsl.com/northern-news-services/stories/papers/oct15_12yk.html

MCpl Maxime Lahaye-Lemay named SAR Tech of the Year
Master Corporal Maxime Lahaye-Lemay was awarded the prestigious Search and Rescue Technician of the Year Award on September 21 at the 2012 National SAREX in Val d’Or, Que.
http://www.rcaf-arc.forces.gc.ca/v2/nr-sp/index-eng.asp?id=13278

2 RCMP get bravery medals for Northern Rescues
Two RCMP officers will receive medals of bravery from the Governor General Friday for rescues in Northern waters.
In 2010, RCMP Const. Shaun De Grandpré plunged into the cold Beaufort Sea to rescue two people – a man and a woman — in Tuktoyaktuk, N.W.T.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/story/2012/10/12/north-rcmp-medals-bravery.html

SAR tech recalls deadly Igloolik, Nunavut, rescue
A member of the Canadian Forces search and rescue squadron is talking about a harrowing, deadly rescue mission in Nunavut, one year after it happened.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/story/2012/10/11/north-sar-tech-remembers-rescue.html?cmp=rss

More spies in the Arctic
The Arctic is attracting more foreign spies. Norwegian and Danish security services are reporting that foreign countries are anxious to secure their position in the High North.
http://barentsobserver.com/en/security/more-spies-arctic-05-10

Outward Bound Canada Veteran’s Programs

All current and former serving members of the Canadian Forces should take a serious look at Outward Bound Canada’s Veterans program.

Offering week-long adventure-based resiliency training for veterans in the Canadian Rockies, Outward Bound Canada’s Veterans Program is open to all current and former members of the Canadian Forces and is an opportunity to build upon outdoor and cold weather operations skills while connecting with other veterans in a supportive environment.

Outward Bound Canada has received generous financial support from a number of partners and sponsors, which pays 100% of the course tuition and travel and there is no cost to participate on this program. 

For more information contact Outward Bound Canada.

Phone 1.888.OUTWARD (688.9273), Ext 205,

Email: veterans@outwardbound.ca
ALSO: Check out their well produced YouTube vid:

First ‘Urban’ Jr. Canadian Ranger Unit Stood Up in Winnipeg, Manitoba

WINNIPEG teenagers are the first urban kids in Canada who are allowed to sign up as army Rangers, a unit typically run in the Arctic, the Canadian Forces announced Friday.

The First Urban Junior Canadian Ranger Patrol opened an office this week at the Indian and Métis Friendship Centre on Robinson Street in the North End. Nineteen had signed up by the first night, on Thursday.

Read the rest HERE

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Jr. Cdn Ranger Homepage
http://www.rangers.dnd.ca/index-eng.asp

Ex NORTHERN BISON 2011 – Austere Shooting Range

Members of the Arctic Response Company Group took time out from their long trip to fire their Service Rifles, General Purpose Machine Guns and (always the crowd pleaser) the .50 Machine Gun.

Ex NORTHERN BISON 2011 – Flying with Skis

Capt Rockwell (440 “Vampire” Squadron, Yellowknife) talks about the unique advantages of being able to choose whether you land on wheels or skis.

Ex NORTHERN BISON: Reserve Soldiers Conduct Weapons Qualification & Winter Mobility Exercises

Transcript

MCpl Ian Tait
The Army is known for the dedication of its soldiers. From Manitoba, here’s MCpl Bern LeBlanc with one of their stories.

Soundbite
Alright, fire another ten round burst.

MCpl Bern LeBlanc
Reserve units from Western Canada have some of the most dedicated soldiers in the Army.

Sgt Bram Porter
I’m Sgt Bram Porter of The Royal Winnipeg Rifles. 4 gun, 20-round burst.

Sgt Bram Porter
I joined the reserves about 10 years ago in 2000. I had a lot of family that had served in the military and as well as it’s something I had an interest in, so the reserves seemed like a good way to start. It’s been pretty good to me. It allows me to still maintain, I guess, active employment and pursue other stuff, civilian side, whether it be school or work. Doing some OPMEs as well as working towards a Bachelor of Arts through RMC.
The types of training we’ve done in the past have been urban operations, basic navigation, use of the GPS, radios, that kind of thing.
We’ve got a lot of training and preparation for NORTHERN BISON which is coming up in February. We are going to head up to around Churchill. So a lot of it has been geared towards winter mobility and winter operations. This weekend we’re doing the confirmatory shoot for the Infantry Platoon Support Weapons Qualification and in this one they’re firing the C6 in the sustained fire role. My job is to act as the gun controller, telling them what targets to lay on giving them fire control orders and ensuring that they are engaging targets properly.

