Canada on the Podium

Magazine Article / October 4, 2019 / Project number: RCAF-Excelsior-Fall-2019-02

LYON, France - The Royal Canadian Air Force’s (RCAF) team took third place [among the foreign teams] in the 20th edition of Exercise (EX) AIR RAID held from June 7 to 9 at 942 Lyon Air Base, Mont Verdun, France.

Representing the RCAF this year were five aviators (four reservists and one regular Force member) from 19 Wing Comox, British Columbia: Sergeant Stéphane D’Aragon (Team Lead); 19 Wing Air Reserve Flight Recruiter; Master Corporal Donald Miller, 19 Wing Supply Technician; Aviators Kent Gilroy and Miaya Cramb, Air Operations Support Technicians with 442 Transport and Rescue Squadron; and Aviator Dax Klea (Regular Force member), Plumbing and Heating Technician with 19 Wing Construction and Engineering.

After a 36-hour blitz, the team from 19 Wing Comox, British Columbia, composed of three Reservists and a member of the Regular Force, successfully completed the 58 tests that evaluated skills including combat techniques, first aid, marksmanship and survival, as well as their military knowledge.

"Although the tests were tough, I'm proud of myself and what we have accomplished as a team,” said Aviator Miaya Cramb, an Air Operations Support Technician with 442 Transport & Rescue Squadron. "I'd do it again tomorrow!” she added.

This year’s competition brought together 44 French teams and five foreign teams from Switzerland, Belgium, Germany, Canada, and a “foreign” team that was composed of French aviators currently serving outside of France; in total there were nearly 200 competitors. Conducted rally-style, participants were able to make the most of their military skills, theory and practice, bringing to bear their agility, endurance, and resistance to stress and fatigue. In addition to the more “classic” military challenges, some challenges were full of originality, including the tasting of insects! The whole event was an enormous undertaking, with no less than 600 people supporting the competitors throughout the exercise.

"The physical preparation and cohesion between the team members are the keys to success," explained Sergeant Stéphane D'Aragon, the RCAF Team Lead. “We must capitalize on the experience we gained during this exercise to prepare for our next participation.”

Activities like EX AIR RAID give our RCAF aviators new [and challenging] opportunities to hone their skills under pressure, to develop their abilities to work alone and as a member of a team, as well as to establish links with ─and learn from─ colleagues from other air forces.

After stating he was pleased to see that the average age of our competitors is trending downward, the commander of 942 Lyon Air Base, Mont Verdun, Colonel Arnaud Bourgignon, welcomed Canada’s continued participation, especially as it is the only team from outside of Europe.

AIR RAID 2020 will be held at France’s 125 Istres Air Base. Located in the Bouches-du-Rhône region, it is known for having the longest landing strip (at 5,000 metres) in Europe.