MARCH 2016 NEWSLETTER

Transcription

1 Page 1 Please note that our 09 March GCC meeting will be held at the Warrant Officers /Sergeants Mess, Beaver Hall, Wolseley Barracks Meet and Greet 11:15 a.m. Lunch service begins at 11:30 a.m. Speaker 12:00 p.m. MARCH 2016 NEWSLETTER Meet & Greet: Regular Meeting: 11:15 hrs WO/Sgt Mess, Beaver Hall, Wolseley Barracks, Wednesday,09 March :30 hrs lunch service begins (Please bring a guest) 12:00 hrs meeting starts Speaker: Speaker: Jeff McLeod CD, General Manager of Colt Canada (see page 2 for details) Lunch Menu: Chef s choices will include: o Soup and Salad; o Soup and Sandwich; o Hot Entrée; o Dessert

2 Page 2 Speaker: 09 March GCC Meeting at the WO/Sgt Mess Speaker: Jeff McLeod CD, General Manager of Colt Canada Topic: Future of Small Arms On retirement from the Canadian Forces in 1998, Jeff joined Diemaco as Engineering Manager. As a result of an internal re-organization of Devtek Aerospace, he was appointed General Manager in early Diemaco was acquired by Colt in Throughout his tenure, Jeff has engrained customer service as a key attribute, and has supported the expansion in personnel and capability of the Engineering Group to allow Colt Canada to better meet customer requirements. Focusing on future technologies such as SWORD is a priority for himself and the Company. During his Military career he has was posted to various Canadian locations as well as Germany and Bosnia. On the engineering front he has been the Systems engineer on the 10 ton HLVW truck project and the LAV III (Stryker) project as well as the Integrated Logistic Support coordinator for a major communications program. Jeff graduated from the Technical University of Nova Scotia, with a Bachelor of Engineering, and later attended the Royal Military College of Science in Shrivenham, England, where he obtained a Masters degree in Military Vehicle Technology. Jeff currently lives in the Kitchener area with his wife, Carla, and various four legged creatures.

3 Page 3 GCC President s Comments Below are a few updates for your information. Please feel free to contact me with your comments or for further information (gerrytreble@rogers.com). Thank you. Please note that the GCC March General Meeting (Wednesday 9 March) will be held as usual in Beaver Hall, Wolseley Barracks but in the Warrants /Sergeants Mess (WSM) located along the east side of Beaver Hall. This room change is due to a scheduling conflict; we appreciate the Garrison staff s support in continuing to accommodate us at Beaver Hall. Individual members of GCC may wish to explore becoming Associate Members of the Mess. Please let us know of your interest and we can provide you with contacts for further information. A 10% discount is offered to members of GCC on purchases of products/training at London St. John Ambulance. Proof of GCC membership is necessary. Thank you to Randy Warden, Executive Director at St. John Ambulance, Southwestern Ontario (and GCC Past President ), for this generous offer. Please let us know of any other possible sources of discounts for our members. Operation Arrowhead Precept was held on Saturday 20 February at Wolseley Barracks and both Jack Scott and I were present to observe this Computer Aided Exercise. Mark Hunter, Chair of Fanshawe College s School of Public Safety also attended. We appreciate the invitation to observe and the personal guided tour by LCol Dan McLean. Members of the Garrison who are on-site gather together in Beaver Hall on Wednesday s mid-morning for their coffee break. As a way of GCC showing appreciation to CF members, GCC has contributed to these coffee breaks. The GCC sign (below) is posted on these days..building greater understanding and support of the Canadian Forces. This coffee break is supported by the Garrison Community Council. Thank you for your service! Thank you, Gerry Treble President

4 Page 4 Honoured Veteran, Month of March: Chief Warrant Officer (ret) Sam Carr CD Our Honoured Veteran for the month of March is Chief Warrant Officer (ret) Sam Carr CD. Warrant Officer Carr is a member of the Korean War Veterans Association and his service will be celebrated at our March meeting. Please join us at the WO/Sgt Mess at Beaver Hall, Wolseley Barracks to hear of Sam s proud service. Thanks to Our 3 rd VP, John Cook, for coordinating the commemoration of the service of our Honoured Veterans. GCC s February Meeting Speaker Speaker: Dave Rohrer, CEO, Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum Rene McKinnon introduced the guest speaker: David Rohrer, CEO Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum along with guests: Captain Leon Evans CH Chief pilot, Chief Flight Engineer Craig Brookhouse and Flight Engineer Bill Rouw, Retired Divisions Chief, Hamilton Fire dept. It had been 50 years since two Avro Lancaster bombers flew