Soundbite
800 four-foot screen on top of ridge, seen?
Seen.

Sgt Bram Porter
For the most part it’s a pretty good group of guys. I’ve known a lot of them for the past ten years. There’s a lot of camaraderie and like I said, we’ve worked together quite a bit in the past, so it’s been pretty good.

MCpl Bern LeBlanc
From CFB Shilo, for Army News, I’m MCpl Bern LeBlanc.

Soundbite
Lay on, right-hand edge of section.

Canadian Troops Enforce Presence in Canadian Arctic

Resolute Bay, NU – Soldiers arrive in new C-17 Globemasters for joint Army-Air Force operation

Transcript

10-0541 Op NANOOK: Air Force Support

MCpl Ian Tait
The Air Force gave major support to the Army during Op NANOOK. Their pilots and planes helped make the operation a big success.

Sgt Marco Comisso
Nobody can move the Army and its equipment over great distances faster than the Air Force. When it comes to large scale operations like Op NANOOK 10, the Air Force played a key role in projecting the Army into remote areas of Canada’s arctic.

Soundbite
One-Two is complete on the ground. Over.

LCol Bill Kalogerakis
Well they’ve been great. They’ve been able to move us all the way from Trenton to Resolute Bay in a non-stop lift on the new C-117 Globemasters. It’s been great. I mean, that’s a perfect example of how far they can take us. And as well, right here in Resolute, they’ve been able to lift us by helicopter from point A to point B to conduct patrols, to bring us here for our over night survival trip.

Soundbite
This one’s pretty heavy…

LCol Bill Kalogerakis
And the Twin Otters, we’ve been able to do recce’s, we’re going to bring troops in by Twin Otter, we’re going to bring in equipment by Twin Otter.

Soundbite
Check is complete. Numbers again 69, 74.

LCol Bill Kalogerakis
The ACC (Air Component Commander) has done a great job in supporting us throughout this exercise. In fact, they’re going to do a re-supply mission for us in the next 30 minutes. We just sent up an ADREP (Administrative Report), and they’ve got a bird ready, and it’s going to come soon.

Sgt Marco Comisso
Teamwork. Working in tandem with the Air Force, the Army now has a presence and there are boots on the ground. For Army News in Resolute Bay, I’m Sgt Marco Comisso.

Canadian Troops Working Up to EX Northern Bison 2011

Source: Land Force Western Area (LFWA)

From 14 to 27 February, 2011, Land Force Western Area soldiers will trek by snowmobile from Churchill, Manitoba more than 300 kilometres North to the village of Arviat, Nunavut.

The exercise will begin when members of Combat Support Company from the 2^nd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry will move forward and establish Forward Operating Base Nunalla, in Manitoba just South of the 60^th Parallel. FOB Nunalla will include an austere airfield to accommodate CC-138 Twin Otter aircraft of the Air Force’s 440 “Vampire” Transport Squadron, based in Yellowknife and a field-expedient small arms firing range.

The Arctic Response Company Group (ARCG), comprised of soldiers from across 38 Canadian Brigade Group, will be airlifted from 17 Wing Winnipeg to fall in on pre-positioned equipment in Churchill, and make their way North to FOB Nunalla. Once at FOB Nunalla the troops will carry out training exercises such as field firing of their weapons and practise Northern survival skills. Accompanying the Arctic Response Company Group to FOB Nunalla will be Canadian Rangers from the Manitoba Detachment of the 4^th Canadian Ranger Patrol Group.

Once the training is complete at FOB Nunalla the Arctic Response Company Group will marry-up with Rangers from the 1^st Canadian Ranger Patrol Group who will accompany them to Arviat, Nunavut. In Arviat, members of the Arctic Response Company Group will have an opportunity to meet the residents of Arviat on 26 February and learn something of the culture of the Canadian North. The Arctic Response Company Group will redeploy from Arviat to Winnipeg on 27 February.

Exercise Wolf Pack Endeavour a Go Ahead for March 2011

From 33 Canadian Brigade Group Website – A short intro and brief for the upcoming Wolf Pack Endevour expercise taking place in Gogama, Ontario from 12 – 20 March, 2011. Canadian soldiers will complete the Winter Warfare Basic Qualification, build snow defences and conduct a two-day tactical training exercise. The soldiers from 33 CBG will also compete in a winter skills competition and train with snowmobile equipment.

The Canadian Rangers will also be a part of the exercise helping soldiers prepare wild game, conduct open water rescue and snare animals.

Here is the brief from 33 CBG:

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