1 Ppcli Bg Book

The Palladium Post Roto XI 2002-2003

Palladium Post

1 PPCLI Battle GroupOp PALLADIUM

Rotation 11September 2002 -

April 2003

Smith.PL2


It has been an honour and a privilegeto serve as the Commander of Task ForceBosnia-Herzegovina for OperationPalladium Rotation 11. This tour was myfirst real opportunity to work with soldiersfrom the Army of the West and I would doso again in a heartbeat. The 1 PPCLI BGhas represented Canada, their Brigade andthe Army in the finest tradition expected ofCanadian soldiers serving abroad onoperations. Whether on a patrol, conductinga cordon and search operation, participatingin a SUE, executing a live fire attack on anexercise or helping a Bosnian family inneed, the soldiers of the BG haveconsistently displayed a high level ofdedication to duty and professionalismsecond to none. No matter what the issueor problem, the approach has always been

on how to get the job done. The 1 PPCLIBG has epitomized the Canadian “Can doattitude”. Consequently, the SFOR chainof command has repeatedly turned to theBG for the difficult tasks as they have hadthe confidence that the job would be doneright. That is a credit to the quality ofsoldiers and the leadership in the 1 PPCLIBG.

To each of the soldiers in the 1PPCLI BG, you can go home with yourheads held high and a sense of missionaccomplishment, for you have contributedin a real way towards helping the people ofBosnia to return to a state of peace andstability. Forty thousand Canadian soldiershave served in this region over the pasttwelve years, and twenty Canadian soldiershave paid the ultimate sacrifice. The onlyreturn on this investment is a lasting peace,and you have contributed in a real way tothe achievement of that aim. Return nowto your families and friends, who havemissed you while you have been awayserving your country. Be proud of what youhave done. I look forward to soldiering withyou again.

Colonel Pete AtkinsonCommander TFBH

Commander TFBHEnd Tour Message

Smith.PL2


We are closing out our time inBosnia on a high note having completed OPKERBEROS in February. We achievedsome excellent results, taking a largequantity of weapons off the streets andsending a message to those who wouldthreaten the safe and secure environmentthat their illegal activities are not tolerated.We had the largest weapon haul in theBrigade and we accomplished our missionin a manner that preserved our support ofthe communities and our professionalrelationships with the local police forces. Icommend you all for your efforts during theoperation.

As the tour winds down, some ofyou may be asking what our time in Bosniahas meant and whether the sacrifices madehave been worth it. While each of us will

decide these issues on our own terms, letme provide you with a few of my ownthoughts. As we discussed last August,Bosnia is a Peace Support Operation andthe theatre is very mature, meaning that thehard military tasks that generated the needfor SFOR are complete for the most part.At this moment, the main threats to Bosniansecurity are not from the entity militaryforces, but from less direct sourcesincluding crime, corruption and poverty. Inlight of this environment, we could havedone very little on this tour and been contentto remain within the confines of our camps.Yet we did not. We applied our skills andcapabilities in such a manner as tocontribute to every aspect of security in ourcommunities. Ultimately, our time in Bosniahas meant that no one was the victim ofethnic violence and that we will leaveBosnia in better shape than how we foundit.

For many of us this has been anunusual experience. While our credibilityas a military force is directly related to ourcombat skills, in practice we have had torely more on our abilities as negotiators thanas combat soldiers. We have had to contendwith changing public attitudes and gainingcooperation to maintain security ineveryday life. We must not underestimatethe complexity or difficulty of this work,nor should we consider that it has detractedfrom our stature as soldiers. Findingresolutions to problems that avoid the useof force and having the patience to allowBosnia to find its own solutions requires thesort of discipline that only soldiers canprovide. This mission, like other peacesupport operations, proves the adage that

Commanding Officer’smessage

By LCol Craig King


“peacekeepingis not the job ofsoldiers, butonly soldierscan do thejob.” Bosniawill not be thefinal operationof this sort forthe Army andwe are betterprepared forwhat the futuremay hold dueto ourexperience onthis Roto.

S o ,was it worth it?I expect thateach of us willhave our ownanswer to thisq u e s t i o n .However, asy o ucontemplateyour ownresponse, I would ask that you examine itnot from your own perspective, but fromthat of the citizens of Bosnia, and the moredisadvantaged ones at that. It is unfortunatethat we will not likely experience a directresult from the efforts that we applied inthe last six months, but when peace finallydoes return to Bosnia, and it will eventually,we will have the satisfaction of knowingthat we had a significant role in this result.

To all members of the Battle GroupI offer my congratulations and thanks forthe work you have performed throughoutthe tour. For our remaining time in theater,stay focused and be safe. It has been anhonour and a privilege for me to commandsuch a professional and capable BattleGroup.

I wish us all a safe trip home and ajoyous reunion with our families andfriends.

Lieutenant-Colonel Craig King,Commanding Officer












Foreword by theCommanding Officer

By LCol Craig King

It is a great pleasure for me to beproviding the introduction for our first issueof the Battle Group newsletter, thePalladium Post. The aim of this publicationis to provide us all with a shared awarenessof our many activities during this mission,to serve as a monthly record of ourexperiences and accomplishments, and tohave a little fun along the way. I remindeveryone that this publication is by us andfor us and will be as informative andentertaining as we choose to make it. I lookforward to seeing your many contributionsin the weeks ahead.

I am proud to say how very pleasedI am with the performance of the BattleGroup to this point in the tour. It is clearthat you arrived ready for the hard work

inherent in our mission and I regularly seeevidence of your many efforts andinnovations. Already we have gained a veryhigh reputation for our professionalismamong our colleagues in the Multi-NationalDivision, the many civilian non-governmental agencies that are operatingalong side us, and the people of Bosniaresiding in our Area of Operations. We aremaking a difference and all I can say is keepup the good work!

In closing, I will commend to youjust a couple of thoughts. Be professionalin everything you do. Our credibility isessential for success, so maintain theexcellent standard you have achieved thusfar. Pace yourselves. Our ability to maintainthe present tempo of activity will dependon people fit enough to run the long race.Finally, be safe. Know the risks inherent inyour work and take the necessary measuresto reduce or eliminate them. I want us all tocome home safely.

Enjoy this issue of the Post. I lookforward to seeing you at work in the weeksahead. Take care,

Lieutenant-Colonel Craig King


DCO’s MESSAGE

Just say know By Maj Dan Drew

As we publish this inaugural edition ofthe Battle Group newspaper, I find it fitting thatthe thrust of my message is safety first. As weall know, danger is the realm of the soldier.Traditionally our business has to do with themanagement and application of violence toconvince the other chap that he should call it aday and give up, while concurrently he is do-ing the same to us with a similar goal in mind.For Operation Palladium Rotation 11 we arebeyond the business of warfighting and areoperating in a calm environment. While wemust always be vigilant to potential threats fromterrorists and criminals, recent history showsus that our greatest threat is death or injury dueto vehicle accidents. During my last tour in1993, we were frequently exposed to shelling,sniping and direct fire. I buried two friends onthat tour, Cpl Johnny Bechard (a storeman inmy company) and Capt Jim Decoste, 2ic AdmCoy. Those young men, fathers, husbands andfellow Patricia’s, were killed in preventablevehicle accidents.

