Land Force Central Area Headquarters

Military Public Affairs

Serving at Central Militia Area Headquarters, and then at Land Force Central Area Headquarters, Roberts was one of three officers, who individually, or in a team setting, developed proactive and reactive strategies, responded to media inquiries, researched and developed background material, prepared news releases, produced video news releases, and conducted media training for senior officers. Regularly during communications exercises he played the part of a reporter. Highlights of the 10 years spent at LFCA were being sent to Cyprus in 1989, Rwanda in 1994 and Croatia & Bosnia in 1995.

Listed below are a number of exercises, operations or events that he has taken part in or initiated:

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	Canadian Forces Small Arms Competition '97	In summer of 1997, Capt Roberts was tasked to co-ordinate public affairs for the annual international military rifle and pistol competition held at the Connaught Rangers near Ottawa. Teams from the Canadian Forces, Regular, Reserve, including the Canadian Rangers, plus a team from the RCMP took part. Teams from the British, Dutch, and the United States Armies also competed. Competitions included march and shoot matches, fire and movement for both rifle and pistol, sniper, and the Queen's Medal match.
	Lippizaner Stallions savior	In the late spring of 1996, Roberts found out that a soldier was receiving a commendation for helping to save some of the world famous Lippizaner Stallions. While the officer had been serving in Croatia he was responsible for moving the horses to a safe location. Roberts convinced a doublting Chief of Staff of the headquarters that this was a viable story and should be promoted. A positive story with a photograph was published on page A16 of The Toronto Star on May 16, 1996.
	Exercise Southern Drive '96 (Florida)	In the late winter of 1995 Captain Laird Coghill of the 3rd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment, then based at CFB Borden called and asked Roberts if he would like to take part in Exercise Southern Drive '96. The exercise would be conducted in Florida between 9 - 16 March 1996.
	Repelling into Breakfast TV	In the fall of 1995 the Army Reserve units based at Fort York Armoury were planning a recruiting open house. To increase public awareness prior to the event, Roberts was asked to assist by generating media exposure.
	Operation Cavalier (Bosnia) Operation Harmony (Croatia)	In the spring of 1995 the Commander of the Army, Lieutenant-General Gordon Reay was visiting LFCAHQ. During the public affairs briefing he was shown the 3 min 42 sec Global Television double-ender interview from Rwanda. Initially, and because he had watched it at home when it was broadcast, he assumed that Global had visited Canadian troops in Rwanda. The briefer explained that LFCA Public Affairs staff had orchestrated the interview using a satellite phone. When it was explained to him how it worked, he ordered Roberts and Vilaca deployed again. This time to Bosnia and Croatia.
	Command and Staff College	From 2 to 8 February 1995 Captain Roberts took part in a Command and Staff College exercise called Stalward Warrior conducted at CFB Borden. His primary role was to provide public affairs guidance and support to the corps commander, the corps staff and the J5PA. Several times during the exercise he played the part of a reporter. The excerise was held in hanger and everyone was put up in a nuclear bunker.
	Operation Passage (Rwanda)	With only three days notice, in September 1994, Roberts and camera operator Cpl Frank Vilaca were sent to Rwanda by the Commander of Land Force Central Area, Major-General Brian Vernon. Their job was to generate some positive media coverage of the deployment of Canadian troops. Roberts and Vilaca flew via KLM from Toronto to Nairobi via Amsterdam. After spending the night in Kenya they talked their way onto a C-130 UNAMIR flight heading to Kigali.
	Canada Remembers Parade	In the planning period leading up to the the June 30, 1994, Canada Remembers Parade, Roberts was seconded to Toronto Militia District Headquarters (now 32 Canadian Brigade Group) in support of the celebrations. He was assigned to co-ordinate media activities at HMCS Haida where all parade participants would assemble for a service after marching through downtown Toronto.
	International Auto Show	In December 1993, Roberts was tasked to provide assistance to DND display at the International Auto Show being held at the Skydome in Toronto. LFCA had been tasked with supporting the display of a General Motors built Bison AVGP.
	Remembrance Day	Roberts was part of a military public affairs team who helped co-ordinated CITY-TV's Breakfast Television coverage of Remembrance Day from several locations with MossPark Armoury in Toronto. During the 2 hour 30 minute broadcast the station aired eight live reports on Thursday November 11, 1993.
