CAF Deployed to Romania for Exercise SARMIS

Last week the Canadian Armed Forces deployed approximately 190 soldiers from 3 RCR, based out of Petawawa, Ontario to Romania to take part in Exercise SARMIS, which runs from May 15, 2015 to June 6 2015.

SARMIS, part of the larger OP REASSURANCE, is a multinational exercise focused on developing interoperability between NATO Allies. Canada is participating with units from Romania, the United Kingdom, and the United States at the Land Forces Combat Training Centre in Cincu, Romania.

Members of the 3 RCR at the Drawsko Pomorski Training Area in Poland. April 2015.
Photo: OP Reassurance/Land Task Force - CF Combat Camera

3rd RCR & Ex MOUNTAIN WARRIOR in Poland

DND revealed yesterday that approximately thirty-five (35) members of the 3rd Battalion of the Royal Canadian Regiment (RCR) based out of Petawawa will be participating in Exercise MOUNTAIN WARRIOR in Trzclaniec, Poland throughout the month of April.

The 3rd RCR is joining in on this exercise with our Polish NATO ally to better develop our mountaineering expertise, says the news release from DND. The exercise will further promote interoperability, collective training and overall operation proficiency.

Exercise MOUNTAIN WARRIOR is a training exercise held every year, hosted by Poland's 25th Air Cavalry Brigade Reconnaissance Company. They regularly operate in the mountain regions, high altitudes and cold weather environments. This training will help prepare Canadian troops for operations in mountainous regions, high altitudes and extreme weather conditions that are usually only found in mountain regions. Each soldier will traverse steep mountain passes while carrying 25kg of cold weather gear and other survival kit.

Canada in Iraq: Possible Increase in CAF Deployment

Members of Op IMPACT carry the flag draped casket of Sgt. Doiron in Kuwait
on March 9 2015. Photo; CF Combat Camera

Canada's current mission in Iraq is set to expire April 7 2015, but no one expects Canada to withdraw from Operation IMPACT at that point. Defence Minister Kenney and Foreign Affairs Minister Nicholson both have said on the record that Canada is in the fights against ISIS for the long run. Even the Prime Minister has said Canada will not sit on the sidelines.

As the Conservative Cabinet gets to planning Canada's expected extension to the mission the consideration of deploying more Special Forces trainers to Norther Iraq is being considered. The Special Forces regiment in Petawawa has said they are ready for whatever the government asks of them, and are able to deploy quickly as the supply chain is already in place.

It was released yesterday that members of Canada's secret JTF2 group recently finished a tour in Northern Iraq before being replaced by the Special Forces Regiment out of Petawawa.

Col. (Ret) Day, former commander of JTF2, said yesterday that he wants to see an increase in the mandate of the mission, calling for Canada and other Western nations to allow their Special Forces to 'Manhunt' ISIS leaders, financiers, and supply coordinators.

Australia recently announced an increase of 300 soldiers headed to Iraq. So Canada might likely follow suit, or they could keep the status-quo.

Another option being considered is expanding the Air campaign into Syria, and the RCAF says they are ready for whatever the government asks them, but all decisions will be made by the government.

3rd RCR Off To Poland

A MI-8 helicopter flies over CAF members and the 6th Polish Airborne and
the 173rd American Airborne in joint training in July 2014.
Photo: CF Combat Camera, Cpl Mark Schombs. 

Some 125 members of the 3rd Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment left Petawawa on Monday for Poland.

The soldiers are headed to Poland as part of Operation REASSURANCE, where they will spend the next three months on a training mission with other NATO nations, including the Polish military. The training will focus on inter-operations between forces.

This is the second deployment to Eastern Europe under Op. REASSURANCE. Members from Petawawa deployed last year as well, under the NATO training plan.

Canadian Spec. Ops wrap up in Malaysia

Canadian Special Forces members have been in Malaysia, helping train Malaysian special forces for a while, and the closing ceremonies for the training mission where held on February 19th 2015.

These training missions have been the go to for the Canadian Special Forces Regiment (CSFR) in recent years, training in; Mali, Niger, Jamaica, Belize, Kenya, Jordan, Afghanistan, and most recently in Iraq. The CSFR is considered one of the best in the world for what they do. CSFR included the Petawawa based regiment and JTF2 just outside Ottawa.

Malaysian forces have been invited, and are currently in Canada, training in Cold weather operations and techniques.

A rotation of training exercises between Canada and Malaysia will continue for the next two years.

CAF and Exercise Unified Resolve

DND released information yesterday on Exercise UNIFIED RESOLVE 2015, which is taking place in Valcartier, Quebec, home of 5 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group.

Approximately 550 Members of the 2nd Canadian Division (all part of 5 CMBG) and part of 2 CMBG (Petawawa) along with British Army Troops are training in Simulated environments as part of UNIFIED RESOLVE 2015.

The exercise is running from February 10 through February 27 2015. It is a key step in the training cycle and Road to High Readiness, part of the CAF's policy.

The training is specific to helping train command and control capabilities of an Army Brigade. Participants are using computer-generated scenarios which simulate realistic and complex situations including attacks and mobile defense.

The original release can be read here:

http://news.gc.ca/web/article-en.do?mthd=index&crtr.page=1&nid=933909