During the Second Battalion’s last tour,they managed to take everyone home safe andsound. That unit drove 1,841,780 km througha 7-month winter tour. They achieved a 1.3accident ratio for every 160,000 kms driven.Their record is proof that an aggressive safetycampaign supported by the chain of commandand all ranks will save lives and reduce inju-ries. Our driving safety motto will be “JUST

SAY KNOW.” KNOW your vehicle, KNOWthe weather, KNOW the roads and above all,KNOW your limits. We will reward safe driv-ing records and punish those who are negligent.

Speeding and dangerous driving prac-tices in this area of operations in the winter areakin to playing Russian roulette, you may getaway with it on occasion, but sooner or laterthe odds have it that you will pay the price. Idon’t think there is anyone here that would rath-er die in a ditch in Bosnia than go home andlive out a full and productive life. Moreover,we have already buried too many men who havedied needlessly; burying comrades is a heart-breaking business and one which none of usshould have to do.

So, do not accept risk on the roads, becareful, and drive safe. I look forward to hav-ing a beer with all of you back in Canada.


Editor’s Feature Unit

Above Bosnia By SLt Petra Smith

Under cloud, heavy snow and galeforce winds, a team of five soldiers works inisolation 6,900 feet above Bosnia-Herzegovina.

With a panoramic view of a hilly andmountainous countryside, painted with amultitude of fall-foliaged trees, the Gos PeakRadio Rebroadcast Team oversees not onlyradio operations but also hundreds ofkilometers.

This team works around the clock toensure radio communications for the FirstBattalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian LightInfantry Battle Group deployed in support ofOperation Palladium.

Master Corporal Ken Mullins, CorporalJordan Rankin, Corporal Adam Scott, PrivateColin Maynard and Private Edwin Torillo eat,sleep and work together in close quarters withlittle interaction with other people.

With the exception of regular re-supplyvisits and occasional meetings at Canadiancamps in Bosnia, these soldiers will worktogether twenty-four and seven until next April.

When asked about the isolation, CplScott responded, “E-mail and regular phonecalls home are great for keeping in touch withfamily and friends. Also, there’s family-likecohesion among us.”

Their days include regular shiftrotations and a strict cleaning regime. As forthe cooking, it is conducted on a volunteer basis.

The building they reside in is at the topof the mountain in an open space. Inside, thereis a small gym-like facility, a kitchen andcommon area, four bedrooms, one guest room(in case visitors get snowed in) and their dutycenter.

The route up to the Radio Rebroadcastsite is a one-lane, narrow road up the side ofthe mountain. Most of the year, snow and iceconditions make travel difficult. Travelers mustreport up to the site before beginning the trekup to ensure that no one is coming down themountain

When off-shift, the soldiers send e-mails home, read books, play computer games,watch movies or exercise in their gym area.

“As a reservist, my experience hasimproved ten-fold with an opportunity likethis,” said Pte Torillo.

“We’ve had three clear days in the lasttwo weeks,” said Cpl Rankin. “It’s like livingin a cloud, but when it’s clear the view ismagnificent.”


Charlie Company

Road trip toZgon

By: Capt Matthew Aggus

On October 15, personnel from CampDrvar made the hour and a half journey to Zgonto watchthe mine-strike re-s p o n s ed e m o n -s t r a t i o ncour tesyof BattleG r o u pHeadquar-ters. Anyexcuse tosee moreof thebeautifulterrain north of Drvar is a welcome one even ifthe view is through the plastic of an Iltis win-dow. The tiny jeep wound its way up and downthe steep slopes of the Bosnian countryside, of-fering spectacular views of the changing col-ours of autumn peppered with the contrast ofdemolished homes. The urban decay rampantaround Drvar became less and less evident aswe traveled northward; the homes seemed torebuild themselves as testimony to a countrybeginning the long process of repair. Five yearsago a dome was all that remained of the mosquenear to our demonstration, but at 3:40 p.m. thatday the air was filled with the hypnotic Mus-lim call to prayer reminiscent more of down-town Kabul than Eastern Europe.

Traffic had to be stopped during thedemonstration, but the local childrens’ curiosi-ty wasn’t. They didn’t understand a word ofexplanation, but watched both the spectatorsand the demonstration intently. A single, hag-gard and tired looking cow looked on with lais-sez faire enthusiasm during probably the mostexciting day of its entire life. Although thechildren had to be shooed away, they watchedfrom a distance as the helicopter arrived andtouched down on the main road, blowing up awhirlwind of red, yellow and brown leaves. Tothe left of the chopper stood the restored andvibrant mosque. To its right the empty husk ofan abandoned home, an image of the contrast

of ten years of time and SFOR’s influence. Asthe smoke curled up from the chimneys of theneighbourhood nearby, the Oscar-deservingperformance by one of the “casualties” seemedto be something that belonged in another place.These screams of pain may have been heardhere a decade ago, but not now. The demon-stration finished without a hitch, a bustling hiveof activity in an otherwise sleepy town.

With the demonstration finished andour lessons learned, we started our journey backto Drvar. As we traveled from town to town,the poverty and violence that seemed furtheraway in Zgon slowly came into focus throughthe window of the Iltis. Although some com-munities appear to have moved on by pushing


away past hatreds, we seemed further down theroad to recovery as we neared Drvar. As theIltis passed the ghost of a factory, its walls al-most as colourless as the smoke it spewed intothe grey sky, the bullet holes were a sharp re-minder of not only how much we’ve accom-plished but also of how much work there is stillleft to do.


Drvar Flood By Cpl Geoff Rusconi

& Cpl John Rose

The end of the first month for CCompany in Drvar finished off with a bangto put it mildly, meaning thunder, lightningand heavy rain. It rained so heavily oneevening that the drainage system (or lackthereof) was unable to handle the downpour. Since Camp Drvar sits at thebottom of a valley, all of the run offfrom the west flows right through thecamp en route to the river to the east.The ball hockey area betweenBuildings 1 and 2 quickly turned intoa pond that you could literally paddlea canoe through from one end to theother. The basement quarters inBuilding 1 gathered approximately 3-4 inches of water, flowing from oneroom to another. The platoon quartersin the infamous “Castle Greyskull”had water that rose up to the kneecapson the average size man. The hardest

hit by the flood, however, was themechanic’s bay in Building 4, as they barelyhad time to rescue what seems to be the mostimportant tool of all trades these days—thecomputer! By the time they discovered the

flooding bays, the waterhad risen inches below thecomputer keyboard in theoffice and the baysthemselves turned intocomplete mud baths. The CSM and CQ’seyes lit up as they got to dowhat it is that they do best,quickly forming workparties to stop the flowingwater from entering thebuildings, and once the rainsubsided, forming cleanupcrews to address the mess.Let’s just say the troops

found good use for familiar tools includingsandbags, brooms, mops and buckets! 1Troop engineers attempted to use theirintegral pumps to provide some relief, butto little effect.


Upon inspectionthe following day, it wasclear that a torrent of waterhad flown right through thecenter of the camp, as ap-proximately 25 of theHesco-Bastion fortificationbaskets had literally beenwashed empty. The fillfrom the baskets coveredthe road and made its wayinto the mechanic’s bay.

The fence to thewest of the camp wascovered in trash and debris that had washeddown the hill. The sewage smell lingeredfor a few days, but nothing that bleach andair fresheners couldn’t handle. A few of thecivilians, who have worked in the camp fora while, said that this was the worst flooding

that they had seen. In fact, there was a markon the wall of the mechanic’s office that dis-played the height of the water from a previ-ous flood. Our own little natural disastersurpassed that mark by several inches!

