Canadian troops to train at Va. base

[Nfld Sapper]

It would be nice.

Maj Alex Brennan, 1st Battalion, The Royal Newfoundland Regiment, was officer commanding of the combat team. It was his job to pull the soldiers together and get the job done.

“In my 20 years of Reserve training,” he said, “this was one of the best planned exercises that I have seen. Every soldier and every officer had an important role to play. With all the skill sets being utilized, it benefited the soldiers who carry the weapons in the manoeuvre elements.”

I will go against what Maj. Brennan said I found this ex was a cluster f**k just like ARCON espcially with respect to Engineers and some CSS support.

Hopefully the "lessons learned" will be put to good use next time around.

 

[dapaterson]

NFLD Sapper:

Every exercise is an Engr and CSS cluster f**k, as we never inculcate proper planning ability in Res formations on employment of them.  So we make the same mistakes over and over.

I'd go intom ore detail but then I'd start naming names, dates and places, and get myself into more trouble than usual (already have one BGen p*ssed with me today, why keep digging deeper?)

 

[geo]

Hey DAP, glad you're keeping your averages up

For the most part, the time lines required to go thru engineer operations process are longer than what most infantry types are willing to wait.
They create a scenario where they come up to a mine field (fine)
They call up the Engineers (fine)
The engineers start going thru their battle procedures to clear one or several paths thru the minefield... but THAT takes time... time that Infantry on Ex will tell you they do not have any to waste - and they once again miraculously declare the minefield breached and barrel thru.....

Yup, been there, seen that.....

 

[Nfld Sapper]

You hit the nail on the head there geo.

On average I was getting my orders  from the Platoon Comd at around 2300-2400 hrs,  mission starts at 0900 so...... my orders ended up being just a brief to my section on what was going to happen.

At least we knew what we where going to do breaching wise.

BTW Pl Comd where getting their orders at 1700.

 

[geo]

Better for the engineers to go off on their own & do plateau training that is pertinent to their trade.  Leave a nominal section of Engineers with the Infantry - the Grunts won't know what to do with any more.... other than make us do what is secondary to our tasks... fight as infantry.