Page 182 - The Bugle 2018

DUE TO HER TOWN BEING DEVASTATED BY THE FIRES, HER WEDDING PLANS WERE RUINED, SO SHE ASKED IF HER WEDDING COULD BE HOSTED AT THE CAMP
reconnaissance patrols and a dismounted naviga- tional exercise which was conducted in the Redwater Natural Area. Upon the completion of this Pre-BRP course, 1 PPCLI sent out successful candidates on a Second Battalion Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (2 PPCLI)-run BRP course in Shilo, Manitoba and in Minaki, Ontario. May also saw C Coy run a unit-wide Driver Wheel course, qualifying 24 members on various B-fleet vehicles and setting the stage for the next round of Light Armoured Vehicle (LAV) 6.0 drivers to be generated.
In June, the eFP BG started its deployment and Reconnaissance Platoon continued with its own week-long Gun Camp training, which saw members of the platoon, as well as recently successful Pre-BRP candidates take part in gun-fighting drills, to include transition rifle to pistol shooting, as well as barricade single and fire-team movement drills. The battalion also deployed several non-commissioned officers (NCOs) to Shilo, to participate in serials of Tactical Armoured Patrol Vehicle (TAPV) Driver and Remote Weapon System (RWS) “train-the-trainer” courses, as this capability continues to emerge and develop. A Coy, fully rested from their deployment by June, began a serial of LAV 6.0 Gunner and Crew Commander, which served to restore its numbers of qualified LAV 6.0 operators after the company’s deployment to Eastern Europe.
HQ Company, particularly Maintenance Platoon, was extremely busy during the late Spring, working hard to lower the battalion’s vehicle off-road (VOR) percentage and ensure the unit would have enough support for upcoming primary core function (PCF) courses and exercises. The first half of 2017 started out busy for 1 PPCLI, both for deploying and returning members, as everyone worked hard to support those deploying to Latvia, and create an environment full of challenging yet beneficial training opportunities for those remaining on home soil. The battalion would continue to work hard in the coming months as deployments and exercises all continued to hone our operational readiness.
With over 40% of its personnel deployed to Latvia, the remainder of the battalion turned its focus to our commitment as the Immediate Reaction Unit (IRU). The unit maintained a watchful eye on the wildfires
in British Columbia throughout July and August while training and preparing for a possible domestic firefighting operation. Consequently, once the British Columbia government requested federal assistance in early August, our composite sub-unit was ready and able to deploy on Operation LENTUS 17. The A Coy LAVs drove through the beautiful Rocky Mountains in to the smoky British Columbian interior, where we established camp next to the Provincial Wildfire Service in Riske Creek, British Columbia. The Chief Firefighters quickly apprised us of the local situation, issued safety briefings, paired us with wildfire service members, and immediately sent us out to help control the spread of fires in the area. The days were long as we continuously worked along massive fireguards, digging up smoldering root systems and extinguishing hotspots. Throughout the operation, the wildfire service expressed how pleased they were with our rapid progress, struc- tured organization, and consistent work ethic.
Firefighting was not the only task for 1 PPCLI in Riske Creek. Multiple local First Nations leaders reached out to our camp, asking if we could stop by their communities with a LAV and some soldiers as a display of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) capabilities and compassion. Naturally, we were happy to oblige, with our demonstration resulting in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) presenting a commendation to Sergeant Brad Lowes for to his outstanding conduct in facilitating relations with the local First Nations.
Indeed, the large army camp, flying a PPCLI flag that had spontaneously sprouted up in the British Columbian interior, garnered a lot of attention from the local population. So much so that a young woman approached the camp’s command post with a rather unusual request. Due to her town being devastated by the fires, her wedding plans were ruined, so she asked if her wedding could be hosted at the camp with our LAVs in the background. Again, we were happy to oblige her request and the young couple were married at the Riske Creek camp due to the impressive wedding planning of Lieutenant Mike Frank.
If the summer months were busy for most at 1 PPCLI, there was no time for rest and relaxation in the fall, as the unit began its annual IBTS training in October. From the 17 September until 6 October 2017, 1 PPCLI deployed 150 soldiers to Canadian Armed Forces Base (CAFB) Suffield in Southern Alberta to participate in the British Army Training Unit Suffield (BATUS) Ex IRON STRIKE II. The exercise, centered on the participation of the Household Cavalry Regiment (HCR) from the United Kingdom, was an experimental exercise for the new Armoured Cavalry concept within the newly designated Strike Brigade. The Strike concept is based on a need to bridge the gap between light and heavy forces within the British Army, largely operating within hybrid/ near-peer operating environments. The HCR BG, with our company providing the infantry component, was exercised on its ability to forward deploy on its own, utilizing tactical flexibility to disperse and concentrate based on the needs of the operation. The Canadian contingent from 1 PPCLI was led by A Coy, but included soldiers from C Coy and HQ Coy. A Coy deployed to the Suffield Training area with a robust echelon made up of members from 1 PPCLI’s Transport and Maintenance Platoons. The support
Alpha Company’s LAV 6.0’s sit in the foreground of a large-scale wildfire. The LAVs were used to transport members of First Battalion Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry to austere locations in order to conduct firefighting tasks
188 ALLIANCES
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