Reserves Ex Valiant Guardian-Wainwright (Aug-2007)

[career_radio-checker]

So as a the school year draws to a close and us internet addicts look for new stuff to click on 157 times per day, I just thought we should prepare for this year's Ex Something Guardian. There is no website up yet, but I know some people involved with the planning are on army.ca. Maybe they are willing to give some spoilers in the meantime.

couple questions I have:
1. When is the exact dates for deployment and return?
2. What level of training Ex is this? (platoon, company, brigade)
3. How big of force are each brigade deploying for this Ex? (company, battalion, brigade)
4. Is it true that this will be a pan-Canadian reserve ex with each brigade sending a contingent?
5. Will there be some live fire section/platoon/company attacks?
6. Will 33 Brigade be deployed to the impact area again for another FOB 'tank rut'? (a.k.a FOB 'Better than 32'  ;D )
7. How do we guarantee our spot?

 

[Fishbone Jones]

Your CofC has most, if not all, these answers. Rather than a bunch of second hand, I think, I heard, I was told by the janitor rumour and clag, try ask your CofC.

For the rest. Unless it's official and can be backed by orders, don't speculate or start rumours. It's the fastest way to shut this thread down.

There's also a large thread.....somewhere here already........on the Wainwright ex.

 

[Nfld Sapper]

I know that LFAA is playing an Ex in Wainwright for the 2008 time frame. So far all we know of it is .... The Road to CMTC and something about standing up a full field section (maybe a Troop) for said Ex.

 

[Adrenaline]

Being a reservist myself, as far as I know they're calling the excercise "MAPLE DEFENDER".  I heard something about them collecting a certain about of bodies from each brigade. But because many reservists will be on course til the end of August, the turn out from 32 Brigade will be a bit poor. Thats mostly based on the fact about 80% of my units members will be teaching/on course/or working civy side. I can only assume this will be a similar problem for other regiments in 32.

I havent heard much else on it.  VG '06 was OK at best.  I hope for the sake of the people that are going to Maple Defender, they come up with some decent excercise plans. Otherwise it'll be a long 2 weeks.  I wonder if theyre going to use the OPFOR out there?


-Adrenaline

 

[George Wallace]

Adrenaline

LFCA has dictated that all Crses be completed before 8 August 07 so that pers can attend Maple Defender.  I can see the only exceptions being late starting BMQ/SQ Crses and the odd Crse that may be too lengthy to cut short to make that date.  In the end, there should be enough pers available to fill the 2,000 odd positions slated to LFCA for this Ex.  I also know, without a doubt, that certain Trades have been overlooked in the 'Brick'.

Rest assured, by mid-June/July there should be a much clearer picture of what is going to be happening.

 

[Adrenaline]

That doesnt make any sense though.  Summer ARC in Meaford is scheduled from 03 July to 31 Aug.  Even the schedules for Demo Platoon on the tasking Brick are for those same dates.  For alot of candidates, school doesnt end til the late part of June. So theyre saying that only 1 friggin month worth of courses is going to happen?? Am I missing something here?

I guess we'll have to wait and see when things become more clear in the next month or 2.

-Adrenaline

 

[George Wallace]

That doesnt make any sense though.  Summer ARC in Meaford is scheduled from 03 July to 31 Aug.  Even the schedules for Demo Platoon on the tasking Brick are for those same dates. 

Those dates are not too specific.  Those dates would encompass both Course Dates and Exercise Dates.  Unless you have your hands on the Course Timetables and all the other more specific scheduled events you have nothing. 

 

[brihard]

Adrenaline

LFCA has dictated that all Crses be completed before 8 August 07 so that pers can attend Maple Defender.  I can see the only exceptions being late starting BMQ/SQ Crses and the odd Crse that may be too lengthy to cut short to make that date.  In the end, there should be enough pers available to fill the 2,000 odd positions slated to LFCA for this Ex.  I also know, without a doubt, that certain Trades have been overlooked in the 'Brick'.

Rest assured, by mid-June/July there should be a much clearer picture of what is going to be happening.

That doesn't jive with the summer tasking/course list I've seen.. Lots of stuff running in Meaford and Connaught for 33BDE, including right through August. Other handouts I've seen mention rather low numebrs of troops per unit out to Wainwright.

Is there an Ex Valiant Guardian concurrent with Maple Defender this year?

