GETTYSBURG AND THE RILEYS, 31 Oct - 03 Nov 08
(Lessons Learned)

Story By Capt Tim Fletcher, The Royal Hamilton Light Infantry
Photos Courtesy of Sgt Adam Hager, The Royal Hamilton Light Infantry

When we talk of war, we often think of European battlefields or perhaps today’s Afghanistan conflict.  But professional soldiers learn lessons from around the world, and one of the most renowned battlefields is Gettysburg from the United States Civil War.  Strategy, tactics, successes and errors provide valuable lessons even for today’s soldier.

A highlight of the 2008 RHLI training year was a professional development field trip to Gettysburg from October 31st to November 3rd 2008.  A mixed group of 15 officers and non-commissioned officers, in uniform, toured the 25-square mile site through the eyes of a 21st-century soldier and the tactical situation provided by several scenarios.  The syndicate was tasked as a LAV III-equipped mechanized infantry company in a defensive context.

As the CO, Lieutenant-Colonel McKee put it, “Excellent lessons were learned by all involved in regards to reverse slope defensive positions, siting positions in defilade to provide enfilade fire, as well as a biggest eye-opener, which was the mobility, observation capability and additional firepower provided by 12 LAV III vehicles in an infantry company.”

Another participant, Major Don Kennedy (now retired), was struck by one particular thought.  “What sticks in my mind is how approximately 175,000 soldiers of both sides could have fought in such a relatively small area and the great slaughter that occurred.  The soldiers marched across open fields and were mowed down by rifle fire and canister shot from cannons and did not stop until they were all killed or wounded… The trip had relevance for Canadian soldiers because these same tactics were repeated 50 years later in WW I with even more deadly weapons and consequently greater slaughter.”

While Canadian soldiers today – including many Rileys - are fighting an insurgent war in Afghanistan, they can do so because of their ability to fight in a full-spectrum conflict, employing successful lessons learned from all over.