5 Page 5 side by side. In the summer of 2014, the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum's Avro Lancaster, VeRA, flew from Hamilton, Ontario to meet her British counterpart, Thumper the only other surviving flight worthy Lancaster bomber in the world the RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight's (BBMF) Lancaster in England. Our guests provided an excellent overview of this trip. A DVD is available for purchase entitled "Reunion of Giants". To learn more please check out their website; Representatives of the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum were guest speakers at the February meeting of GCC. David Rorher, Museum CEO shakes hands with GCC president Gerry Treble, as Chief Pilot Leon Evans, Chief Flight Engineer Craig Brookhouse and Flight Engineer Bill Rouw all of whom flew the Lancaster depicted on their jackets (inset) to England and back look on. Combined Messes Wednesday Lunches The Combined Messes at Beaver Hall have reopened for Wednesday lunches. Lunch and bar service is available at 11:30am. GCC Members are encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity as well as the lunch service at our regular GCC meetings.

6 Page 6 31 Canadian Brigade Group: Commander s Column This short article, normally penned by a member of the Brigade staff, will offer a casual look at 31 CBG. Written with an intent to avoid heavy use of military lexicon, acronyms and abbreviations, the Commander s Column supports information sharing to groups with diverse backgrounds and will, hopefully, offer a less formal view of the Brigade overall, or the examination of specific issues or events. I welcome suggestion of topics you would like to see covered in these columns. K.S. Bertoia Colonel Comd 31 CBG We live in interesting times. After more than a decade of the combat mission in Afghanistan, which saw the deployment of soldiers from every unit of the Brigade, the average Canadian probably imagines that the business of soldiering is quieter for now. But while the opportunities to deploy Reserve soldiers have decreased in proportion with the numbers of CAF personnel deployed, the responsibilities of training and preparedness haven t changed at all. While the operations in Afghanistan held the attention of the public, the Reserves have always remained aware of the possibility of engaging in a diverse array of possible missions, at home and abroad. As we saw over the past few months, our soldiers were ready to step forward when called at short notice for OP PROVISION. Although the CAF capacity to host the Syrian refugees was not needed to the anticipated degree, it in no way diminishes the value of the commitment shown by so many to fulfill that mission. Throughout the history of Canada s Militia and the Reserve Force, our soldiers, non-commissioned officers, and officers have shown themselves ready to step away from personal lives and responsibilities, from work and scholastic demands, to fill the military roles asked of them. Canada s interests around the world, and the needs of our own population, mean that Canadian soldiers have to be ready for any potential mission. Domestic operations can include flood response, the fighting of wildfires, the support of refugee lodging sites, and also northern sovereignty patrols. Deployed operations can cover the wide range of possibilities of combat, humanitarian missions, training missions, and peacekeeping, or any combination of these. The responsibilities taken on by our Government mean that Canadian soldiers, both Regular and Reserve, have to be ready for anything. That responsibility, to be ready, places demands on the Reserves, on each officer, non-commissioned officer, and soldier, to make the most of their training. Every time a Reservist puts on the uniform, or spends their own time dedicated to improving their knowledge and skills, is a benefit to our nation. It is easy to focus on hard skills, the operation of weapons and equipment, the execution of command roles, and see them as defining elements of army service. But all too often, the most valuable training

