A Sqn
Ex STRATHCONA PHOENIX
Lt Martin, J.T. 11
May 2004
For most, the first field installment of A Squadron’s return to the Leopard kicked off with a stunning array of multi-media lectures at CFB Edmonton’s state-of-the-art Lecture Training Facility and in LCGTs at the Strathcona Sim Centre.
Salty crew commanders managed to keep face in front of their freshly trained gunners despite being a bit rusty after at least a year away from the C2. Despite the best efforts of resident LCGT expert Sgt Lee Taylor, the simulators just refused to go any bigger than a fire-team shoot, but the troop shoots in the field went well anyhow.
The troop leaders had no excuses though for driving computer generated rounds into virtual crests when they sat in the LCGT gunner’s seat. RGWO WO Rick MacMillan would be so proud. Nobody will truly know what carnage ensued though when the Squadron leadership went in, because they wouldn’t let anyone in to find out. Local authorities have abandoned the search for missing IGs last spotted entering the Sim Centre with the OC Maj Shane Gifford and SSM MWO Brad Murphy.
Drivers and maintainers had a good go, however, and were able to turn a lot of would-be last-minute deadheads into movers and shooters in the nick of time for the low-bed program. Hats off to these hard workers and to Maint Sgt Sgt Nigel Bottomley for coordinating such a slick and cunning maintenance program.
Congratulations are also due to Cpl Egeland, the C2 Basic Gunner Course’s TOP SHOT, whose range score was a devastating 98.12%. The Top Student, B Sqn’s Tpr Desjardins beat A Sqn’s own by a lean 0.4%. It was a tough competition for the gunner’s course who all achieved excellent marks and produced a lot of nice shooting for the big brass and media spectators.
Spirits continued to be high as the troops rocked into field training under their own control and sunny skies. This was a rare opportunity for Troop-level training and crew familiarization. The learning curves were relentlessly high on this exercise, just like that blasted prairie wind.
Almost all of the tank drivers and gunners were in the field for the first time and all showed high levels of drive and determination. The new gunners were looking very forward to the live fire battle run, as exemplified by the tough Tpr Gerri-Anne Davidson (bit by the Leopard track) who put off getting her finger stitched up for over a half hour not to miss out. Firing n-OW!
What would a tank exercise be like without a few minor Leopard bites and a minor struggle with that mess tent cutlery, eh Tpr Orlesky?
The driver’s work culminated nicely into the Squadron advance to contact with Engineer support, including an AVLB crossing Yes, the new drivers saw it all too (except during the night navs when trying not to vomit into the little green glow). Thankfully, they caught on quickly to other four letter words that also mean HALT!
But in all due seriousness, the night driving and navigation was impressive and fast with all crewmen performing highly, especially with no moon or starlight to light the way. Job well done.
2 Troop made the most check points that night, only missing the fifth (the last) when the good WO Dan Goodwin’s tank got hung up on a sandy shoulder just short of the MacDonald Bridge -and they still came out on top. 3 Troop completed "four and a half" checkpoints, and 1 Troop’s MCpl Cordell Boland chose to challenge himself, taking the road less traveled on the way to number four and not quite getting there. Nevertheless, he navigated excellently to the start and to the first checkpoint even with his eyes not quite adjusted to the night...ahemGPS-ahEM.
A Sqn had the honour of a few promotions to top off the end-ex celebrations, presented by our Colonel Commandant, Lieutenant-General J.A. Fox CMM CD. (No, he wasn’t there for a change of Colonel Commandant parade with Capt Elkorazati.) Gen Fox awarded promotions to WO Bart DeVos, MCpl Richard Allen, Lt Jason Martin, and last but not least Lt Mike Gough to whom we wish the best even though he’s in Recce.
The promotion of Capt Eghtedar Manouchehri was naturally presented to C Sqn’s infamous SFOR Man by his boss and ours, fellow-Strathcona and Bde Comd, Colonel Tim Grant. Although he now has the opportunity to change his superhero name to Captain SFOR, he’ll never live down that good old classic, Fez!
All in all, Ex STRATHCONA PHOENIX was a fast-paced, eventful learning experience, leaving us all looking forward to ditching our desks and dustpans once more for the Brigade Ex coming this Fall.
PERSEVERANCE
BASIC LEOPARD GUNNERY 0401
by Tpr Stewart McLoughin 2 Tp aka Stewie aka Sparky aka Ire-can how do you spell that?
(Thanks to MCpl Jeff Daley for the nicknames and for finally leaving the Sim Center laser light alone)
The morning may have been cold, but thanks to the local Tim Horton’s, the students of Basic Leopard Gunner 0401 were warmed up, full of caffeine and ready to learn –and stay awake during addresses from Crse O Lt Jason Martin and Crse WO WO "Awesome Sean" Cowperthwaite.
For most of the students this would be their first tank PCF, as hard as that may seem -Remember the ever changing A sqn was mainly coyote trained.
The first day for some was a bit of an eye opener since they’d never been on a tank. So learning about what ‘this is’ and where ‘that goes’ was very important. Once the cobwebs were shaken out and a second Timmies was down range, everything started to flow smoothly. Sort of. You’d figure with AGS instructors there would be no mistakes in handouts or lesson plans. After the Regimental gunnery gods, instructors MCpl Marcel Chenier, MCpl Robert Rousseaux, MCpl Marvin MacNiell, MCpl Darren Magasand MCpl Alex Graf, sacrificed a small trooper, everything started to work.
Now the current generation of soldiers have commonly been referred to as the Nintendo age. True, I must agree. So what better way to use our video game skills than in the simulators? This was a highlight for the course, mainly because this meant little to no more classroom time.
Of course you can never possibly use the sims without some kind of problem. If not the students getting coyote/cougar drills mixed up with tank drills, then it was the simulator staff forgetting to feed the daily requirement of “quarters” into the simulators, which are an essential piece of kit even with the occasional headache. Technology is great.
With the classroom side completed, all of us were waiting for the gun camp in April. Everyone was confident in their skills, moral was high and everyone was a little excited. But what do you expect after having 5 coffees a day from the track pad?
0700hrs seemed to come a little early Monday April 19, but when you are deploying to the field for a gun camp, 0700 is like sleeping in.
When all pers got to Wainwright the first order was to get the tanks kitted and ready to roll to Range 16. When we finally got there, we hit the ground running. From camp set up to the range safety briefings, down time was not in the "cunning plan" of RSO Sgt Harry "I need more sugar" Delaney.
The first rounds went down range later that day and bore sighting along with countless MRS torques were performed. I must say though, when someone sees a tank fire for the first time, the childlike expression on his face would warm the heart of any old crewman. Blow stuff up. That’s what we do. Well, only if the SH-PRAC actually exploded. Cut backs.
After the first day was in the books, the gunnery course started its scored shoots. Rounds were flying down range and sometimes we weren’t sure where they were going, but they went down range. Now static shoots may be fun, but nothing can compare to firing on the move.
Once the tanks started rolling down the firing lanes and engaging targets, the students all came back with a smile and the "I love my job" attitude. If there was an award for biggest smile it would have been a tie between Tpr Gerrard "The Nub" Bennet, and Tpr Jamie "I can’t cook" Moores.
Unfortunately the gun camp had to end. With a small exercise to carry out before we were back to live troop battle runs, the newly qualified Leopard gunners could give their trigger fingers a rest and do what gunners do best down in their hole. What is that exactly? I wouldn’t know, I was sleeping.
PERSEVERANCE
