Canadian Arctic Response Company Prepares for Ex NORTHERN BISON 2011

Gimli, MB – Arctic Response Company learns to handle new equipment, environment.

Transcript:

Cpl Gomm
38 Canadian Brigade Group’s Arctic Response Company traveled to Gimli Manitoba for a mobility exercise in preparation for Exercise NORTHERN BISON

Maj Desrochers
The purpose of this exercise what we have here today soldiers from 38 Canadian Brigade Group which is comprised of personnel drawn from Northwestern Ontario on through Manitoba and Saskatchewan we have a group of 89 soldiers here today who will be undertaking their preparatory work for deployment to the Arctic. Were going to be undertaking a 300 Kilometer mounted patrol from Churchill to Arviat Nunavut and today’s is to set the conditions for that patrol by allowing us to practice our tactics, techniques and TTPs in short what were trying to go through is to make sure our equipment and personnel are prepared to undertake a 300 kilometer mounted trek and today is very much ongoing practice to make sure our equipment and personnel are ready.

Maj Desrochers
Today were doing a work out it is in essence a shake out, we’ve had a couple of exercises at the home unit level where in terms of practicing working with winter equipment and winter tent groups and some of the mobility ex . What were doing here today on Lake Winnipeg is taking advantage of the lake and the environment which is quite similar to what they will experience up in Canada’s arctic between Churchill and Arviat.

Cplc Kuzub
Well I was there last year it was nice but the weather was very nice last year this year who knows if we will be lucky like that again

Maj Desrochers
No we haven’t had any challenges with regards to equipment, we’ve got some good equipment out here and the personnel are experienced with it. One of the challenges with regards to experience and that’s what were working on here today simply getting soldiers who aren’t necessarily familiar with the operations of snowmobiles, more driving time and practice driving in a group because its quite different and everyone here a lot of them are recent graduates from their course to qualify and operate the snowmobile, now were out here in the environment to give them the requite experience to undertake the travel