March 24, 1996

As downsizing continues, they play key role in Canadian Forces - more money and job protection is in line for them

BORIS SPREMO /TORONTO STAR

INTO TUNNEL: Corporal Steve Robinson practises how to launch assault through tunnels and sewers.

CAMP BLANDING, Fla. - A platoon of Canadian troops is hunkered down in a abandoned two-story house, the staccato sound of machine fire and thunder of exploding grenades echoed outside.

But the rifles and the explosives are fake, part of a mock military exercise here involving more than 500 of Ontario's arm reserve.

It's dubbed Exercise Southern Strike and it looks like the real thing, with soldiers in full combat gear gingerly negotiating their way around circular tumbleweed-like mounds of sharp razor-wire.

The war games at the Florida National guard training reserve an hour's drive south of Jacksonville, come at a time when Canada, described in last year's federal commission report on restructuring in the reserves as an "unmilitary nation," is on the verge of downsizing its army, both regular full-time members and reserves.

A recent federal white paper has called for large reductions to the 12,000 Canadian reserve members that include army, navy and air force. Canada's regular forces total about 70,000.

BORIS SPREMO /TORONTO STAR

TAKING AIM: Two get ready to fire during a training exercise.

Last year's commission report on restructuring recommended an overhaul of the reserves - part-time members of the Canadian Forces - but called for more money and job protection for them, and that they be given more of a sense that they play a key role in the Total Force.

For years reservists have been viewed by some, especially full-time soldiers, as "weekend warriors," a stigma laden with assumptions that they are second-rate soldiers. Many reservists are students or people with full-time jobs.

They train mostly once a week. But many have been called on in wartime to augment regular forces, most recently on missions overseas in places like the former Yugoslavia.

For example, under the former United Nations Protection Force that served in the former Yugoslavia for about 3½ years until January, about a quarter of each Canadian unit there consisted of reserves. Their duties included infantry, services support and supply work, says Captain Marc Bossi, a Canadian Army spokesperson here with the Land Force Central Area.

Major-General Bryan Stephenson, commander of the entire reserve and regular force army in Ontario, and who was on hand here for the reservists' training, says the exercise at Camp Blanding - the third year the centre has hosted it - is held in part to do away with some of the negative impressions of the reserves.

"There's a tremendous amount of apprehension out there, a feeling that the reserves might not be held in as high regard as they should be. I think an exercise like this... (helps to) maintain, restore and increase confidence in their abilities to be able to plan, conduct and train at a high level, " Stephenson says.

"The reserves are the country's best insurance

BORIS SPREMO /TORONTO STAR

IN POSITION : Two soldiers in the trench are "dead" during the military exercise on Florida reserve.

policy. We have to have backups. We (Canadians) have a small army. We are stretched to the limit in terms of the number of operations we can undertake simultaneously. The reserves provide that," he points out.

"We know from our experience in peacekeeping operations that with a three-month pre-training period before deployment we can bring these reservists up to the standard we need in full combat battalion or company situation," Stephenson added.

He pointed out that no final decision on downsizing the reserves has been made, but Defence Minister avid Collenette has been visiting reserve units across the country to gain impressions of what reservists do and their worth to Canada.

"We are trying to make the reserves more efficient and cost-effective. We are examining every component of the costs of our units," Stephenson adds.

The 29,565-hectare training site here is host to four regiments from Ontario: the Toronto based Royal Regiment of Canada, The Royal Hamilton Light Infantry, The Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment from Belleville, and The Lincoln and Welland Regiment from St. Catharines.

The trip cost about $500,000 in public money, most of which - about $400,000 - goes to salaries for the reservists' training. About $30,000 goes toward the use of the camp.

As they train they are given instructions from about 100 Canadian regular force soldiers on how, for example, to effectively fight in built-up areas, how to enter and "clear" buildings of enemy fighters, or the best way to lob grenades.

Major Kevin Robinson, another full-time soldier here, recently spent a year in Croatia with Canadian peacekeepers, a number of whom were reservists. "Most of those guys, if they attempted to get into the regular force would be good soldiers," he says, recalling reservists served alongside him.

Regular force soldiers have been known to look down on reservists, but Robinson says that didn't happen overseas when he was there. "There was no 'us versus them' mentally," he adds.

Corporal Brad Blower, 21, a reservist from Belleville, was in Croatia from October, 1994, to last May. While there his duties included searching for weapons caches. Many of the residences there were booby-trapped. He carried a machine gun. Like Robinson, Blower says there were no divisions. "everyone was treated the same way."

 

BORIS SPREMO /TORONTO STAR

IN POSITION : Corporal Brad Blower takes up his position.

As pert of their training in Florida the reservists have spent a gruelling five days roughing it by sleeping outdoors, drinking from canteens, eating army rations, carrying their rucksacks over roughly 48 kilometres, and using outdoor "port-o-lets" when nature calls. They've prepared for the final phase of Southern Strike which involves taking Smithville, a section of Camp Blanding that contains actual abandoned houses to simulate a war zone.

The houses, the reservists learn, are being defended by the regular force soldiers. Referees are chosen from among the ranks, and their role is to judge who is "killed" during the war game. A whistle and a crack of gunfire signal the start of the game.

Corporal Stuart Philip, a reservists from Toronto who wants one day to go to Haiti or the former Yugoslavia as a peacekeeper, says the week in Florida reminds him that he still has a lot to learn about soldiering.

 

"Most of those guys, if they attempted to get into the regular force would be good soldiers"

"I don't have enough experience yet. I need to get more fit, and learn skills so they so they come automatically," Philips, who teaches military history part time, says after a referee determined he had been killed. After about two hours, the game ends with more causalities on the reserves side than the regular forces. The reserve stand at attention in the hot noon-day sun as they are congratulated for their efforts by Stephenson.

He says many of them may be called on to do peacekeeping duties with the Canadian Forces. "You have learned very clearly the value of teamwork, the value of leadership and the value of rapid reactions to changing situations," the major-general says.

And for the reservists, after a tough week in the field it's time for a hot bath and rest.

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