Joint Task Force North members selected for the Commander's Advisory Team conduct snowmobile and winter indoctrination training on Long Lake last week. The training included group travel by snowmobile, navigation and living on the land in Arctic tents. - JTFN photo |
Armed forces train on cold terrain
Members spend a night on frozen Long Lake
Evan Kiyoshi French
Northern News Services
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Master Bombardier Nathaniel Phillion said he didn't grow up dreaming of spending nights shivering in a tent with a bunch of guys on the frozen water of Long Lake.
The Joint Task Force North (JTFN) member spent two days last week showing the ropes of winter warfare to ten members - soldiers, sailors, and airmen - selected for the Commander's Advisory Team.
"They're going to learn how to sleep out in the cold," he said, while helping navy Lt. Rob Davenport attach a pair of snowshoes to his boots.
"Trying to manipulate everything with your gloves on is a pain," said Master Warrant Officer Elick Pau, who is originally from
Vancouver and was posted to Yellowknife this year.
Having spent a morning zooming around the trails the group arrived at their camp site - a sheltered bay on Long Lake. After figuring out how to attach their snowshoes they began stamping down snow for their 10-man tent. Maj. Raymond Chiasson - who has already passed winter indoctrination - said forces members typically jump at the opportunity to get into the field.
"It's a welcome challenge. You're out of the office," he said. "Most people in the military enjoy being out of their comfort zone."
Chiasson grew up in Halifax, spent 20 years in the army and arrived in Yellowknife in August. He said he initially wanted to follow his dad in the air force but poor eyesight put a stop to that.
"As far as postings go - in Canada - Yellowknife is tops."
Soldiering in Yellowknife means sleeping on the snow, and Chiasson said JTFN members know all the best tricks.
"Typically you don't get 10 people sleeping in (the tent) at one time," he said. "There's one guy awake at all times, keeping the fire going. So if somebody is out on patrol there's always hot water and hot food going.
"I've been in smaller tents for three guys where you can literally wake up and light a candle - a large candle - and a half-hour (later), it's warm. You can get out of your sleeping bag in a T-shirt and shorts with something on your feet."
He said the members posted to other detachments around the territory come to Yellowknife to clear their winter indoctrination course.
"Two weeks ago we had guys from both Nunavut and Whitehorse," he said. "We do basic winter warfare. We'll have a tent group, you'll have essentially all the equipment you'll need for a section of guys to live out in the these types of situations. We'll give them this foundational level of training and exposure. Tonight they're learning to set up the tents and how to use our stoves."
The stoves are fuelled by naphtha gas and would help to prepare ration packs, said Phillion, adding he moved to Yellowknife from Brandon, Man., in 2013. Having laid out their tent, Phillion demonstrated how to drill holes for the pegs using an ice drill.
Capt. Glenn Mowat said he was along for the ride during the exercise, keeping an eye on directions given by Phillion.
"It's been a good team-building experience," he said. "(Snowmobiling) in this really thick snow is like swimming ... it's like diving in ocean water in some of the really thick snow. It's beautiful here. There's more lakes and trails than I can keep track of."