	Introduction of Warrior Training	The Commander of Land Force Central Area, Major-General Brian Vernon, wanted to institute a new standard of individual combat skills. During the winter and spring of 1993 "The Warrior" program was developed. To introduce it in the fall of 1993, MGen Vernon wanted a video produced to highlight the themes and goals of the project.
	Exercise Stalwart Providence	In September 1992 Roberts was sent to CFB Petawawa for a week to act as mock media during Exercise Stalwart Providence, this was the final exercise before the Airborne Regiment deployed to Somalia. The exercise on the Mattawa Plain beside the Ottawa River did bring to light a number of operational deficiencies.
	Central Area Concentration ' 92	This year's annual two week collective training culminated with the Change of Command of LFCA. MGen Nick Hall relinquished command to MGen Lewis MacKenzie who had just returned from Sarajevo. The day before the parade MTC Meaford received approximately one months supply of rain in one day. This caused all helicopter support and media flights to be canceled. Cpl Frank Vilaca produced a video tape of the ceremony, this was provided to, and broadcast by, CFTO-TV and CITY-TV in Toronto and CJOH-TV in Ottawa. These stations were scheduled to attend but could not because of the weather.
	Central Area Concentration '91	This two week long exercise was conducted at CFB Petawawa and MTC Meaford. It was the first year that a Winnebago was used to transport and house the broadcast video production equipment. Based on lessons learnt during the deployment in 1990, Roberts had requested a military air conditioned Command Post to prtect the equipment from heat and dust. None were available, but he was issued with a Winnebago.
	Basic Training	In the early summer of 1991, a regimental officer, Major Jim Merrill mentioned that he had been tasked for the second year in a row, to command an infantry company of 250 new recruits who were going through their basic training. He said that was fascinating watching the recruits develop into soldiers. Roberts took the story idea to Global Television, this resulted in three stories.
	Exercise Thunderbolt '91	In spring of 1991, Capt Roberts was attached to Toronto Militia District Headquarters, (now 32 Canadian Brigade Group) to plan, and implement a military public affairs plan during the lead-up period of an internal security exercise. A portion of the exercise was scheduled to be conducted in and around Toronto, with Reserve soldiers deploying into some very public areas.
	Operation Scalpel	In response to the troop buildup during Operation Desert Shield, 1 Canadian Field Hospital based at CFB Petawawa prepared to the deploy to Saudi Arabia. In February 1991, Roberts was one of several public affairs officers who escorted Toronto area media to CFB Petawawa in two Chinook helicopters for a visit.
	Electronic Field Production (EFP)	From 1990 and for six years, during summer exercises at Canadian Forces Base Petawawa, Land Force Central Area Training Centre Meaford and at Burwash, Roberts supervised a military video production team. The team recorded scenes of the exercises and provided stock footage support to visiting television news crews. This was the first time the Canadian Armed Forces had deployed a broadcast video edit suite to the field on exercise.
	Exercise On Guard '90	Annual two week collective training that was conducted at CFB Petawawa and MTC Meaford. This was the first time that complete video broadcast camera and editing system had been deployed into the field during an exercise.
	Operation Snowgoose '52 (Cyprus)	In September 1989, Roberts and former CBC reporter Allan Bonner were sent to Cyprus to produce a series of news releases on Peacekeeping operations being conducted by the 1st Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment. The visit resulted in eight video news release stories, televised Christmas Greetings from Canadian soldiers to their families, and a double-ender television interview.
	Canadian International Air Show	On Sunday 3 September 1989, Roberts was called out to assist with media inquires immediately following the mid-air collision of two Canadian Forces' Snowbird aircraft over Lake Ontario during the Canadian International Air Show.
	Royal Visit 1989	1989 marked the 50th Anniversary of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother's 1939 visit to Canada. Because Her Majesty was visiting The Toronto Scottish Regiment, Roberts started his laying out his communication plan as soon as the visit was formally announced.

On March 31, 1998, after serving for ten years to the day, and because of restructuring and down sizing at Land Force Area Headquarters, most of the class "A" positions, "Army Reserve" positions were cut. Captain Roberts was posted back to The Toronto Scottish Regiment as the Unit Information Officer.

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