Defence Team News: Ex MOBILE RANGER
Video / March 22, 2023
Transcript
MCpl Crawford: It's been a lot of learning. Not just about how to survive in this environment, but they bring their culture in with everything they do, and making sure that our operations up here aren't just going to achieve the training objectives, but are going to be sustainable and bring proper respect to the environment.
Narrator: The 3rd Canadian Ranger Patrol Group recently completed Exercise MOBILE RANGER throughout Northern Ontario, including the Hudson Bay, James Bay and inland regions of the province. The Rangers tested their survival skills and operational capabilities in very cold, remote locations. Participants practiced winter fieldcraft skills such as ice rescue techniques, ice fishing, winter road logistics and operating C-19 service rifles.
Maj McNeil: MOBILE RANGER is an exercise designed to enhance the winter capability of the Canadian Rangers from all across Northern Ontario. The majority of the Patrols are actually participating in this exercise, as well as members of the Canadian Brigade Groups, Mechanized Brigade Groups, and the Division Training Centre. We have personnel that are Rangers as well as Junior Canadian Rangers participating in the activities. We'll be focusing on survival activities and just living in the cold environment.
Rng Rickard: Because of the low temperatures, -35 degrees some days, we had to collect a large amount of firewood. Part of the daily routine was for our group of Rangers to look for firewood -Find dried trees, cut it up, transport it, and chop it up into smaller pieces at the camp. I had also done a lot of behind-the-scenes tasks before, during, and after this exercise, which greatly improved my skills in being a logistical support to some degree. I liked the fact that we had many participants at the Moose Factory location. We had around 45 people at the lodge at one point. We usually don't have this many Rangers at one location during regular training events. It was nice seeing other Rangers from other Patrols as well. We also had "Reg Force" soldiers – we call them green soldiers from down South. This was a unique opportunity to interact with people that we never get a chance to. To learn from them, and to teach them the way of the North.
Maj McNeil: The Primary Reservists have participated in the exercise as a means of building a better understanding of the Canadian Rangers, and what they do in the North. This better prepares them for potential Arctic operations, cold weather operations, whether it be in Canada or abroad.
Cpl Cleverly: So, we spent a few days, three days, doing cumulative training to our final training exercise, where we were left in the wilderness for 24 hours. Those three days consisted of how to get food..so ice fishing, and bushcraft skills. And just general knowledge of the land. On our final FTX, we were divided into teams, dropped off on an island, and we had to survive the night for 24 hours. And in that process, we had to build an improvised shelter using our natural resources around us, and some general tools allotted that we had in our survival kit. And with that, you could build a multitude of shelters, from a lodge to a lean-to, to something very basic. And you wanted to use the natural elements of the land to your best ability. And it was a really good time. You learned a lot, and there was a lot of exchange of knowledge between both the green Army and the Canadian Rangers.
MCpl Crawford: Working with the Canadian Rangers has been an amazing experience in learning about interoperability with different organizations. They're the subject matter experts for not just doing search and rescue operations, but on the land that we're operating in, especially up here in the North.
Maj McNeil: When it comes to ground search and rescue in the North, the Rangers are people in the community that have vested interest in saving some of their community members, or other personnel. Over the last year, we have participated in approximately 34 searches, resulting in 44 lives saved.
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