Written by Capt Derrick Forsyth, PAO 41 CBG
Forty soldiers from 41 Combat Engineer Regiment (41 CER) travelled to the North Shore of Cooking Lake, January 22-24, 2016, to complete Exercise SURVIVING SAPPER, the final confirmation for the unit-run Basic Winter Warfare (BWW) course.
"Being able to operate effectively in winter conditions is an essential part of our training as Canadian soldiers," said Major Scan Nemcsok, 41 CER's Operations Officer. "The lessons learned over the course of this exercise will provide our soldiers the skills to needed to conduct operations under adverse conditions."
The aim of BWW is to provide soldiers with the skills and knowledge that will enable them to function effectively in adverse, cold conditions. Some of the tasks assessed during the exercise included tent group routine, building snow defences, how to build a fire, building and living in improvised shelters, and navigation.
It was clear from the outset the Sappers taking part in the exercise were enjoying the challenges that come with BWW training.
"It's been a busy weekend so far, but I'm learning a lot on this course," said Private Aaron Dunne, a soldier with 33 Engineer Squadron in Calgary. "Building the snow defences was pretty cool and I'm looking forward to sleeping in our improvised shelter tonight. This training has definitely made me better prepared to live and fight in winter conditions
This sentiment was echoed by Sergeant (Sgt) Dan Racette of 25 Engineer Squadron in Edmonton.
"It's been a while since the Regiment has run a Basic Winter Warfare course," said Sgt Racette. "There's a lot to learn in order to be able to be effective as a fighting unit in the cold but our guys are definitely up for the challenge; morale is high."
41 CER is Alberta's Reserve Engineer Regiment responsible for providing Engineer Support to 41 Canadian Brigade Group.
Photos by Capt Derrick Forsyth, PAO 41 CBG
