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www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver Weekend, Saturday August 25, 2007 - 17 Boredom turns to chaos in the blink of an eye Continued from page 16 carry out the excruciatingly difficult task of watching their feet for mines while simultaneously keeping an eye out for the enemy. The fact that Canadian Forces Base Wainwright allows the cows of nearby farmers to graze all over the base's terrain also presents the engineers with additional obstacles to avoid. "I took cover the other day and crawled right through a pile of cow crap," said Pesch. After what seems like hours of searching, the engineers are still no closer to completing their mission. They have several false alarms where a metal object in the ground turns out to be garbage, but no mines. "You have to grip it fast because today's find is tomorrow's IED. They'll use anything. they're very resourceful. They'll make an IED out of a cellphone battery." Master Warrant Officer Brad Montgomery Finally, the Master Corporal radios back to get clarification on where the mines are, but the answer he receives sends a wave of anger and frustration over the entire section. "Command gave us the wrong grid coordinates," said Corporal Raeid Ishoop, who works for Honeywell Airport Systems in Oakville. The engineers not happy; a few choice words are used to describe a few choice officers. Others point out that this is not the first time something like this has happened and argue the military does not take them as seriously as it does the infantry. The situation is made worse by the fact that no time is left to find and detonate the mines, leading to intense disappointment among the engineers, many of whom say they had been anticipating blowing something up. However, despite the disappointment, the training continues and the engineers leave the area to meet with course instructors to discuss the importance of dealing with unexploded ordinance. The instructors explain that when explosives are found security must be assigned to them to keep away civilians. They note that it is a good idea to consult the locals before detonating the mines because the area could be someone's crops or it could be a graveyard. In either case, it might be better to move the explosives elsewhere if possible. More than anything, the instructors noted that unexploded ordinance needs to be located and dealt with as soon as possible because in Afghanistan the Taliban are looking for these things, too. "You have to grip it fast because today's find is tomorrow's IED," said Master Warrant Officer Brad Montgomery. "They'll use anything. They're very resourceful. They'll make an IED out of a cellphone battery." As the convoy headed back to the base, the engineers were still reeling from the disappointment of the last mission, but their day was not nearly over, yet. A huge boom brought the convoy to a stop followed by the intense crackle of automatic weapons fire. "Ambush!" someone yelled as the engi- If the laser hits the sensors on the vests and helmets, worn by every soldier in the exercise, the system recognizes that the soldier was shot. If the hit was fatal, an alarm in the soldier's vest goes off, which will not stop until the soldier lies down on the ground. If injured, the computer in the vest tells the soldier what kind of wound they have. If the wound is serious, the soldiers are informed how long they have to live if treatment is not received. This injury then gets worked into the scenario, as other soldiers may have to tend to the wounded and get them evacuated. The Global Positioning Systems in these vests allow the instructors back at the base to see the battle as it unfolds, so they can discuss the outcome with the soldiers later. However, the advanced $100-million system is not without flaws. The laser cannot penetrate things that bullets can, such as brush. During the ambush involving the engineers, the system recorded the deaths of five Canadian soldiers and two insurgents. Following the battle, the survivors of the convoy returned to base where the engineers were praised for their actions during the attack. "Although the situation was chaotic, it could have been a lot worse," said the Sergeant. As if all this were not enough for one day, upon return to base the engineers were almost immediately caught up in a scenario in which an IED had detonated in a crowded marketplace wounding both soldiers and civilians. "I know a lot of people are going overseas, myself included, and this is a really good opportunity to see what it's really like and what the different trades do. We really don't get a chance to work together that much, so it's a good opportunity." Sapper Ramona Pesch DAVID LEA / OAKVILLE BEAVER TRAINING EXERCISE: Sapper Louis Chow comforts a fellow Canadian soldier suffering from mock injuries sustained during a mock IED detonation in a crowded marketplace. Chow and other members of the 32 Combat Engineer Regiment served as stretcher bearers and provided security as wave after wave of casualties were brought in by helicopter. neers threw themselves out of the vehicle and into the fight. As their vehicle was again the last one in the convoy, some engineers had to stay behind and provide rear security. Others made their way to the front of the convoy where an IED had knocked a vehicle out of commission. A firefight was now taking place between the reservists and other Canadian soldiers playing the role of the Taliban. "Me and Williamson bounded up to hold the right side. An insurgent came out from the tree line so we took him down," said Sapper Matt Copland, a Toronto resident who is in the process of joining the regular forces. "Straight in front of us in the tree line were all the insurgents firing at the trucks, keeping the soldiers' heads down. So, Champion provided cover fire, while me and Williamson ran across the road where we proceeded to throw grenades and fire at them until the friendlies were able to run through the tree line." This mock battle was made all the more real by the fact the military is now employing a new Weapons Effects Simulation (WES) System in the training of its soldiers at Wainwright. Previously, the military used an umpire, who would watch a battle and determine who probably lived or died. Now, the WES System definitively tells instructors if a soldier was hit and whether the wound was severe, not severe or fatal. In the exercise, each rifle and machine gun is equipped with a noise sensitive laser, which engages when a blank round is fired from that weapon. The laser goes where the soldier is aiming. The engineers were now tasked with bringing the wounded from a nearby helipad to an ambulance, but not before searching the wounded civilians for anything dangerous. Over the next 30 minutes, wave after wave of wounded were brought in by helicopter, many bearing deep `bloody' gouges to the face from flying shrapnel. The wounded civilians screamed for family members who were also wounded in the blast. As the Canadian soldiers searched the wounded, they assured them everything was going to be okay and that their injured family members were nearby. After the rush of casualties was over, the exhausted engineers retired to their tent for a promised rest period and some food. The brief pause provided some with the opportunity to reflect on the exercise. "I think it's actually a really good learning experience," said Pesch. "I know a lot of people are going overseas, myself included, and this is a really good opportunity to see what it's really like and what the different trades do. We really don't get a chance to work together that much, so it's a good opportunity." See You page 18