Ontario soldiers cross border for combat training in the Michigan woods
Army reservists from southwestern Ontario are part of a large contingent of Canadians across the border in Michigan for a training exercise.
The nine-day program runs until Sunday at Camp Grayling. That's an American military training facility, in the northern part of the Lower Peninsula.
More than 900 soldiers and 200 vehicles are taking part in combat training, in what's being referred to as the largest simulated war-fighting exercise the Canadian Army Reserve has conducted since 2014.
Reservists from the Windsor and Chatham areas are representing the Windsor Regiment and the Essex and Kent Scottish.
Army reservists from Canada are taking part in a large exercise known as Arrowhead Guardian in the U.S. until Sunday. (Submitted by Lieutenant-Colonel Jay Hancock/RCAC)
Lieutenant-Colonel Jay Hancock is the commander of the Windsor Regiment. He's in Michigan for the Arrowhead Guardian exercise.
He says it's an accumulation of the skills reservists have been working on — and are now putting into use.
"Lots of learning for the young folks," said Hancock.
"And then for us who have been with the regiments for a while, it's a chance to knock off the dust and remember how to do these type of big training activities."
Canadian army reservists take part in a training exercise in Michigan. (Submitted by Lieutenant-Colonel Jay Hancock/RCAC)
He says the training is in the U.S. because it offers a unique and large geographic area that they haven't operated on as a brigade before.
"Our brigade commander looked at what this training area had to offer, as far as it relates to challenging our soldiers, who may be used to training in Meaford and Borden [Ontario] — and some of the closer Canadian locations that give us a new challenge, terrain, an environment that is different than what we typically train on."
According to Hancock, the training is realistic, yet safe.
He calls it a "very controlled environment."
More than 900 soldiers and 200 vehicles from Canada are taking part in combat training at an American facility in the northern part of Michigan's Lower Peninsula. (Submitted by Lieutenant-Colonel Jay Hancock/RCAC)
"It's a simulator. It's very well scheduled, from the perspective of understanding when things are happening. It is separated by the live fire activities that happen on the ranges on the first couple of days."
Hancock says they shift toward a clear demarcation when the activities stop.
"We go into kind of a simulated, with blank rounds and that sort of thing. Safety is our utmost concern, and it's an exciting opportunity for the soldiers to practice their trade, but to do it in a safe and controlled environment."