Over the course of the next coupleof days, it became appar-ent that the buldingswere not the only victimsof the floodwaters, asmost of our LAV IIIs andGrizzly Engineer vehi-cles had to have theirdrain plugs pulled toempty the vast amountsof water that had col-lected in their hulls.

It was a night to re-member and definitelymade the end of month 1in Drvar interesting tosay the least.


Safe Drivers of the Month

Cpl Boxall DGD Coy

B Sqn

Pte HoekstraC Coy

Cpl Gajowski CHAdmin Coy

Cpl Graham AD11 Fd Sqn

Cpl Desrocher SGLHQ Coy


By Lt Bill Hutchings

Lord Strathcona’s Horse(Royal Canadians)

Recce Squadronmakes a differ-

ence

The month of October for Prince ofWales Squadron was a month filled withnew experiences for some and a flashbackfrom the past for others. A large number ofthe men and women who make up thesquadron have taken part in Operation Pal-ladium in earlier rotations. For some of theveterans in the squadron this is the fifth op-portunity they have had to help the peopleof Bosnia. After a smooth handover withthe 12 Regiment Blindé du Canada (RBC)the squadron took over their squadron areaof operations (AO) as well as the AO of 7Platoon Royal 22 Régiment. With 2 Trooptaking over the largest portion of the AOfor the squadron (the entire AO of the Rec-ce Squadron of the 12 RBC) it has been avery busy period.

The squadron has yet to face the re-calcitrant locals that the pre-training hasprepared us for. The AO has been very calmand with the upcoming winter months, thereis a hope that any long lasting tensions thatexist will be cooled off. The local citizensof Bosnia for the most part have been verysupportive of SFOR in their country and feelcomfortable with the presence that is beingprovided. While on patrol the squadron isquickly discovering there is plenty of workto be completed before the mission is ac-complished. The troops are eager to get out

into the area and help the people that are inneed.

Working under normal frameworkoperations, the squadron has conducted thetasks that they have trained for includingconducting Operation Harvest and erectingvehicle checkpoints (VCP). Operation Har-vest is an ongoing program where soldiersgo door to door looking for illegal weap-ons, including automatic and semi-automat-ic rifles, grenades, mortars and a plethoraof other arms. Often this includes soldiersentering the houses of local people and con-ducting a search of the premises. These

searches have proven to be effective in thatillegal weapons have been confiscated.VCPs are erected on the major routes in theAO in the hope to curb illegal activity tak-ing place. The goal is primarily to stop il-legal transport of weapons but the soldiersare also called upon to deal with incidentsof drinking and driving.

Recently, 2 Troop was involved ina humanitarian aid project with an elderlywoman who is living in abject poverty. Thiswoman had her house destroyed during theconflict and has been left to fend for her-self. She lives in a small 8x10 foot dwell-ing where she lives from hand to mouth.12 RBC had provided aid to this woman byerecting a door on her dwelling and install-ing a window. The squadron continues tohelp in this


Life in RecceSquadron

Recce Squadron has adaptednicely to Camp Maple Leaf, located next

to the sunny townof Zgon. UnlikeAlberta there hasbeen no com-plaints of lack ofrain in this part ofthe world. Sincethe day of ourarrival this landhas been blessedwith copiousamounts of rain.

Many of thesoldiers who conduct their daily patrolhave arrived back in the camp soaked to

situation by checking in on a regular basisto ensure that everything is still goingsmoothly. Unfortunately, this is only oneof the cases that the troop has come across.Many other families are being identified aspeople in need of humanitarian assistance.

The Squadron has accepted the chal-lenge that this mission presents and in theupcoming months will strive to completethe mission to the highest of standards. Thisoperation is unlike the war fighting that wepractice in regimental life, but we haveadapted our way of conducting business andare demonstrating how Canadians can adaptand overcome to new challenges.

the bone and in need of a hot java. Themonth of October has been busy for most,getting adapted to the local climate andeven more important getting over the jetlag from the long trip.

The vehicles received a lotof TLC in the first couple of weeks,keeping both the maintainers and soldiersoccupied. CorporalNielsen claims thathe is now an experton changing Coyoteaxles with sixchanged in the sameday!

The vehiclesare coming alongnicely and look likethey will be rollingnon-stop for the nextsix months.Sergeant Montrose, Corporal Derzak, andTrooper Currie all became a year olderand two years wiser. These birthdayswere celebrated in fine cavalry fashionwith a birthday cake and not one, but twobeers with close friends. In an effort toraise money for the United Way there hasbeen a number of top lips that have baredall. Warrant Officer MacMillan (left),Warrant Officer Bamford (photo unavaila-ble), and Master Corporal Magas (right)all decided to reveal their lips to raisefunds. These “staches” have been on theirfaces longer than some of us have been inthe army….or so they say! The OfficerCommanding, Major Scott Long, and theSquadron Sergeant Major, Master WarrantOfficer Joe Ramsay, have decided that itwould be worth 400 Euros to shave theirheads and we wait to see if the price canbe collected by the end of October.

By Lt Bill Hutchings


Signals Platoon

Fog overBosnia

By Cpl Alexa Von FersonMorning breaks, and the fog rolls

in over the lush green hills that surroundus. Almost immediately the birds awakenthe valley with their melodies, and the sur-rounding township rises out of its deeppeaceful slumber. Watching over this val-ley are the soldiers of 1 PPCLI Battle Group,each of whom contribute to the overallstabilization of Bosnia and Herzegovina.Within this Battle Group, there are soldierswho possess unique skills and knowledge,assets that allow the operation to go for-ward. Some of these skilled soldiers workfor Signal Platoon.

The stars begin to fade as morningnears, causing some soldiers to yawn insist-ently as their shift comes to an end. A longquiet, somewhat frigid night at the gate fi-nally concludes with nothing more than ashot fired in the distance, and the coolbreeze chilling them to the bone. In thecommand post sits a lonely signal operator,with nothing but the phones and the radiosto entertain. Patiently this operator waitsfor the possibility of an important call, readyto act on a moments notice. These soldierswait on guard to protect the welfare of oth-ers within the Canadian area of operations;they too must take their turn.

The day continues like any other formembers of Signal Platoon, as members ofthe mobile radio rebroadcast depart on fre-quency testing projects; the technician sec-tion puts their brains together to solve chal-

lenging equipment faults. All the while,signals stores and transport work their fin-gers to the bone sourcing parts and opera-tional communication requirements for allcamps. In the background, thecryptographic facilitators work in conjunc-

tion with higher command elements to en-sure the security of our radio nets andcryptographic items. Almost invisible, highatop a mountain sit the radio rebroadcaststations, tucked away in a network of hall-ways or a damp and haunted bunker, en-crusted by snow and ice. These radiorebroadcast crews of five are the vital linkin communication coverage for the Cana-dian area of operations. Last, but not least,guarding the safety and security of the Bat-tle Group’s high ranking officers are mem-bers of the Tactical Section, who are readyto move to any location in Bosnia at a mo-ments notice.

All in all, Signal Platoon survivesthe adversity presented to it through its di-versity, where both infanteers and signalerswork together in harmony. They accom-plish each task by implementing all of theirskills in order to find the best answer tosolve the problem. With their eyes focusedand their ears trained; the soldiers of SignalPlatoon wait patiently in the morning fogto serve their country in the preservation ofpeace.


