17 Sep 03

Sgt Jim Hapgood

The month of August started with a visit from the CO and RSM of the Strathcona’s. During their visit, they had a chance to see the troops in action first hand: in one case the possible marriage of Cpl Mark Denson to a local young woman in Bos P!

 The Squadron has been hard at work patrolling the whole Battle Group AOR. From VK to Glamoc the ever-present Coyote is always seen. In addition to the patrols the Sqn also completed a 25mm static shoot, followed by a patrol battle run from HELL, thought up by our resident gunnery deviant Sgt Harry Delaney. Second troop liked the range so much they set fire to most of it! To quote one anonymous Ptl commander, “My battle run was like a scene out of Apocalypse Now, with all the smoke.” 11 Platoon ran a successful small arms range but they could not understand the Sqn’s approach to shooting small arms. That’s because the only type of shooting that a crewman gets worked up over is 25mm or bigger, without all that needless walking back and forth. Every troop spent one night guarding the range and found out just how much the temperature dropped at night.

August also saw C Sqn participate in several Small Unit Exchanges. MCpl Daley took a patrol to Bosanski Gradiska for an exchange with the 9/12 Lancers and Sgt Delaney took a patrol to Prijakovci, also with the 9/12 Lancers. Both Patrols had a splendid time and reciprocated in kind when the Lancers came south to CML. Sgt Hapgood took a patrol to the Dutch Forward Operating Base in Suica. The Patrol had an interesting week with the highlight being a dog and pony on a Leopard 2. The Sqn sent several personnel to Banja Luka to compete in the SFOR Strongman Competition with Cpl Mark Denson and Cpl Melissa Dobbs of Charlie Patrol, 1^st Troop taking top honours in their respective weight classes and Cpl John Grouchy finishing a respectable seventh. Gravy works for Strathcona’s like spinach works for Popeye! 

The Sqn ball hockey team, “The Recce Ravens”, lead by Tpr Mark Mochon is still tearing up the CML hockey league. The pasty people in the CP remain ever vigilant (“ 3 Roger Over”) and for some reason you never see them out unless it is well after dark! The Operations WO, WO Dave Cartwright, continues to work on his daily “this day in history” which keeps him busy (and out of the sun) for most of the day.

 On the 30th of August the SSM, MWO Brad Murphy, was accompanied by several soldiers to Cpl James Ogilvie’s Memorial for a service to remember a fallen comrade. With the ending of LTAs and R&Rs the Sqn is once again whole on the ground.

As September starts, the Sqn is keeping its nose to the grind, concentrating on its daily tasks, knowing that the light at the end of the tunnel grows brighter with every passing day.