EXECUTREK
WAINWRIGHT & COLDLAKE, ALBERTA: OBSERVE MAPLE GUARDIAN AND MAPLE FLAG
Department of National Defence
June 8-10, 2009
Bobbie Jo Hawkes, Fusion Board Director
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June 2nd
Received joining instructions and itinerary for DND familiarization visit to Wainwright (Maple Flag) and Cold Lake (Maple Guardian) Alberta.
June 8th
18:00 At Halifax Airport boarding a plane for Edmonton. Off to an experience far from my regular routine.
22:00 Arrive. Settle in for a nights rest, long day tomorrow
June 9th
6:30 Breakfast
7:30 All aboard the bus for destination Wainwright. There’s 19 of us from all over the country. My fellow Executrekers are academics, business community members and suppliers to DND. Hosted by the Canadian Forces Liaison Council (CFLC) and public affairs officers.
Gave a 5 minute intro on FUSION and my bio. Met the rest of the group
The Halifax crew: Ann Griffiths (Dalhousie University Centre for Foreign Policy Studies), John Cody (General Dynamics Canada, Aerospace and Defence Industries of Nova Scotia), Gordon Shupe (Young Presidents Organization), and Robert Patzelt (Scotia Investments Inc.)
The host points of contact: Richard Smith (Outreach Public Affairs Officer), Commander Michael Ervin (CFLC Liaison Officer), Chief Petty Officer 2nd Class Mark Nicolle (CFLC Secretariat), and Clarence Roussel (Senior Communications Advisor- DND)
10:00 Arrive at Canadian Manoeuver Training Centre (CMTC) in Wainwright
10:15 Presentation on Maple Guardian: a training scenario to replicate operations for soldiers to simulate their deployments abroad. Soldiers get to experience what it is like to be sent to Afghanistan before they are carrying out real life peace support, security operations and combat operations. It’s like a mini Afghanistan to ease the culture shock and practice before the real life situation. The CMTC changes to each scenario as needed by the army and currently replicates Afghanistan. They have villages, actors playing the role of villagers and insurgents, their own camps and patrols. It’s a huge area where soldiers go for weeks to train by carrying out simulated exercises to replicate their future deployment.
Presentation on Weapons Effects Simulation (WES) System: a live simulation using computers in every soldier’s vest, all fighting vehicles and weapons. When the soldiers are fighting, it detects if they are “wounded” or “dead” from the weapons. It says where they were “hit” and the extent of the “injury” on their vest.
11:15 Bus through the CMTC to watch a staged mass casualty exercise.
12:00 Eating my rations, listening to the staging of what we are about to watch… The unaware soldiers to come are about to be attacked. Rations are chipotle chicken. Nice taste, but the texture is too weird!
12:45 Six soldiers walk down the dirt road for a routine check. They have no idea what they’re in for!
A white pick-up truck drives between them and there’s a big explosion of grey smoke. Gun fire sounds. Fake body parts are flying through the air. The “survivors” from the truck are running. The soldiers are chasing them and capture them. Outside help is radioed in.
LAVs (Light Armoured Vehicles that are tank like looking but smaller) arrive and slowly come in. They secure the area. A Blackhawk comes to get the injured.
A second explosion of grey smoke sets off in the bushes with 2 more “casualties”. The Blackhawk helicopter comes back.
We head down to where all the action is to see the fake blood, severed head, hand, body and the actors held captive. Very neat but gross!
14:30 Back on the bus for us to see the rest of the CMTC. We pass “Afghani villages” along the way to the military camp within the CMTC. We hear of our military efforts to teach the Afghani people to self police and to provide security until that point. We watch helicopters land and take off. We see the tents soldiers sleep in.
16:00 I find a Reservist from Halifax, Jon Barnett, a 2nd Lieutenant Reservist and political science/ history major Dalhousie student. Jon is an Escort Officer for the CMTC. He is responsible for escorting VIP visitors and answering their questions.
Jon’s lived all over the country because he grew up in a military family. He studies in Halifax because it is the right size city, offers a good education, has a variety of opportunities, and everything is condensed for an easy life downtown. His military career works well with student life. “Being in the military is great for students because it offers great training and development which is transferable to a civilian career.”
Jon wants the people of Halifax to understand the importance of the military and show their support. He says our troops are not involved in the politics of war, they only choose to serve our country and citizens. Women and men dedicate their lives to our security at home and across the globe and through their work, we enjoy a free society living with out fear of terrorism and are welcomed when traveling internationally.