Cpl Amber Churchill

Cpl Terence Cole

Cpl Andrew Simmonds

Lt Col King & Mayor of Glamoc

Cpl Sean Markwell

Sgt Rick SmithMCpl Aaron Carson

Cpl Ryan Thomas

Sapper JarrotYates


MCpl Terry Warner

Cpl Rob Manzara

Lt Bill Hutchings

MCpl Tom Pett Honour guard in Glamoc

Cpl Shane Derzak

Lt James Dawe visits localchildren

Sgt Gerard Moores


McGill alumniserve in Balkans

By MCpl Terry Warner

How often do alumni meet on the otherside of the world? Fairly often from a big schoollike McGill. How about alumni serving in theCanadian Forces? Probably less often. Whatthen would the chances of three McGill grads,all serving soldiers, and meeting in the FormerRepublic of Yugoslavia? Pretty slim odds, butit happened.

Master Corporals (MCpl) TerryWarner, Adèle Lacoursière and SecondLieutenant (2Lt) Aida Hakirevic held animpromptu reunion at Camp Maple Leaf, nearKljuc, Bosnia - Herzegovina. No minutes weretaken. No official decisions made. No futureBosnia chapter functions are forecasted.

MCpl C.E. (Terry) Warner (BA 1982,Bishop’s), orignally from Sherbrooke, Quebeccompleted his Certificate in Human ResourcesManagement in 1992, including a pause foroverseas duty during the Persian Gulf War (’90-’91). He is a Geomatics Technician serving withTask Force Bosnia-Herzegovina in the FormerRepublic of Yugoslavia.

Upon arriving “intheatre” he met MCplAdèle Lacoursière (BA,Univ of Manitoba) acertified Dental Hygienist,an old friend from St-Hubert, Quebec. Sheearned certificates inHuman ResourcesManagement, and Healthand Social SciencesManagement throughContinuing Education. InBosnia she provided dentalservices to Canadiantroops from a mobiledental clinic mounted on a2 1/2-ton truck.

Finally, to add tothe coincidences, they met2Lt Aida Hakirevic

(B.Eng. 2001 McGill) a Reservist with 3 FieldEngineer Regiment in Montreal. She was bornin the Former Republic of Yugoslavia. As ateenager she worked as a Bosnian languagetranslator for the Canadian Forces, andsubsequently immigrated to Montreal to furtherher education. Her most recent work in Bosniawas as an economic development officer withthe Civil and Military Cooperation (CIMIC)programme.


1 PPCLI RQMS

RQMS on tour By MCpl Maureen Brush

Following the roller coaster of emo-tions that ranged from tearful goodbyes toexcitement of the unknown for those per-sonnel deploying on their first overseas tour,the Quar-t e rM a s t e r( Q M )staff fi-nally ar-r i v e dsafely ont h eg r o u n din Zgon,Bosnia.

I nthe QMthere ares e v e r a ld e p a r t -m e n t s :customer service that handles numerousquestions and complaints, warehouse thathandles all incoming and outgoing supplyshipments, major equipment that handlesthe distribution of all vehicles within theBattle Group (BG), and ammunition thathandles all ammunition requirements for theBG. There is a total of fifteen QM staff,who have been busy juggling numeroustasks. All of these tasks started with theinitial handover between Rotation 10 and11 QM staff.

Once the QM handover was com-plete, which included reviewing distributionaccounts between incoming and outgoingBG personnel, and supply verifications andtransactions; the QM staff was slowly inte-grated into camp security and routine pro-cedures.

As if that didn’t keep things busyenough, the QM staff is also currently facedwith ongoing preparations for the rollout ofa new supply system that is coming intoeffect in mid-November.

With gate guard duties and ongoingtraining, the QM staff has definitely learnedhow to adapt and get the job done with min-

i m a lstaff.Wheth-er liv-ing ina nI S Ow i t ha n -otherindi-vidu-al orlivingin aweath-er ha-v e n

with eight to ten people, privacy is not acommon occurrence here in Zgon. A quietmeal by yourself is unheard of unless youwant to eat at midnight or two in the morn-ing.

Even while missing family andfriends back home or the chance to have aprivate moment alone, the QM staff defi-nitely enjoy what they do and maintain apositive attitude toward the importance ofthe mission at hand.


Maintenance Platoon

Life in mainte-nance platoon

By MCpl KC Tanner

Dobra dan and welcome to Bosnia. Forthose of you that have been here beforewelcome back. My name is Master Corporal(MCpl) Kevin Tanner and I would like toprovide you with a little overview ofMaintenance Platoon (Maint Pl) and itsactivities since arriving here in Bosnia.

We are located at the north end of CampMaple Leaf, in Zgon. Maintenance is easilyrecognizableby its threel a r g es p r u n gs h e l t e r sa n dabundanceof royalb l u e ,y e l l o w ,red, andp o w d e rb l u eco lou r s .T h e s ecolours are signs of the pride maintainers’ havein the job they do.

The first sprung shelter of the three isfor “B-vehicles,” where the maintainers repairLight Support Vehicle Wheeled vehicles, Iltis,civilian pattern vehicles, and the Heavy LoadVehicle Wheeled vehicles. The very capableMCpl Colin Price runs this section.

The second sprung shelter (the one withall the holes in it) is shared by “A vehicle” repairunder MCpl Guy Pellerin, and heavy equipmentrun by MCpl Bill Barrett. “A vehicles” consistof the Light Armoured Vehicle III (LAV-III) fleetas well heavy equipment section comprises ofCombat Engineer Regiment’s vehicles, rangingfrom snowplows, dozers to compactors. Theinspection cell, which is run by MCpl RichardWhite, completes all the semi annual inspectionson the vehicles (over 350 vehicles to be exact).

Located between the first two sprungshelters is the control office. Warrant Officer(WO) Stuart McGunnigle, the control officer,happily receives all maintenance requests andensures prompt and effective service to all whoenter, with MCpl Allan Lotocki assistance (oris it the other way around?). They share theiroffice with Sergeant (Sgt) Sheldon Exner, whohandles local purchases (once we are allowedto start spending money). In the ISO next dooryou can find the cheery and extremely friendly(please come by as he welcomes visitors)

Equipment TechnicalQuarter MasterSergeant (ETQMS),Master WarrantOfficer Jim Mackay,and the MaintenanceOfficer, Captain MikeCole.

In the lastsprung shelter, youwill find the weldingshop, which is run byMCpl Joseph MarcelThibodeau and hiscapable staff of two.The second half of the

sprung shelter is divided into two working areas,one for the fire control systems technicians underMCpl Pascal Cam, and the other side for theweapons technicians under the very capableMCpl Donna Woods. Their main shops arelocated directly behind the third sprung shelterin ISOs. On the second floor of these ISOs youwill find WO Don Currier, who is in charge of


the ancillary section. You will have to gothrough him to get to me, MCpl Tanner, who isin charge of the textiles shop, AKA the Rabbitshop.

Components section, which is run byMCpl Rob Vanderbaan, is located next to thewelding shop. These are the guys you may wantto be nice to as they fix all the heaters,generators, and snowmobiles. In the immediatearea is recovery section, whose motto is “anywhere any time.” A trip to maintenance wouldnot be complete without a visit with the twonicest guys in NATO, our Production WO, SgtDon Colombe, and the Production Sgt, SgtRobert Rainville. Beside those fine gentlemancan be found the tool crib, which is run by MCplRobert Moser, who is always willing to givethe drivers with a fresh set coveralls and a tubeof grease. The Maint Pl also has 11 maintainersattached out to Delta and Charlie Coys, who Iam sure wish they were back here with us inZgon!

