The largest simulated war-fighting reserve exercise since 2018 is underway this week at the Canadian Armed Forces’ 4th Canadian Division training Centre in Meaford.
About 750 reservists from around Ontario are taking part in Exercise Arrowhead Guardian, and over 200 vehicles are being used in what’s designed to be an immersive combat environment as summer training wraps up for reserve forces.
The exercise tests the Army Reserve’s ability to come together quickly and conduct operations with the proper logistic support.
Cpl. Cody Misner, from Owen Sound says, “It’s enhancing our soldier skills and in our various trades, so for us it’s the infantry, fighting on the ground. The job is always changing. We’re constantly seeing developments in warfare throughout the world and this is a way for us just to keep on top of our skills.”
Misner is a member of the local reserve reserve regiment, the Grey and Simcoe Foresters, who are playing the role of the enemy in part of the exercise.
Misner explains, “We’re actually going to be fighting out of a Russian trench system– a very unique kind of design that is used in that part of the world. It’s being actively used right now in different conflicts,” says Misner, noting the trench system is being used in Ukraine.
The Arrowhead Guardian exercise allows reservist medics, infantry, signal operators, artillery, combat engineers, military police and others the chance to practice the skills necessary to support operations such as Canada’s contribution to NATO in Latvia, Operation REASSURANCE.
Bayshore Broadcasting visited the exercise Tuesday and watched reservists take part in a live-fire exercise on pop-up targets while a new, Tactical Armoured Patrol Vehicle (TAPV) fired alongside them at its own makeshift enemy vehicle target.
Other events reservists are taking part in include targeted demolitions, as well as rebuilding structures for the next group to demolish.
Reservist medics are also on site with field ambulances and medical tents to provide assistance to anyone who may need it. Medical Technician, Sgt. Joel Audet says, “We do have a lot of junior members out with us, so the training value there is immense when we have the amount of troops on the ground.” Audet says with about 750 people taking part in the exercise, medical technicians are kept busy.
Meanwhile, signal operators are running communication systems and materiel management personnel are there to ensure soldiers have all the supplies needed for the exercise.
Combat engineers, or electrical mechanical engineers, are on hand to ensure equipment is working smoothly.
Commanding Officer of the Grey and Simcoe Foresters Lt.-Col. Mike Lacroix says, “Maintainers will fix everything, from our individual pistols and rifles all the way up to the Tactical Armoured Patrol Vehicle (TAPV)…they’ll fix it all. They have all the tools, they have all the parts, they have all the expertise.” Lacroix notes they’ll also inspect equipment beforehand, including doing a pre-fire check on particularly dangerous firearms like an anti-tank weapon or a .50-calibre machine gun before they go to the range.
Soldiers participating in the exercise are mainly from the 31 Territorial Battalion Group which is primarily made up of Canadian Brigade Groups (CBG) 31 (based out of Southwestern Ontario), 32 CBG (Toronto) and 33 CBG (Eastern and Northern Ontario).
On Thursday, reservists did a large scale march in groups of 100-125, totalling 500- 600 troops, as part of the training exercise outside the training area on a number of sideroads around Meaford.
Exercise Arrowhead Guardian runs until the 27th of August.