 

[Haggis]

I'm simply calling it "The Wainwright Ex" since I've head so many different names for it.

This ex isn't nearly on the scale of last years Vigilant Guardian.  In fact it's only 1/3 the size.  There will be only one "Task Force" formed for this ex.  Each LFCA Reserve Brigade is sending only a company of infantry and a smattering of other combat and supporting arms.  Most infantry units will be tasked to contribute between a section to platoon minus (with some exceptions).  Priority for manning goes to ex support positions (GD/roleplayers/OPFOR etc.) then to the Primary Training Audience (PTA) AKA "The Troops".  The reasoning behind this is that if units fill the PTA first, there will be nobody left to do OPFOR, GD etc.

ARC courses do, in fact, run until 31 Aug.

 

[Nfld Sapper]

If its Exercise Maple Defender then that sounds like the validation ex for the next roto to the sandbox.

 

[Sig_Des]

If its Exercise Maple Defender then that sounds like the validation ex for the next roto to the sandbox.

You mean Maple Guardian?

 

[Nfld Sapper]

You mean Maple Guardian?

I've heard it called both Des  ???

 

[George Wallace]

I guess it would be best to take the lead from Haggis and just call it the "Whatever, Whenever Exercise in Wainwright"

(Beginning to start to sound like we will see a 'Wrascally Wabbit' somewhere soon.)

 

[dapaterson]

Maple Guardian = validation exercise for task forces at CMTC Wainwright

Maple Defender = Reserve summer exercises at CMTC Wainwright

There is a difference, though the location and WES kit are the same.

 

[Nfld Sapper]

Maple Guardian = validation exercise for task forces at CMTC Wainwright

Maple Defender = Reserve summer exercises at CMTC Wainwright

There is a difference, though the location and WES kit are the same.

Thx for the clarification dapaterson.

 

[Fishbone Jones]

The amount of troops allowed to go on the actual ex will be scaled to the amount of Support Staff (Obs/Cont, etc) that fill the brick spots first. If they don't get the staff, they won't get the troops spots. There is a specific ratio to be accounted for, so many troops to so many staff. That is why all staff spots have to be self identified this month, so they'll know how many troops can go. This is a CMTC rule, IIRC.

Only a handful of the troops participating (1000 was the last I heard, down from the 3000 that normally participate). All courses are due to go to the end of the summer. Training was the priority. Normally, the course equipment goes back to the units to use on CAC. Because of the course lengths, this won't happen, and the ex would have been even shorter of equipment than it normally is. CMTC is self contained for all the equip required to run the ex, so that's not a problem. SQ, CQ, etc will go in early to draw and allocate kit, O/C will go in even earlier (up to a week ahead), to learn how to work with WES. The shortest visit will be the troops actually in excersise mode.

Hope that clears some of the confusion up.

 

[Desert Fox]

I will do my best to answer your questions, I've spoken to my OC + CSM/OPS WO about this EX a  few times

1. When is the exact dates for deployment and return?
I have seen it on paper as 11-24 Aug 07, not sure if thats departure date or actual exercise dates.

2. What level of training Ex is this? (platoon, company, brigade)
32 CBG is sending 1 x INF COY, based off this I presume trg will be Coy level,

3. How big of force are each brigade deploying for this Ex? (company, battalion, brigade)
As per above 1 x Inf Coy,
Armoured 1 x whatever they call a platoon,
MP not many i hope,
Engineers you can never have to many, bring them all!!!

4. Is it true that this will be a pan-Canadian reserve ex with each brigade sending a contingent?
I was told the "plan" was that it would rotate by area each year ie LFCA one year, LFAA the next, and LFWA the year after that. This may have very well changed into a Pan-Can effort....

5. Will there be some live fire section/platoon/company attacks?
I think they will make use of the technology available and go with force on force trg, maybe some one who knows all about Wainwright and its cabilities at CMTC can comment on this?

6. Will 33 Brigade be deployed to the impact area again for another FOB 'tank rut'? (a.k.a FOB 'Better than 32'  ;D )
This sounds like a personal problem  or maybe a leadership problem good luck with that!

7. How do we guarantee our spot?
My unit is treating as per our standard course/employment process, we have a form you fill out and submit, ask your COC if unsure.

Seem like it'll be good...see you on the beach!  (then again i said that about CAC 06)