7 Page 7 and experience is in the development of soft skills; leadership, organization, planning, self-discipline, and responsibility, to name a few. These are the skills a Reservist, or any soldier, brings to bear upon any situation they find themselves facing. These transferable skills are what make our soldiers so adaptable, so ready to meet challenges and to overcome obstacles in pursuit of excellence and success. They are also the skills that make Reservists valuable assets to their civilian employers, a message which the Canadian Forces Liaison Council so readily promotes. As this column is being prepared, soldiers of 31 CBG are deployed to Northern Ontario on Exercise TRILLIUM RESPONSE (13-21 Feb 2016). This exercise will include coordination with local agencies and communities, land navigation, survival, and the challenges of operating the Canada s extreme northern winter climate. Cooperative training with the Canadian Rangers ensures a sharing of skillsets and an improved awareness of these unique Canadian Armed Forces personnel for our own soldiers. In contrast to the winter experience of TRILLIUM RESPONSE, the Brigade is already preparing to take as many as 300 personnel to Indiana, to train at Camp Atterbury and the Muscatatuck Urban Training Centre during Operation ARROWHEAD LIGHTNING over the March Break. The planned live fire and dry training activities will be a little more traditional in the context of combat training for our soldiers, but the demands of the soft skills will be no less demanding, especially for the many who will be in these training areas for the first time. The Brigade s training activities, which can include the challenges of northern survival or urban combat, are balanced by the annual commitments to individual training courses conducted by the 31 CBG Battle School and the corps specific training conducted by every unit to develop and maintain skills at all levels. Whether it is a personal weapons Exercise TRILLIUM RESPONSE is the name for 4th Canadian Division/Joint Task Force Central s field training exercise, aimed at exercising Defence of Canada operations during winter. The exercise is a 31 Canadian Brigade Group exercise that will provide challenging training to soldiers, allowing them to reacquire winter soldier skills. test with the C-7 service rifles, or the challenges of a command team planning operations in the midst of a computer assisted exercise (CAX), every training participant is challenged to apply learned skills, pursue personal excellence, and to be ready for any potential mission.

8 Page 8 Equally important are the often overlooked and hidden roles; the trainers, maintainers and administrators, without whom the system would not function. In so many of our endeavours, whether training or operations, these are the often unrecognized team members that keep our soldiers ready to deploy. They ensure the quality of our soldiers training, and they guarantee that our troops are supplied with the necessary vehicles, equipment, and all manner of supplies required for mission success. The military spends a lot of time and effort understanding and developing the soldier s sense of the primary group. This could be the infantry section or vehicle crew, the platoon or troop, the company or battery, or the battalion or regiment, as needed to support the realization of success. Early in our careers, we tend to identify that primary group by common cap badge, but it doesn t take long before we see and understand the diversity of roles within the bigger team. That realization that the maintainer and the combat arms soldier both contribute to mission success, that both the administrator and the trainer were necessary parts of the readiness and deployment cycle, comes with understanding that there are no supporting cast roles, each are equally necessary for the whole to succeed. Whether it s providing a single infantry soldier to fill a gap in a Regular Force section, providing a maintainer with unique skills to a deployed mission abroad, or force generating a company or battalion for domestic emergency response, 31 Canadian Brigade Group stands ready to meet every challenge, and to complete every assigned mission. Pro Aris et Focis 4RCR Update In January, 4 RCR conducted a Winter Field Training Exercise in the local area. Soldiers trained on the use of winter tents, snowshoes, and constructing shelters. This month, training shifts focus to proficiency at arms as the soldiers of the 4 th Battalion plan to conduct a field firing exercise in 4 Division Training Centre Meaford later this month. Beyond training, 4 RCR has increased recruitment efforts. 4 RCR has added two new officers and a dozen soldiers to its unit strength with many more recruits prepared to be sworn in before summer training.

9 Page 9 HMCS Prevost Update: NAVRES Central Region Jr. Officers Training Day On 23 January, HMCS Prevost hosted a training day for junior officers in the Central Region of the Naval Reserve. The intent was to foster professional growth among peers and to increase cooperation between various divisions. It was well attended by members of HMCS Prevost, York, and Hunter. Training topics included occupational training (MARS, Logistics, Intelligence, Chaplain) as well as lectures on leadership, naval traditions, and mess dinner etiquette. The training day concluded with a mess dinner. All participants acquired valuable skills to bring back to their units as well as enjoying a mess dinner. HMCS Prevost intends to make this an annual event which will include more units participating. LCdr Sean Batte, Commanding Officer of HMCS Prevost delivers opening remarks to all officers in attendance. Logistics Officers discuss changes to training and career progression within the Naval Logistics Branch. Lt(N) Pohl (YOR) and A/SLt Smailbegovic (PVO) brief Lt(N) Hollister, HMCS Hunter XO and Lt(N) Rivera, event OPI on alongside considerations when docking in Mazatlan, Mexico.

10 Page 10 LCdr Batte delivering a lesson on leadership to all officers in attendance LCdr Mike Hoare (Ret d), former CO of Prevost delivers a lesson on mess dinner etiquette to all officers in attendance. Table set up for the Mess Dinner, which was the final portion of the training day. Lt(N) Oshar (HUN) and NCdt McCorriston (PVO) provide an Int brief to the watchful eyes of Lt(N) George, Lt(N) Jackson, Lt(N) Hollister and Lt(N) Rivera.

