Page 202 - Rifles 2017 Issue No 3

IT WAS A YEAR OF SUCCESS THANKS TO THE HARD WORK OF THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE UNIT
indirect support. Key to the exercise, as with projects of this scale, was collaboration. The two-hour attack con rmed how effective a joint Canadian-American combat venture can be, and projected the most repower of any individual combat team attack in Alaska this summer. Additionally, Bravo Company demonstrated the capabilities of the LAV’s 25mm turret, which was the envy of every American who witnessed it in action. All told, the attack was a worthy conclusion to all of the training completed by Canadians and Americans alike; it was symbolic of the end of the road to high-readiness for Bravo Company, and a testament to the strong bond between our two nations.
While the ri e companies were all able to enjoy international success, Combat Support Company achieved success on the home front as well. In prepa- ration for Canadian Patrol Concentration 2016 (CPC 16), 1 PPCLI Reconnaissance Platoon force-gen- erated a team consisting of eight members led by Master Corporal Sean Sapera. The team carried out a series of training exercises from mid-September to mid-November focusing on reconnaissance speci c tasks to include: dismounted/mounted navigation, detachment/section-size reconnaissance patrols, drop zone/landing zone (LZ/DZ) establishment, beachhead establishment, chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) reconnaissance, and airmobile operations.
In September, the Canadian Patrol Concen- tration team deployed to the Redwater Natural Area to conduct a series of navigation traces both by day and night. Each patrolman conducted this trace alone and was required to locate numerous navigation points which required the identi cation of different Armoured Fighting Vehicles (AFVs). Later that month, the Canadian Patrol Concentration team deployed to Black Rock Mountain, Alberta in order to conduct mountain operations and elevation training. Overall, it was an excellent opportunity which exposed the members to more adverse terrain and challenged their application of basic mountain operations skills. To culminate the training, the Canadian Patrol Concentration team members deployed to 3 CDSB Det Wainwright in October as part of Exercise PATRICIA ARES where they completed a series of patrol scenarios to include a 48 hour patrol. The team’s efforts were rewarded with a silver medal as they successfully completed the grueling competition in the November snow.
The battalion’s focus in the fall of 2016 was on IBTS and D+90 training. This culminated in October when it deployed on Exercise PATRICIA ARES to con rm platoons up to Enhanced Level 3 live, and Charlie Company to Level 5 live. This also gave Administration and Combat Support Companies the chance to shake out their drills and practice supporting a battle group in a tactical setting. Coinci- dentally, as planning for this exercise began, so did the possibility of a European deployment to counter Russian aggression in the Baltic States. This helped to shape the scope of the exercise, which focused on conventional warfare against a peer nation.
Upon returning from Exercise PATRICIA ARES, the unit dove back into the year’s nal PCF cycle,
focusing on the skills needed for any possible 2017 deployment. The year ended with a week of tradi- tional Christmas festivities, to include hockey games, the Soldier’s Dinner, and the Of cer’s hosting of the NCOs for the At Home.
2016 was a busy year for 1 PPCLI, full of unique and challenging training opportunities. It was a year of success thanks to the hard work of the men and women of the unit. With Alpha Company currently in Poland, and the remainder of the battalion eagerly preparing for future operations, 1 PPCLI will transition into 2017 upholding the Regiment’s tradition of excellence at home and abroad. Co-Written by: Corporal James Thoman, Lieutenant Zach Day, Lieutenant Greg Ritonja, Lieutenant Vince Tetrault, Captain Justin Sim, and Major Jesse Eijk. Photos by: same as above.
2 PPCLI
Second Battalion Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (2 PPCLI) has had a busy 2016 on the Road to High Readiness, conducting dispersed training exercises, and deploying on Operation UNIFIER. The rst quarter saw the battalion conduct various Primary Combat Function (PCF) courses and Exercise KAPYONG SKYTHE. Speci cally, upon the battalion’s return from Christmas leave in January, members of Bravo Company quickly found themselves participating in Exercise STEEL BEASTS; a simulator-based exercise which took place at Fort Hood, Texas. Bravo Company spent a week in the Texas sun training with the Lord Strathcona’s Horse (Royal Canadians) Battle Group, taking advantage of the advanced vehicle simulators that the United States Army possesses, and honing their skills at the combat team and battle group levels. The remainder of the battalion participated in Exercise STRONG CONTENDER followed by PCF training in Shilo, which was aimed at qualifying individual soldiers as drivers, Light Armoured Vehicle 6 (LAV 6) gunners, crew commanders, and Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC) providers. Exercise KAPYONG SKYTHE, held in March, was a winter exercise which saw the battalion soldiers enhance their individual skills by participating in a number of ranges that culminated with live re at the section level in dif cult and challenging winter conditions.
Transitioning to the Road to High Readiness training in the spring, Bravo Company was detached to Lord Strathcona’s Horse (Royal Canadians) Battle Group and the battalion had the opportunity to conduct two challenging brigade exercises: Exercises PROMETHEAN RAM and MAPLE RESOLVE. Throughout the exercises Adminis- tration Company provided immense support to the battalion ensuring our mobility and provisions were sustained. During Exercise PROMETHEAN RAM, the Second Battalion conducted considerable dry training to establish best practices for battle group operations. This was followed by complex live- re ranges, rst at the platoon level and moving up to the combat team level, involving coordinated effects from the artillery, engineers, armoured corps, and even the Air Force. Through aggression, and as a result of working in close conjunction with our external partners, the Second Battalion established itself as a combat-ready battle group validated under realistic and challenging live re conditions. Exercise MAPLE RESOLVE saw the battalion further
2016 WAS A BUSY YEAR FOR 1 PPCLI
200 ALLIANCES
THE RIFLES