Canadian Ranger Instructor learns while teaching others

February 7, 2021 - Canadian Ranger Lindsay Chung, 4th Canadian Ranger Patrol Group

Training others has been a big part of Canadian Ranger Instructor (CRI) Sergeant Colin Stephen's work with 4^th Canadian Ranger Patrol Group (4 CRPG), and over the past year, he had the opportunity to train foreign militaries as part of Operation REASSURANCE in Eastern Europe.

Sgt Stephen recently returned to Vancouver Island after spending 12 months overseas working as a Tactical Activities Team Leader with Task Force Latvia.

“This position had me leading a small team in the planning and conduct of reconnaissance missions, face-to-face engagements and mentorship of the host nations’ forces,” he said. “My duties also included acting as a liaison with United States Special Operations and United States Special Forces.”

This was Sgt Stephen's first deployment. The opportunity came about based on his qualification as a Psychological Operations Tactical Operator.

“I had done pre-deployment work-up training as a Tactical Psychological Team Commander and had proven to members of the influencing activities community that I was competent in the trade craft and tactical skills,” he said.

Sgt Stephen says while he was overseas, he most enjoyed working with the Canadian Armed Forces' U.S. partners in the training and mentorship of various military and paramilitary actors within Latvia.

The most interesting thing he learned while deployed was how to fabricate jungle antennas using equipment they could buy in various stores while they were taking part in radio training with the United States Special Forces.

“These antennas enabled us to communicate over 35 kilometres with a hand-held radio with zero disturbance,” he said.

Working as a Canadian Ranger Instructor

While overseas, Sgt Stephen noticed parallels between his work as a Tactical Activities Team Leader and his work at home as a CRI with 4 CRPG's British Columbia Company (BC Coy).

“Training foreign militaries and para-military organizations is very similar to training and working with the Canadian Rangers,” he said. “Both groups come to training with a vast variety of training and competencies, which causes you as the instructor to be flexible with your teaching method and adapt to each student.”

Sgt Stephen was brought in as a Canadian Ranger Instructor a few months prior to his deployment, but he has been with 4 CRPG for nearly four years.

“I was originally hired into 4 CRPG to assist in the implementation of the C19 rifle,” he said. “This position had me working very closely with CRIs from across the 4 CRPG Area of Responsibility. Seeing the roles the instructors had and the opportunities within the Rangers that were present, I knew it was something I wanted to pursue. The challenges and exercises Canadian Rangers face are completely different from the conventional Army and my background in artillery. Working in obscure environments and relying on diverse local knowledge was a key factor in my pursuit to become a CRI, and I was supported in that pursuit by the leadership within BC Coy.”

Before deploying to Latvia, Sgt Stephen was a CRI on Exercise NORTHERN LIGHTS in November 2019 in northern British Columbia, when members of the Australian Army's North-West Mobile Force (NORFORCE) trained with the Canadian Rangers.

“That was really cool, working with the foreign military and teaching them some basic survival and winter indoctrination,” he said. “We did a mobile exercise up north of Smithers where we went to an area called The Microwave, and we put them through a land navigation on snowmobile, snowmobile training, and taught them how to set up winter tents and do some wilderness first aid. It was a great time.”

Looking forward to a new role within 4 CRPG

Sgt Stephen has recently been re-assigned, and will become the Operations Sergeant for BC Coy, starting in May 2021 following his post-deployment leave.

“Now we have a bunch of new CRIs, so I'm going to be moving there to focus on co-ordination and building of SOPs,” he said. “I'm looking forward to it.”

Sgt Stephen says in this new role, he will still be able to go out with the Ranger Instructors and their patrols so he can learn various parts of the organization while helping move it forward.