Transcript

(D) In this episode, we exercise common ground in Gagetown…

(S) …we throw a retirement party fit for a Sea King…

(D)….and we recap a challenging patrolling competition in Alberta.

(S) Exercise COMMON GROUND recently wrapped up at the Combat Training Centre’s Tactics School in Gagetown, New Brunswick.

We spoke with Major Hubble to learn more.

(J) Exercise Common Ground is a field training exercise lasting over 14 days where we bring in a battle group to conduct all kinds of offensive, defensive operations in support of the individual training of our students at the Combat Training Centre.

The training is very effective for our students certainly speaking at the Tactics School, the Combat Team Commander’s Course. The students experienced taking command of a company or a combat team for 24 hours, the planning cycle leading into that. The complexity of the task’s being given as well as facing a thinking enemy force that is putting serious challenges and trying to create a realistic problem for them to solve.

There’s learning happening at all levels when we go to the field and do training like this. Learning about our equipment, learning about our skills and our drills. And from a Tactics School’s perspective, being the functional centre of excellence for combat team operations, we try to take all those lessons learned at the end of the exercise and see what we can do to make sure that those go back into our training courses and back into our manuals and stay within our army.

(D) The CAF community recently bid farewell to the CH-124 Sea King helicopter.

In honour of this milestone, 12 Wing Shearwater hosted a two-day retirement event at 443 Maritime Helicopter Squadron in Victoria, British Columbia this past weekend. This included a meet and greet at CFB Esquimalt’s Wardroom, followed by a Sea King Retirement Parade, ceremonial fly-past and gala dinner.

This versatile ship-borne maritime helicopter has been in operation serving Canada since 1963. For the last 55 years, the aircraft has contributed to domestic search and rescue operations, disaster relief, counter-narcotic and international peacekeeping operations.

(D) Before we go, the Canadian Patrol Concentration recently took place, boasting the highest international participation to-date. This patrolling competition involved eight Army Reserve teams, nine Regular Force teams, as well as teams from six other nations.

(S) The patrols showed their skill and stamina as they patrolled 40 kilometres continuously over 48 hours, throughout the day and night. For the full results, visit the related links.

(D) That’s it for us. Thank you so much for watching. See you next time…

(S)…for Defence Team News!