With the distribution transfersand handovers behind us now, Maint

Pl decided to hold its first BBQ, ofcourse we had to make the actual BBQbefore we could have one!

During the BBQ a famous EMEtradition was introduced to the MaintPl, the presentation of the “UselessHammer” award. This award ispresented to the maintainer whocommits the stupidest (or the mostfunny) act of the month. There isgenerally no shortage of nominationsfor this most prestigious award, and thismonth’s winner (if you can call it that)is Cpl Gregory Fleming.

He received the first award fordropping several items from hiscoveralls into a container of used oil(real slick Greg!). Rumor has it he wasgazing at a pretty girl instead ofwatching what he was doing. Staytuned for next months article and futurewinner of the “Useless Hammer”award.


11 Field Squadron

Emergency re-sponse drills

By Capt Rob Knapik

With a country the size of NewBrunswick, littered with an estimated onemillion mines, the importance of well-trained engineers is paramount. The BattleGroup (BG) engineers, trained andprepared to conduct mine clearance drillsto extract Canadian and SFOR personnel

in an emergency, are ready to respond. Thisis accomplished through the EngineerResponse Section (ERS).

The section contains a minimum offive field engineers in an AVGP Grizzly onthirty minutes notice to move. The sectionis comprised of a minimum of four sappersand a commander, deployed with severaltools enabling them to conduct mineclearance safely. Bomb suits, minedetectors, mine prodders, trip wire feelers,ballistic chaps, and radios all aid the sappersin the execution of the ERS.

The ERS continually train to honetheir skills and confidence in the use of theequipment at their disposal. The sectionsare on standby duty one week on, one weekoff, 24/7, wherever they are positioned within the BG area of operations.

Sapper Chris Crant, an engineer with11 Field Squadron, is conducting ERSclearance drills with the F4A1 minedetector, wearing a bomb suit.

Cpl. Soderberg - Searching the groundfor mines using a mine prodder.


One of the quicker ways to searchfor mines includes dressing in a bomb suitand using a mine detector. Sappers train inrecognizing the audible signals from themine detector even while dressed in thecumbersome bomb suit. The bomb suitoffers the sapper with blast and limitedfragmentation protection.

Cpl. Soderberg - feeling area for tripwires

When manual dexterity is crucial,sappers will dawn, ballistic chaps and faceshields, trip wire feelers and mine prodders.This allows the sapper to touch and feel theground for mines. Depending on theurgency of the situation and when a mine isdiscovered, the sapper has the ability toneutralize the mine or mark it and by pass.

Feeling the ground for fuses and pressureplates with bare hands.

Cpl Mike Burge, 11 Fd Sqn

11 Fd Sqn soldiers load anti-tank minesinto military vehicle for safe disposal.


You too can sponsor a clerk. Withjust 1.20 euro per day, the cost ofa beer, you can put a smile on aclerk’s face. For example, lookhow happy Sgt Litwin is with hernew desk and monitor. She islooking forward to somedayhaving a hard drive and a phone.Your donation may even enableher to some day have an indooroffice! So don’t wait donate nowto enable us to help all CanadianForces clerks. See Sgt JeffRodgers of Electronic WarfareTroop, and make a clerk smile.

SPONSOR A CLERK


Delta Company

11 Platoon inBihac

Camp Courcelette in Bihac, Bosnia-Herzegovina is where 11 Platoon, DeltaCompany, 1 PPCLI is posted. As part ofthe Canadian contingent, our involvementin Rotation 11 is to continue to maintain thestability within our area of operations (AO).

Our main concerns include monitor-ing local military (5 Corps) activity, seiz-ing illegal weapons, and keeping attentiveobservation of the political climate. Wefulfill our mission while patrolling in Iltis’s,a military jeep, or on foot by our consistentpresence that effectively deters the poten-tial of hostile intent or actions. We are con-fident that Bosnian society will continue tomove forward and ultimately function with-out the aid of NATO forces. Every four days sections cycle throughand rotate between taskings. Gate guardand camp security, patrolling, and quick re-action force are our platoon’s primary re-sponsibilities. A gate shift is twelve hours

on and twelve hours off. During this time,we remain occupied by monitoring and re-cording activity in and out of camp, as wellas ensuring the camp perimeter is secure.Patrolling sections survey all cleared routesand gather relevant intelligence. An inter-preter is often present and enables us toachieve close contact with locals and ef-fectively communicate. One means of in-forming locals about Canadian troop’s ef-forts and promoting western culture isthrough Mustovis, Stabilization Force(SFOR) magazines. We also distribute leaf-lets more specific to information we wantto convey. For example, during the elec-tions, we remind people to vote and encour-age their involvement in the democraticprocess.While working as the quick reac-tion force we are on fifteen minutes noticeto move at all times. We must be preparedfor any possible incidences, and ready tosupport members of the Battle Group in ourAO.

All these duties are directly influ-encing the continuance of peace in the Bal-kans. The gradual restoration of law andorder has enabled NATO to reduce its man-power. There still remains a definite needto ensure a safe environment, humanitari-an aid and keeping local authorities incheck as Bosnia slowly regains its stature.

Buildings in ruins, refugee camps,homelessness, economic strife and theabundance of mines are still visible prob-lems. In spite of these, Bosnia’s country-side is captivating even though it is riddledwith many reminders of the war. The af-termath alone is a site many of us find hardto fathom, and has had an impact on all ofus. What most of us will take back to thetroops at our respective reserve units acrossLFWA is the proactive approach during ouroperational experience and the pride of rep-resenting Canada.

By Pte Darlene Lukie


Camp life By Pte Darlene Lukie

Our non-working hours or “person-al administration,” although always opera-tionally ready, is significant for us to re-main positive, determined and unwaveringfrom our duties. Camp is foremost ourplace of work, but also our home. We willspend the majority of the next few monthson camp. Knowing this before hand, many

of us arrived with personal ambitions tocarry out over the tour.

We cannot all be off at the sametime; the gate must be watched; the radiosmust be manned; patrols must be out; andthe quick reaction force must be ready atall times. We were shown one day that wemust keep on our toes. Even keen eyessometimes cannot catch everything. Onemorning while on gate duty, we were in-formed of a suspicious character that man-aged to sneak through. After searching thecamp to our surprise, we found a stray dogrummaging about. It took four “ big guys,tough guys, strong guys,” to chase awayour little friend.

Our camp is composed of CompanyHeadquarters, 11 and 12 Platoons of Delta

Company, as well as support units and ci-vilian workers. Even though there are manyof us here, there are many different activi-ties to necessitate everyone’s interests; peaceand quiet are even possible. Activities tokeep us in good physical shape are of pre-dominant importance to most of us. Thereare clubs, which we manage, such as rockclimbing, martial arts, archery, and cycling.Most of us find working out alleviates anypent up energy at the end of the day.

Everyone spends his or her sparetime differently. Some of us are taking cor-

respondence courses, since many of usput our schooling on hold to come ontour. Cards and board games are stillpopular, but better toys are phasing outtraditional forms of entertainment, suchas the computer club, a network of lap-tops connected in our Iso trailer hotel.There is a big screen television roomwhere the selection of DVDs is numer-ous; of course, every war movie is in-cluded in the collection.

