Canadian Armed Forces personnel combined forces the morning of May 11 to storm a beach in Comox.
The littoral, or shore, assault was part of Exercise Cougar Gauntlet in the area as of March 6 for a one-week period.
More than 300 reserve members, primarily army reserve from 39 Canadian Brigade, but with assistance from navy members stationed in a few vessels off Air Force Beach, took part.
B次元官网网址淲e really wanted a controlled environment where we could do this,B次元官网网址� said Col. Scott Raesler, the 39 Brigade commander. B次元官网网址淟ittoral operations are obviously a combined part of warfare.B次元官网网址�
For the morningB次元官网网址檚 exercise, the soldiers were loaded from the vessels onto combat engineer and assault pioneer boats to prepare for the beach landing after which they would climb the bluff above the beach as preparation to engage with enemy forces.
The army reservists from 39 Canadian Brigade were in the area for practice at HMCS Quadra at Goose Spit earlier this year, in preparation for Cougar Gauntlet. The army personnel are based in Vancouver, with members participating from all over B.C. and some from Alberta.
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The littoral exercise offered them the chance to combine efforts with the navy, which has not happened for some time, and allowed them to familiarize themselves with navy and air force capabilities.
B次元官网网址淲e are conducting what we term is a joint operation. ItB次元官网网址檚 the army training with the navy,B次元官网网址� Raesler said. B次元官网网址淲e havenB次元官网网址檛 done this in many, many years.B次元官网网址�
For the joint effort, the navy members operated the small boats or served as divers on hand for any rescues.
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e exercising what would be considered a real world operation,B次元官网网址� said Comm. Bryan Price of HMCS Discovery. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 the kind of skills development that weB次元官网网址檒l use almost every day, whether weB次元官网网址檙e employed overseas or domestically.B次元官网网址�
Exercise Cougar Gauntlet offered the navy reservists real world training as well as a chance to work with other members of the armed forces. The members are mainly based in Victoria and Esquimalt, through Price said they come from St. JohnB次元官网网址檚, N.L., to Victoria.
B次元官网网址淔or our sailors, itB次元官网网址檚 a great opportunity to practise our skills and learn a new set of skills,B次元官网网址� he added.
Other aspects of training in Comox included using ammunition and explosives, setting up tents, building sandbag walls, digging trenches and conducting work-up drills.
mike.chouinard@comoxvalleyrecord.com
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