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KAPUSKASING, ONTARIO, Canada -- Planning a transportation mission
across more than 2,500 miles of frozen highways in a foreign country
takes a lot of coordination, hard work and cooperation between the
countries involved.
That is exactly what happened months ago
when U.S. Soldiers and Canadian Army Forces began planning exercise
Maple Caravan 15, the U.S. Army's first ever long-haul mission
across Canada. Planning for this mission began in August 2014, with
a route reconnaissance occurring shortly thereafter.
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March 16, 2015 - Canadian Army soldiers out of Canadian Forces Base Valcartier
assist Soldiers of the 619th Transportation Company, 812th
Transportation Battalion, 316th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary),
load U.S. Army Reserve M915A5 trucks with Canadian equipment as they
begin a more than 2,500-mile journey across the country of Canada in
support of Exercise Maple Caravan 15. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Jonathan Fernandez)
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“We planned everything with the Americans,” said Canadian
Army Master Warrant Officer Eric Strong, a mobile support
equipment operator for the Canadian Movement Training Center
from Canadian Forces Base Wainwright, Alberta. “This mission
has been a long time coming.”
Plans became a reality
on March 16 when Soldiers from the 619th Transportation
Company, 812th Transportation Battalion, 316th Sustainment
Command (Expeditionary), drove 11 U.S. Army Reserve M915A5
trucks from their home in Dexter, Maine, to Canadian Forces
Base Valcartier in Quebec. The mission involves moving
Canadian Army equipment more than 2,500 miles across the
country to Alberta, and involves over 320 military personnel
from both countries.
“There's been a lot of moving
parts,” said Canadian Army Sgt. Adam Frey, a traffic
technician at Canadian Forces Base Valcartier. “From
adapting to using different loading procedures with us, to
driving in different weather conditions, it's been a good
experience for the U.S. Soldiers. It's interesting to see
the American boys overcome the weather changes they faced
here.”
Two military forces from two different
countries working side-by-side is not an everyday occurrence
for these two militaries, but with great attitudes, and a
similar training and execution style, the task seemed to go
very smoothly.
“Working with the Americans is
definitely a lot easier than working with civilian
transportation contractors,” said Frey. “It has been
flawless. I've worked with the Americans a lot while
deployed and it's easy to function. I wish we could do it
more.”
Frey's insight and observations seemed to be
shared by his American counterparts as well.
“We
definitely could not have done this mission without the help
of the Canadian military,” said Staff Sgt. Michael Grant, a
squad leader with the 619th Trans. Company and native of
Milford, Maine. “Unlike driving back home, we are not as
familiar with these roads and driving laws, and there is a
language barrier that the Canadians help us overcome. They
are instrumental in the successful logistical aspect of the
mission.”
Once the vehicles were loaded, the Soldiers
hit the road receiving meal and lodging support at various
Canadian military bases on predetermined waypoints along the
route.
Canadian Army Master Cpl. Benoit Thisdel, a
medic with the 5th Field Ambulance, is one of the convoys'
medics and he has worked with American Soldiers previously
during a deployment to Afghanistan.
“Working with
American Soldiers is always a great experience,” said
Benoit. “There are a lot of similarities in our military
styles, but there are also many differences, and that's
always very interesting to learn.”
For the U.S.
Soldiers, working hand-in-hand with the Canadian troops not
only assures the success of the mission here, but gives them
experience training in a joint environment.
“Working
here has proven to be beneficial for both the Canadian
forces and the U.S. troops,” said Lt. Col. Daniel Lamb, the
future operations officer of the 103rd Sustainment Command
(Expeditionary) and native of Des Moines, Iowa. “It gives
our Soldiers a very different perspective. We are the
greatest military in the world, but we are not the only
military in the world.”
By U.S. Army Sgt. Jonathan Fernandez
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2015
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