The lounge with the fire pit on thedeck is aptly named “Alcatraz Terrace,”because from the outside looking in ourhome looks like “the pen.” The canteen isopen every night, where we can go and en-joy our two-beer limit or sit by a campfire.There have even been nights of sing-a-longs.Life on camp is what we make of it. I couldnot ask for a better environment to study,write, and draw. There are no interruptionsfrom the city life. We are lucky enough tohave great food to keep us going.

The most important part of our timehere is to remain focused on our mission andthe goals we set out for ourselves. It is easyto become complacent, when day-to-day lifebecomes routine. We will continue to dowhatever it takes, even if it is keeping dogsout.


The Day Trips or the Mug DIES!

The Day Trips or the Mug DIES

and gets CRUSHED!

The Day Trips or the Mug DIES, CRUSHED and

The Strickland MugMissing since October 13, 2002

Last seen in Zgon, Bosnia

DESCRIPTION:5 Inches tall

2 lbs

Round, black lidSilver, black markings

If you have seen the Strickland Mug or have any information on it’s whereabouts, please call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS


The Day Trips or the Mug DIES, gets CRUSHED, CUT and Bea

The Day Trips or the Mug HANGS!!!

We are happy to report theStrickland mug wasreturned unharmed thanksto the selfless actions of theAssistant Adjutant, Lt.Dawe, who gave up hisprized skateboard asransom.

The Day Trips or the Mug DIES, gets CRUSHED, CUT, Beaten

Burned ALIVE HA HA HA HA HA HA!




Edition 2December 2002


Commanding Officer’sChristmas message

By LCol Craig King

It is a pleasure to be extendingChristmas greetings to all members of theBattle Group!

Christmas always has a specialsignificance, but more so this year as wespend the holiday season in Bosnia. As youturn your thoughts to your family and friendsthis year, I would ask that you also thinkabout the very important work that you aredoing to bring peace to this unfortunate partof the world. Through your devotion to dutyand personal sacrifices, many more of thepeople of Bosnia are able to find hope forthe future and share in this essential meaningof the spirit of Christmas.

The holiday season is also a time toreflect on the past year, take stock of ourmany achievements and look forward towhat might yet be. We have experienced atremendously busy year and one filled withexceptional success. Whether winning theBrigade Sports Competition, or completing

the first LAV III combat team live fire inthe Army’s history, or deploying as the firstall-Reserve infantry company into theBalkans, or providing security for the G-8Summit, you have excelled in everychallenge. I commend you for the discipline,skill and perseverance that you applied toyour duties and thank you for youroutstanding performance over the course ofthe past year.

Presently, the Battle Group isachieving excellent results in Bosnia and Iagain congratulate you on the quality of yourefforts. We are in the process ofreconstructing the Bosnian nation. The workis slow and often involves long termactivities, the results of which may not bereadily apparent. However, we are makinga difference and I see it every day in mydealings with the local people,representatives of the InternationalCommunity and our higher NATO andCanadian headquarters. Your contributionto Bosnia continues to be outstanding andis a source of pride for Canada, the Armyand me personally. Please keep up the trulyfirst rate work.

Although apart from your lovedones this Christmas, please enjoy the season.Take the opportunity to rest and celebratein the company of your friends. Take timeto contact your families and pass your ownChristmas message.

We are now beginning the secondhalf of our tour. There is much work yet todo and I know that you will continue to beequal to any task. Stay sharp, guard againstcomplacency and, above all, be safe.

To all members of the First BattalionBattle Group please accept my very bestwishes for a Merry Christmas and a HappyNew Year.



Admn CoyPte Marten PG

11 Fd SqnCpl Maclean P

B SqnCpl Warnica BW

D CoyCpl Melville AK

C CoyPte Courtney M

HQ CoyCpl Link L


Padre’s Christmas message

By Padre Larry Wright

Christmas will be different this year,to begin with. This must be distinctlyunderstood, or nothing wonderful can comeof this holiday which is heading our way.If we are not perfectly convinced thatChristmas spent in Bosnia will (and should)be different, then we will miss opportunitiesto celebrate the holiday in new andmemorable way.

For most of the western world, thecelebration of Christmas is more about thepackage than the present. In manyinstances the things that mean the most tous are the little family traditions that havebecome attached to Christmas for onereason or another, the tastes, the smells, thesights, those things “we always do atChristmas.” In the middle of dark coldwinter, “when men and women seem by oneconsent to open their shut-up hearts freely,and to think of people around them as ifthey really were fellow-passengers to thegrave, and not another race of creaturesbound on other journeys,” we take comfort

in repeating the familiar. You may haveheard of the woman who, when preparing afestive ham for family dinners, always cutoff the ends before putting it in the roaster,as she had seen her mother do for years.Finally, on one occasion, her motherwatched her do this and asked why. Startled,the woman replied, “Because, that’s the wayyou do it.” Her mother shook her head, “Ido it because my old roasting pan is smallerthan yours.”

This Christmas, we will at times bestruck by the things we won’t be doing forChristmas this year. However, if weremember the original Christmas story, theone in the Bible with the birth of Jesus, wefind a story about God doing something newand exciting in a strange place and in adifferent way. A Saviour comes as a babyin a stable in an out of the way village in anoccupied territory. It’s different. May ourChristmas in Bosnia be filled with joy andwonder as we celebrate this festival of NewLife in new and different ways. And “Godbless us, everyone!”


Christmas is that time of year when wereflect on the message of ‘peace on earth’that the season joyously proclaims. Sincelast year we as Canadian military membersand families experienced September 11th,and while maintaining our ongoingmissions were called to serve within OpApollo. We have experienced the graphicrealities of service and sacrifice, we havehonoured those who gave their lives inservice of their country and recognized theimpact that this had on the Canadian Forcesfamily.We as Canadians seek peace, thepeace that this season proclaims. I honourall who have in the cause of peace worn theCanadian military uniform in the past andsalute you, who presently are carrying outyour missions and mandates far fromhome.I am proud of you as Canadians whohave answered the call to serve yourcountry. Be assured of my personal prayersfor you and your loved ones. Know wellyour relatives and friends and your countryhonour your gift of loyalty to the missionand dedication to duty.As together, we seekpeace in our lives, our homes and the world,let us realize the blessings of this season,and may they reside in our hearts. Godbless.

La période de Noël est le moment de l’annéeoù nous réfléchissons à la « paix sur terre »que ce temps des Fêtes annonce avec joie.Depuis l’an dernier, nous, familles et militairescanadiens, avons fait face au 11 septembre, etnous avons été appelés à participer àl’opération Apollo sans pour autant négligernos missions en cours. Nous avons éprouvéles dures réalités du service et du sacrifice,honoré ceux qui ont donné leur vie pour servirleur pays et reconnu les répercussions de cetévénement sur la famille des Forcescanadiennes.En tant que Canadiens, nousrecherchons la paix, surtout en ce temps del’année. Je rends hommage à tous ceux quiont porté l’uniforme militaire canadien au nomde la paix, et je vous salue, vous qui, en cemoment, effectuez vos missions et remplissezvos mandats loin de chez vous.Je suis fier devous, Canadiens et Canadiennes qui avezrépondu à l’appel au service de votre pays.Soyez assuré de mes prières pour vous et vosproches. Sachez que vos familles, vos amis etvotre pays honorent le cadeau de loyauté etde sens du devoir que vous leur faites.Commenous aspirons tous à la paix dans nos vies,dans nos foyers et dans le monde, prenonsconscience et remplissons nos cœurs desbienfaits que le temps des Fêtes nous apporte.Que Dieu vous garde.

