Canadian Rangers James Mullins, Jerome Miseralak, Leo Mimialik, Shelia Kadjuk, Kelly Kadjuk, Ralph Simik and Michael Lapoint (instructor), back row from left, and Solomon Ford, Glen Brocklebank and Barney Aggark, front row from left, conduct their annual land skills training program on the land near Chesterfield Inlet this past month. - photo courtesy of Ana Leishman |
Improving skills on the land
Chesterfield Inlet Rangers conduct
annual exercise program
Darrell Greer
Northern News Services
Wednesday, June 10, 2015
CHESTERFIELD INLET
Members of the Canadian Rangers Chesterfield Inlet Patrol completed their annual Type I training exercise on the land this past month.
The Chester Rangers travelled to an area on the land where they'd never patrolled before to conduct the exercise.
During the nine-day excursion, the Rangers trained in GPS, map and compass navigation, learned how to properly set up a landing strip on the land and took a number of first-aid courses.
The patrol also worked with the Junior Rangers and did a number of sports activities with the younger members, and then worked the infield of Chester's annual cross-country snowmobile race, towing machines back to the community and providing first-aid services to the racers.
Both the senior Rangers and Junior Rangers received new uniforms.
Glen Brocklebank has been a Ranger for the past 12 years in Chesterfield Inlet.
He said the May training exercise went exceptionally well.
"Barney Aggark is a really, really good sergeant, and he identified some good challenges for us," said Brocklebank.
"He looked at areas we had fairly proficient skills in and then he looked at areas where we needed a little work.
"He issued me a challenge to find a grid co-ordinate on a map and then get us from one point to another nine miles away on the land without using a GPS.
"I didn't get us there, but I got us close and he gave me some tips to improve my skills and encouraged me all the way."
Brocklebank said he had never been challenged on the land in that manner before, and it was comforting to know he had a section of Rangers following behind him.
He said he thoroughly enjoyed and learned a lot from the experience.
"This was the most beneficial activity I've ever done on the land, Rangers or otherwise.
"For me, personally, it was a fantastic experience.
"We also worked on search-and-rescue techniques and everything we learned on the land we practised on the way back to the community.
"We put everything together that we'd learned from the individual classes and conducted one big exercise, and that was really beneficial to us as a patrol."
