Exercise Boreal Warrier - March 7 - 15, 2003

Capt Tim Fletcher

Canada's record of foreign deployments is perhaps unparalleled in the world, especially in support of UN and other peace-keeping and making operations. It's easy to forget the importance of our own nation and the need to assert our control over it. That's why regular northern "sovereignty exercises" are important. The Royal Hamilton Light Infantry played a key role in Exercise Boreal Warrior, the latest "sov ex" and one of the few composed mainly of Reservists.

33 Canadian Brigade Group saw a sov ex as an ideal training opportunity, and the result was Exercise Boreal Warrior, conducted from the 7th to the 15th of March, 2003. Ex Frozen Wolf confirmed the level of training for personnel prior to deployment - a crucial factor when you're sending people to the very shores of the Arctic Ocean in deep winter.

The small village of Kugluktuk was the focus of the ex, located at the mouth of the Coppermine River in Nunavut. 10 members of The RHLI took part as the only contribution from 31 Canadian Brigade Group, along with soldiers from 18 other units from five formations, including 15 Canadian Rangers, most from the Kugluktuk Patrol of 1 Canadian Ranger Patrol Group. All together, more than 70 soldiers took part, primarily from 33 CBG, including infantry, arty (FOO party), engineers, med, armoured recce, service bn and coms support from the Communications Reserve.

The small battle group flew into Yellowknife via CF Airbus, then on to Kugluktuk via small commercial flight. For the next week they trained and moved in weather which got as cold as -40 degrees. Windchill made it the equivalent of more than -50 C! Frostbite was a persistent danger. The ex involved active patrolling, culminating in a live-fire ambush. Troops built snow houses and snow OP's but lived in Arctic tents, erected in small hollows in the surprisingly rolling terrain. Transport under the guidance of the Rangers was by foot and Light Over-Snow Vehicle - LOSV - the Army name for snowmobile.

The exercise not only asserted Canadian sovereignty in conjunction with the permanent presence of the Rangers, but confirmed the ability of our soldiers, including Reservists, to operate under virtually any conditions. It also confirmed the viability of our new IECS kit under extreme climate conditions. It added yet more laurels to the deployment history of The RHLI!