Global Television

Recruit 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. The new recruits would spend 6 weeks in tents in Blackdown Park at Canadian Forces Base Borden. Maj. Merrill said that want he found fascinating was watching the transformation that took place as the individual soldiers blended together into teams. How they grew as individuals and develop group self-confidence. Capt Roberts suggested to Jim that this was a marketable media story. So he called John Darby, a Senior Report with Global Television, after a discussion Mr. Darby said he had commitments that would prevent him from covering the training period. He turned the story idea over to another reporter, Bill Trbovich. Mr. Trobvich visited CFB Borden three times and filed three long reports.

His first visit was on June 30th, the day that recruits from across the province reported for training. With Maj. Merrill's help, and because of anticipated attrition, five recruits were identified for Global to track. The second report took place midway through the course. At the last minute, and on the same day, Roberts was tasked to escort a television crew from NHK Japan who where in Canada to record scenes of Canadian soldiers doing basic training also at CFB Borden. The Japanese government was considering amending your constitution to allow Japanese troops to serve outside the country. Because of impending vote in the "Diet", NHK Television was producing a documentary on how other countries train their soldiers. So a colleague, Capt Ellis Landale, shepherded Bill Trbovich during his second visit. In the middle of a downpour in the training area the two camera crews bumped into each other. Mr Trbovich did not have a raincoat so Roberts loaned him his which he wore while conducting interviews.

Maj Jim Merrill in one of the several interviews he did	Bill Trobvich wearing Roberts' raincoat while interviewing Pte Cindy Suurd during camouflage and concealment training

Brigadier-General Lewis MacKenzie taking the salute at the graduation parade

The final report was recorded on graduation day. Of the five targeted soldiers, one had quit, one came down with pneumonia, and the other three were graduating. Bill Trbovich conducted interviews with them and Maj Jim Merrill. Brigadier-General Lewis MacKenzie, the Deputy Commander of Land Force Central Area (the army in Ontario), took the salute at the graduation parade. This was shortly before he was deployed to the former Yugoslavia on very short notice. Approximately 1,100 new recruits paraded in front of their friends and families after successfully completing their training.

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