Defence Team News Interview with LCol Scott Burke on Ex BEAVER CROSSING
Video / January 04, 2023
Transcript
Genevieve Germano: Canadian Army Reservists from 31 Combat Engineer Regiment, The Elgins, 31 Service Battalion and 2 Military Police Regiment recently wrapped up Exercise BEAVER CROSSING in Shedden, Ontario. Today, we're joined by Lieutenant Colonel Scott Burke, Commanding Officer of The Elgins, to tell us more. Can you give us an overview of Exercise BEAVER CROSSING?
LCol Burke: Yes, "Ex" BEAVER CROSSING was a bridging exercise. This type of bridging exercise is really important to us as engineer reservists. This type of exercise allows us to maintain and enhance our skills in water crossing operations, specifically the planning, preparation, execution… Those types of operations.
Genevieve Germano: We know that it's an important mission of the CAF to respond to natural disasters and domestic emergencies. How does this exercise relate to that mission?
LCol Burke: Very much so. Domestic operations often are involving floods and other type of situations where this type of bridging system can be put to use. So, it's very important for us to be able to maintain our skills, and to practice building this type of bridge, so that we're able to respond to the community quickly, and be able to cross any sort of gap, washed out bridge, so we can get the needed supplies to the communities.
Genevieve Germano: What key skills did the reservists learn and demonstrate that may need to be leveraged in the future to assist the Canadian Armed Forces?
LCol Burke: Canadian Army reservists, specifically engineers, they possess a lot of technical skills. They are trained in demolitions, they are trained in search, they're trained in bridging operations, as well as heavy equipment. There's a lot of skills that the engineer regiments have in the Canadian Army. And these skills are very important for domestic operations, but also to enable other combat type of operations in deployed theatre.
Genevieve Germano: Is there anything else you'd like to add?
LCol Burke: Yes, I'd like to thank 31 Service Battalion, and also 31 MP Platoon, for assisting and helping us out with this exercise. Without their help, we wouldn't have been able to do it, for sure. Also, I'd like to thank the people of Shedden, and the township of Southwold. Without them coming out and supporting us, and not only that, giving us access to the site, we wouldn't have been able to conduct this exercise.