C SQUADRON IN NOVEMBER

Lt C.S. Gardner

 

The month of November proved to be very busy for C Squadron.  It was full of military skills

 training and evaluation due to the CO’s Competition and DLOC training.  Other events included Remembrance Day in Whitecourt, Professional Development for crew commanders and Ex VIRTUAL RAM II.

 

The month started off with a couple of well deserved days off as well as post exercise drills.  Members of the Squadron participated in Remembrance Day ceremonies in their respective communities and a contingent representing the Squadron headed to Whitecourt for the day.  Sgt Bond and MCpl Wheaton laid wreaths on behalf of the Regiment.  The “Troop” also found itself as part of the parade and had a very slippery experience parading through the snow laden streets of Whitecourt.

 

The 12th of November started off with a Sqn webbing march and then AFV recognition for crew commander and above.  The 14th and 15th of November was the CO’s competition which C Squadron probably would have done better at had it been after the DLOC training instead of before.  The first day of the competition kicked off with a webbing march and a visit by the Brigade Commander who presented members of the 2002 CAN-AM Cup team with the 1 CMBG

 Commander’s Coin for winning the CAN-AM Cup competition.  The first day consisted of military skills based on MLOC/DLOC training.  C Squadron proved to be average in this area with some areas needing more work than others.  Lt Manouchehri proved that it is possible to fire the pistol and not hit the target with single round while the CO stood by taking notes to ensure that this

great moment would not be forgotten.  He was also with 1st Troop on the ATS range when Cpl Sanders decided to fire all five of his allocated bullets at the same time.  This as well did not go unnoticed nor was it forgotten.  The second day of the competition was a bit more fun with stands like the chain of command race, beer drinking through the gas mask and whiffle ball golf. 

 

The next week kicked off with the Squadron BFT march, accompanied by the CO and Brigade Commander.  The day was hardly over after that fun filled morning.  The afternoon consisted of Navigation, Communications, Grenade and NBC training.  The day finished off with many members of the Squadron going through the gas hut and getting a good taste of that delicious CS gas.  The Squadron PWT range kicked off for three days on the 19th with two ranges going constantly in an effort to have all members of the Squadron pass PWT 1 & 2.  PWT 1 proved to be no problem but PWT 2 was a

 different story.  Many members of the Squadron found themselves doing it over and over and over again and on the last day one range was strictly PWT 2.  At the same time, the Squadron was also doing MAT training and Navigation, Comms, Grenades, and NBC training.  It proved to be quite a task for the leadership to provide people to run the range and the other training as well as be able to attend the training themselves but in the end a large majority of the DLOC training was completed during the week.  The last day of the week, the 22nd, was a day for crew commanders and above to expand their minds during the professional development day hosted by Recce Squadron.  This is also the day that Don Cherry and Ron MacLean visited the base and the Regiment. 

 

The 25th of November was by far the most fun and definitely succeeded in raising the morale of the Squadron.  This was pepper spray training for the Squadron and the three troop leaders, the LO,

 and others “volunteered” to be sprayed by the real thing.  I can attest that it is a weapon and is not something to be used lightly.  All those who were sprayed were guided to the shower, (not

quickly enough!), in order to wash off the evil liquid so that they did not go crazy and try and rip their eyes out.  This great day will not be forgotten due to the many pictures taken as well as the videotape. 

 

For the last four days of the month the Squadron leadership participated in Ex VIRTUAL RAM II.  During the first two days of the Janus exercise, C Squadron experimented with a couple of proposed ORBATs for a Recce Squadron with one of them being proposed by 1st Troop during “Future of the RCAC” professional development.  The last two days consisted of a Regimental exercise in which C Squadron was tested in the advance and the withdraw.  C Squadron suffered many casualties during the withdraw with 2nd Troop getting the worst of it by having only two vehicles left at the end and two soldiers who died on the way to the hospital even though they had 45 and 76 minutes to live!  In the end it was a good exercise with many lessons learned.

 

The month of November proved to be a  month packed full of good military training and fun for the Squadron.