I ask Jon how we can show our support and appreciation. Jon says “It’s as simple as having a ‘Support out Troops’ magnet on the bumper of your car or acknowledging troops you know”. Magnets are at the local Canex store on Windsor Street, Halifax.
17:30 Bye CMTC. We’re off to Lloydminister for the night
19:45 Diner and a presentation on the importance of Reservists and Canada’s First Defence Strategy.
Reservists are members of the Canadian Forces who usually serve on a part-time basis. They generally are students or have civilian jobs while working part-time for the CF. The Reservists backfill positions for the Regular Force when additional people are needed. They have served in international missions as well as responded to emergencies across Canada. Reservists are members of the Canadian Forces who usually serve on a part-time basis. They generally are students or have civilian jobs while working part-time for the CF. The Reservists backfill positions for the Regular Force when additional people are needed. They have served in international missions as well as responded to emergencies across Canada.
Our government adopted the Canada First Defence Strategy to define and shape the three critical roles of the Canadian Forces: defend our country at home, defend North America and contribute to international peace and security. In order to deliver these three roles, the Canadian government is investing in four key pillars over the next twenty years. The first is to increase personnel to have 70,000 Regular, 30,000 Reserve and 25,000 Civilians as a workforce. The second is to invest $60 billion dollars in equipment. $40 billion is dedicated to the third pillar of rebuilding and maintaining infrastructure. $140 billion goes to the fourth pillar of readiness in the flexibility and preparedness to deploy. All together it outlines the areas our government is focusing on to modernize and better equip our military for the 21st century.
21:30 Bedtime. I’m ready for shut-eye
June 10th
6:00 Breakfast of champions
6:45 Back on the bus for Cold Lake to see Maple Flag.
9:00 Overview of Maple Flag: a 4 week international air combat exercise to give realistic training to Canadian and allied fighter aircrews (German Air Force, NATO AWACS, Royal Air Force, Royal Netherlands Army & Air Force, United States Navy, Marine Corps, Army and Air Force).
They engage in daily missions to confront and deal with air- and ground-based threats. Maple Flag is internationally renowned for training large coalition operations. It was created in 1975 after 90% of aircraft losses in the Vietnam War took place in the first ten missions. Maple Flag was developed to enhance survivability and improve the aircrew’s performance.
10:40 Watching the MP Ex briefing of the pilots receiving their mission for the day. It’s a super in-depth weather report, nothing like our local news. There’s so many military acronyms I can barely understand what they’re saying! Very “Top Gunish”. The pilots have nicknames like “Wild” and “Spider”.
It’s exciting to watch them get their instructions for the mission. They’re simulating opposing forces. There’s ‘Blue Air” Allied Forces on one side and “Red Air” Opposing Forces on the other side. It’s a full simulated combat with ground attacks, suppressing enemy air defence, tactical resupply and air-to-air refuelling. How Cool.
The pilots put into action their training to be more successful in real combat situations and save more lives.
11:30 BBQ Lunch
12:30 On to watch the CF-18s and Alpha Jets take off on the runway to carry out the daily mission. The engines roar and off they go in twos and threes. They’ve got a mission to target enemy aircrafts, drop “missiles”, and avoid enemy fire.
13:30 Arrive at AFTTC to see a static aircraft display. We all sit in a jet and have our picture taken. Super neat. I try on the gear. Ha ha… not very flattering and ridiculously heavy!
15:15 Next to 42 Radar Sqn where Major Kyle Paul talks about military surveillance for our country. Canada is split in two, the east and west. Cold Lake survey’s the west half to ensure our safety. They make sure no unauthorized aircrafts are in our airspace and if there are, they go to escort them out. It is especially important with the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games and the recent Northern Sovereignty issues. They survey our airspace to keep Canada safe, secure and peaceful.
16:30 CFLC gives their final words on the importance of reservists, the military and how the community can support them.
17:00 Last bus ride back to Edmonton. My mind swimming over all that I saw. I’m amazed at how the Regular and Reserve Force work so seamlessly together to protect, defend and keep our citizens safe. I’m surprised at the amount of resources that are dedicated to this important role. Remembering the cool fake body parts in the simulated mass casualty exercise. Feeling lucky to enjoy living in a peaceful country. Thinking I should have a cool fighter pilot nickname like “Wild”. Most importantly, I’m left with a sense of national pride for our troops and how they dedicate their lives to protecting our citizens.
21:00 At the hotel. Tired but thrilled with the experience. Lights out.
June 10th
6:00 Off to the airport for home sweet home