Commodore T.A. Maindonald

Aumônier général

T.A. Maindonald

Commodore

Chaplain General

ChristmasGreetings FromThe ChaplainGeneral

Voeux De Noëlde L’Aumôniergénéral


Exercise Strong Guardian By Cpl Justin St Onge & Pte Brian Lindgren


In mid-November, CharlieCompany 1 PPCLI Battle Group embarkedon a journey to the Resolute Barbara Rangein Glamoc. They spent six days honing theirbasic soldier skills and conductingmechanized, live-fire section and platoonattacks in preparation for the even largerBattle Group exercise scheduled for the endof November. Although blasted by neargale-force winds, the morale of the troopsof C Coy remained high and the ExercisePatricia Guardian was an unqualifiedsuccess.

Taking time out of their busyoperational schedule, the aim of the exercisewas to practice C Coy’s war fighting skills.At the range, the troops participated in anumber of live-fire attacks at progressivetactical levels. Starting with a two-man fireteam, the troops quickly graduated to four-man group attacks. Once the skills of thepairs and group were mastered, theycontinued on to mechanized section attacksemploying the speedy and powerful LAVIII, armoured personnel carrier. Theexercise culminated in mechanized platoonattacks, employing four LAV IIIs at onceand laying some withering fire down on theimaginary enemy.

Due to operational commitmentsand the busy leave schedule, not all of the

soldiers of C Coy couldparticipate and as a result manyof the soldiers were employedin positions above their rankand experience level and inplatoons with which they wereunfamiliar. Nevertheless,camaraderie prevailed and thesalty troops of CharlieCompany made the grade toadvance to “live” for ExerciseStrong Guardian in November.Exercise Strong Guardian will

consist of C Coy in their LAV IIIs, theBritish acting as Recce in their ScimitarsArmoured Reconnaissance Vehicles, theDutch in their Leopard II’s tanks andmodified M113 Armoured PersonnelCarriers and American Apache attackhelicopters culminating in a multinationalbattle group live fire attack.

The soldiers not only practiced theirwar-fighting skills, but also did “fun” rangeslike the M203 40mm grenade launcher withhigh explosive ammunition and theRemington 870 combat shotgun. The crewsof the LAV III also worked hard to furtherdevelop their driving and gunnery skills.The LAV IIIs went through variousstabilization and static ranges and onceagain proved their competence with thepowerful vehicle.

Overall, Exercise Patricia Guardianwas a great success. Charlie Companydemonstrated that they were ready for a jointbattle group sized exercise at the end of themonth. The soldiers gained valuableexperience in their basic infantry skills aswell as experience with a few extra ranges.It was a week away from their operationalduties with minimal resources, manpowerand leadership, but C Company proved onceagain their drive, determination and abilitywith a successful exercise.


Preparation for an exercise is alwaysextensive, particularly if you’re part of a medicalteam. Exercise Strong Guardian proved to beno different for medics Master Corporal Chrisvon Schmeling, and Corporals Lory La Riviereand Sarah Keller.

Prior to deploying to the UnitedKingdom’s Battle Group area of operations fora multinational live-fire exercise, the BisonAmbulance was stocked top to bottom and readyto rumble!

On November 26, accompanying 7,8and 9 Platoon of the First Battalion, PrincessPatricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (1 PPCLI)Battle Group medical staff left Camp Drvar fora 7-hour drive to bunk down in a Serbian militarycamp in the town of Prijedor.

The morning of November 27 broughthome very quickly why Canadian soldiers arehere, doing what they do. This was no exercise,at least not this particular phase, beginning thatday. A possible weapons cache had been locatedand required identification.

After a positive identification of a cacheof explosives, the Battle Group medical staff wasdispatched in the Bison to conduct areconnaissance of the site where a controlledexplosion would be executed. In the event ofpossible casualty, the Bison would be no morethan a 15-minute call away, at the ready.

That day brought no excitement for theBison Ambulance crew, which serves to presentsome modicum of irony: when the medics aren’tbusy, the soldiers are well and safe.A road move to Glamoc November 28 saw a“meet and greet” between Canadian and Dutch

Charlie Company’s Medical Staff

personnel established their location in thetactical assembly area November 29. This pieceof “real estate” was, in fact, a small set-up onan old runway. That night’s accommodationwas spent in the “green room,” otherwise knownas a four-man tent. The wind and rain buffetedthe tents that night and rendered the ResoluteBarbara Range, the site of the live fire, a virtualmud pit.

The live-fire exercise was a battle notonly with exercise targets, but also with groundconditions that presented a veritable challengeto one Bison Ambulance and its crew. Excellentcrew commanding by Master Corporal vonSchmeling coupled with resilience andperseverance shown by Corporal Keller in herdriving ability ensured on several occasions thatthe ambulance didn’t get bogged down in thequagmire.

The efficiency and competencedemonstrated in following the battle, all thewhile remaining ready for any casualties wasnot happenstance. Successful results in anexercise never are. Teamwork and leadership,with an eye for safety and reliance on oneanother are what make for a successful andinjury-free end state. This was manifestedperfectly in this particular exercise’s “dance.”

The end of that particular day broughtExercise Strong Guardian to termination and acemented cohesiveness and solidarity to themedical staff of Camp Drvar.

By Cpl Lory La Riviere

Ex StrongGuardian: a

medic’s perspective

staff and an overnight in Camp Vimy. Medical



By MCpl Marty Wheeler

The tour so far


The month of November much like Oc-tober came like a Lamb and left like a Lion.Most of the Squadron cannot believe that it canrain so much in a short period of time. The say-ing in Prince of Wales Squadron is if you don’tlike the weather just wait 5 minutes. It remindsus of the way the weather can move in an out ofour favourite training areas in Western Canada,

Wainwright and Suffield.The Squadron celebrated several birth-

days during the month, including Lt HoggMcKenzie’s and Trooper Dave Druken’s. TprDruken had the opportunity to celebrate hisbirthday on two separate occasions, while onR&R and in a helicopter as 1st Troop completedan aerial recce of the complete Canadian areaof operations (AO).

The Squadron also had an opportunityto have its first get together, which was heldbehind the SQ (WO Dave Hall) shop. It was aperfect opportunity for us to unwind in the pres-ence of our own people. We played several cardgames throughout the evening, which was ex-tremely enjoyable considering the laughter ateach of the tables. Corporal Tony Auld led thecharge as he single handily showed most of the

Squadron how to play “Chase the Ace.” TheOfficer Commanding, Major Long, the SSM,

MWO Ramsay, and the Second-in-CommandCaptain Ian McDonnell led the cooking spree,which consisted of a barbecue steak and bakedpotato with all the fixings. The meal was firstclass and to this day no one has complainedabout food poisoning.

The Squadron was very fortunate to cel-ebrate the Grey Cup game in true Canadian fash-ion. Lt Hogg McKenzie was able to contact theorganizing committee in Edmonton that weremore than happy to help us with our tailgateparty. We received tattoos, posters, banners, andpins for all three separate messes, which gaveus the feeling of being at the game. Cpl MattHull had the chance to film 1st Troop as CplBryce Warnica wished the Eskimos good luck.The remainder of the group cheered prior todeparting for patrol the day of the big game.Many of the die-hards were very patient as theywaited for the midnight kick-off. As the gameprogressed and finally ended the fans from theEast had more to cheer about than those from


the West.The troops have the opportunity to get

away from the added stresses of being in thea-tre. Those on patrol have the chance to experi-ence first hand, on a daily basis, how fortunatewe are to live in our great country.