11 Page 11 London Military Family Resource Centre (LMFRC) On 20 February 2016 at the London Military Family Resource Centre (LMFRC) Volunteer Appreciation Night, GCC member John Finan and his wife Martha were presented with a Spirit of The Military Families coin in recognition of their outstanding support to the Military Families Services Program. From 2007 through 2012 Martha and John presented their Finan Comedy Show five times. Admission to the show was free for Finan business clients as well as past and present members of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) and their families. The service of Canadian Forces personnel was recognized during the shows and the LMFRC was allowed to conduct fundraising activity in conjunction with each event. This was a difficult time for many CAF families and the Finan Comedy Shows provided a much appreciated respite from the tension associated with the war in Afghanistan. Photo (Left to Right): LMFRC Board member Dean Tremblay, Martha Finan, John Finan, LMFRC Board member Katharina Kiewiet. GCC members who have previously been awarded the Spirit of the Military Families coin are: Randy Warden, Ed Holder, and Honorary Lieutenant-Colonel Murray Faulkner. Significant Military Dates- March The list of significant military dates each month serves as background for the GCC s Honouring Veterans Initiative. The list is not conclusive and is for reference only. 3 March 1942 World War II First combat flight of the Toronto-built Avro Lancaster bomber, the war's most successful night bomber.

12 10 March 1950 Korean War - Aviation Avro Jetliner flies to Ottawa from Toronto in a recordsmashing 36 minutes for a demonstration in front of government officials, military leaders and dignitaries at the Rockcliffe airport; followed by a promotional tour across North America; in April, the Jetliner will carry the world s first jet airmail from Toronto to New York in a record 58 minutes; Howard Hughes orders a flight of 30 C-102s for Trans World Airlines, but minister C.D. Howe will order Avro to halt development in 1951 to concentrate on the CF-100 jet fighter for the Korean War. 12 March 1930 World War I World War I air ace Billy Barker killed in a plane crash at Rockcliffe air base; shot down 53 enemy planes during the war, won Victoria Cross for a single-handed combat against some 60 German aircraft. 12 March 2014 Afghanistan The Canadian flag is lowered in Kabul, marking the end of the longest-running combat mission in Canadian history. 13 March 1943 World War II Canadian Flower-class corvettes HMCS Prescott and HMCS Napanee sink German submarine U-163 while defending a convoy off the coast of Spain; often named after small towns in Canada, these vessels were used as anti-submarine convoy escorts during the Battle of the Atlantic. 17 March 2004 Haiti Canadian Forces sends 170 soldiers to Haiti to provide security in Operation Halo to support United Nations peacekeeping 19 March 1885 North West Rebellion Begins North West Rebellion - Louis Riel reacts to the news that the NWMP are on the way to Batoche, seizes hostages, takes control of St. Anthony's Church, and proclaims the Provisional Government of Saskatchewan, with himself as President, and Gabriel Dumont as Adjutant-General of the Army. His followers ransack government stores and cut the telegraph wires leading east. Batoche, Saskatchewan 20 March 1944 World War II Lt. Gen. Harry Crerar appointed to command of 1st Canadian Army; largest field formation ever formed by Canada; includes British, Dutch, Belgian, and Polish units. 25 March 1958 Aviation Crowd of 14,000 Avro employees cheer maiden flight of supersonic fighter the Avro CF-105 Arrow at Malton Airport; one of world's most advanced airplanes at the time; cancelled five months later. 27 March 1964 Cyprus First 500 Canadians start duties with UN peacekeeping force in Cyprus; to quell the ongoing conflict between Turkish and Greek Cypriots beginning a decades-long mission

13 Page 12 GCC Meeting Dates Program planning for 2016 is ongoing. Suggestions from members are always welcome. Please contact any member of the executive with ideas. Below are the dates for January 10 February 09 March 13 April 11 May 08 June July, August no meetings 14 September 12 October 09 November (AGM) December no meeting GCC EXECUTIVE President: Gerry Treble Treasurer: Barry Graham 1st Vice President: Geoff Hutton 3rd Vice President: John Cook Past President: Jack Scott Secretary: Beth Sayler 2nd Vice President: Doug Acton Garrison Advisor: LCol Dan McLean Next Meeting: 09 March at the WO/Sgt Mess, Beaver Hall, Wolseley Barracks. Bar service at 11:15 a.m. with lunch service beginning at 11:30 a.m., and speaker at 12:00 p.m. Jeff McLeod CD, General Manager of Colt Canada will be our speaker

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