Army Completes STAGED RESPONSE-16

DND Press Release

Approximately 190 Canadian Army soldiers, the majority of whom were reservists, took part in a training exercise that tested their readiness for domestic operations. The Army’s annual Exercise STAGED RESPONSE 16 took place from 6 to 8 May, 2016 within several regions throughout Atlantic Canada.

Exercise STAGED RESPONSE 16 is a command post exercise under the direction of the 5th Canadian Division and focused on the challenges soldiers would face when dealing with a major disaster that might occur within the Region. The training is intended to challenge the leadership, enhance teamwork and the intellectual capacity of the 5th Canadian Division Territorial Battalion Groups – key Groups that could be deployed to support civilian authorities in the event on an emergency situation.

The ability to employ military forces in response to major emergencies in Canada remains a core part of the Canada First Defence Strategy. Exercise STAGED RESPONSE 16 provides the venue for the Canadian Army to train within realistic contemporary situations in response to disasters and emergencies that require the Canadian Army to offer support to civil authorities and other government departments.

“The Canadian Armed Forces stand ready to offer assistance in support of civilian authorities during any crisis in Canada, including natural disasters, wherever and whenever required. As we all know, major emergencies and natural disasters can happen at any time and often with very little notice or warning. For that reason, we create opportunities like Exercise STAGED RESPONSE to give ourselves a chance to test our ability to respond as quickly as possible when faced with a challenging emergency" said, Brigadier General C.J. Turenne, Commander, 5th Canadian Division

The Exercise focused on training reservists from 36 Canadian Brigade Group and 37 Canadian Brigade Group on the Force Generation process, including the Territorial Battalion Group stand-up, battle procedure, operational training, deployment and planning required in the early stages of assigned missions.