Hundreds of Canadian Army Reserve soldiers from across Ontario and beyond participated in concurrent infantry and artillery exercises at 4th Canadian Division Training Centre in Meaford last week.
The sprawling training areas offered realistic and demanding terrain and tested the troops on a simulated battlefield, where soldiers and leaders had the opportunity to hone their skills. Exercise STEEL RAIN (Ex SR) saw gun crews firing live ammunition from multiple howitzer cannons, and Exercise ARROWHEAD GUARDIAN (Ex AG) was a concentration of soldiers practicing infantry maneuvers and tactics. A live-fire mortar course shared the training area at the same time.
Ex AG included nearly 200 Canadian Army Reserve personnel from 31 Canadian Brigade Group, with composite line companies formed with troops from infantry units across Southwestern Ontario. Ex SR, led by 56 Field Artillery Regiment, RCA, of Brantford included a similar number of personnel from across Canada, and served as the culmination of multiple 4th Canadian Division and national-level artillery courses. Both exercises included critical support elements like signalers, truck drivers and mechanics.
For more photos, pick up next week’s (September 8) print edition of The Meaford Independent.