It has been an extremely fast twomonths for most of the soldiers in the line troops.The soldiers are looking forward to their trip toCanada for the festive season especially the sin-gle soldiers and those who are married withchildren. Several packages are arriving on adaily basis and words cannot explain the facialexpressions on the soldiers as they rip themapart. It is noteworthy to witness how eachsoldier shares their goodies. There are manyscavengers awaiting the release of the goods.The Squadron has received Christmas cardsfrom various children throughout Canada; thesoldiers take pride in responding to their mes-sages. Some soldiers have the chance to watcha live Oiler game on their return complimentsof Michelle Mallet with CFPSA at the Edmon-ton Garrison. It is unfortunate that more peoplecannot leave the country for Christmas, but westill have to maintain a positive presencethroughout the 12 months of the year.

Operations at a Glance:The Squadron had a chance to put their

Recce skills to the test during a munitions cachein Glamoc. The operation was commanded byC Coy (Major Carr). He did an exceptional jobputting the group together considering we hadvery limited details at the beginning of the task.As the all arms units deployed there was nodoubt that the predeployment training playedan important role in the success of the mission.The Squadron dispatched two patrols to assistin the operation, the second-in-command, com-manded by Sgt Bruce Montrose, and 21A, com-manded by Warrant Officer Stan Poirier. Thetwo patrols established the outer cordon for therecovery of the mines while two platoons fromC Coy established the inner cordon. The engi-neers directed by Sgt Mike Van Den Broek wereextremely cautious and professional in retriev-ing the mines in a timely manner. The ball then

flew back into the hands of 1st Troop as we es-corted the mines to the FSS site for disposal.

Remembrance Day was yet again an-other touching day for many Canadians in thearea of operations (AO). Lt Darren Walters leada small parade to the village of Bravsko wherePadre Larry Wright performed a very touchingservice for a fellow Armour Corps soldier. Theother parade was held in Zenica, the area isknown as the famous Zenica Flyover. Eightsoldiers from the Squadron travelled to conducta small ceremony led by Lt McKenzie. The pa-rade was in remembrance of two other Cana-dian soldiers who lost their lives while servingin Bosnia, both from the 12 RBC, in CFBValcartier Quebec. The crew commander wasMCpl Langevin and his gunner was Cpl Galvin.


By: Capt Jamie Thomson

Engineers takethe plunge

11 Field Squadron

It was a bright, sunny day on October 25,when the Battle Group Dive Team began their firstoperational dive task for Rotation 11. The DiveTeam was tasked to support Multinational Division(North) with the assessment of the Doboj III Maybe& Johnson Bridge piers, located in the city of Dobojalong the Bosna River.

The first step was to liaise with the localPolish Engineer Explosive Ordinance Disposal(EOD) teams to ensure a safe passage from the roadto the riverbank. The EOD teams cleared the areato ensure that there were no mines, booby-traps, orUnexploded Explosive Ordinance (UXOs), and thatthe site was safe and secure for the dive team tobegin the task.

After the clearance, the Dive Team begansetting up a full decontamination area and preparing

the dive site. The Dive Team is trained to conductModerately Contaminated Water (MCW) diving,which is important training for diving in unfamiliarwaters. The MCW dive ensemble that the DiveTeam wears has been specially designed to minimizethe diver’s contact with the water. It is comprisedof a vulcanized rubber dry suit and a full-face mask.Following the dive, the diver is put through a fulldecontamination process to kill any pathogens thatmay be attached to the diver’s suit.

The dive task proved more difficult thanoriginally expected because of the high level andrapid flow of the Bosna River, which was a resultof the vast amount of rain that had fallen in theprevious weeks. The Bosna River’s current wasvery fast and polluted, but the Dive Team, wearingthe MCW dive suit, was up to the challenge.

Sapper Rivard pulled himself to the pierto conduct the initial assessment, to determine whythe bridge is sinking. After battling the swift current,and examining the bridge piers, Spr Rivard and theDive Team together were able to determine that thesinking was caused by erosion.

In all, the dive task proved to be a success,with the Dive Team learning some valuable lessonsabout MCW diving in fast flowing water and byour ability to talk about field engineering techniqueswith the Polish Engineers. We even got to exchangea few souvenirs and take a few pictures.

Chimo!


The Aardvark is an importantvehicle that Canadian Combat Engineersuse for clearing mined areas. The Aardvarkis a vehicle with a chain flail system, whichthe Canadian Forces has been using inoperational theatres for some years. TheAardvark is an anti-personnel and anti-tankmine proof vehicle which flails the earthwith lengths of heavy chain, setting offmines or destroying them.

Instructors trained us last Aprilduring our pre-deployment training forRotation 11 in Bosnia and Herzegovina.Last month, several members of 11 FieldSquadron of the First Battalion, PrincessPatricia’s Canadian Light Infantry BattleGroup, took the Aardvark MK III out for a

By: Sapper Cindy Savoie

Sappers putmettle to the

test

confidence test, to instill confidence in theoperator. This test was extremely beneficialto all involved. The Aardvark wastransported to the range and a charge of nineblocks of C-4 explosive (5 KG) was placedin front of the flail. This equals theapproximate amount of explosive in mostanti-tank mines.

The explosive is detonated with theoperator inside the machine to simulatehitting a mine. The soldiers were veryconfident in the Aardvark after the blast.Corporal Dawe, Corporal Brunelle, SapperCrant, Sapper Preston, and Sapper Savoieparticipated in the confidence test. We aretotally confident in the vehicle and wouldnot be afraid to work with the Aardvark ina real minefield. I am the first female to dothe Aardvark MK III course worldwide, soI was asked to write this article on myexperiences so far.

As Combat Engineers, we will beusing the Aardvark to do clearances of anymined areas in Bosnia and Herzegovina andother future operations. This valuable toolwill help us to save lives and to helpcountries like Bosnia and Herzegovinabecome safer.


Major Drew, RSM the Royal Scots, & the 1 PPCLI Patrol Raccoon

Pte De Guerre


Capt Bolt

Cpl Dennis Rooney

Cpl Larissa Link

Minister of National Defence

Capt Barry


October was a time for the HealthServices Support Platoon (HSS Pl) to find ourway around the local community and to locatethe other camps. It was a revelation for many.The bombed out villages, and local damageconfirmed that we are not in Kansas anymore.The local drivers also proved to be an interestingchallenge. Luckily sitting atop a 10-tonambulance gavesome security fromthe free spiritedlocals passing oncorners, going up hill,and in villages. Thelocal culture allowedfor many Kodakmoments and all inall, it appeared thatthe locals received uswell and werestarting to redevelop.

The breadand butter of the HSSPl is to providetimely response toany injured soliderwherever they are.The MedicalTechnicians (MedTech) along withother elements of the Battle Group exercise thetroops for just such an occurrence. In midOctober, the Blue Light practice came about.Master Seaman Carla Penney was first in thebreach. This exercise involved deploying anambulance crew to a mock vehicle accident andprovide medical expertise to the localcommander, which was successful.

By MCpl Dave Hancock

Health ServicesSupport Platoon

Ex Blue Light- a success

We soon discovered that it is not alwaysan easy task to provide care to the injured intheatre. At home, we are used to dispatching acrew, providing immediate basic life supportand transporting the injured to a hospital. InBosnia, that is not always possible. At anygiven time, there could be the threat ofminefields or other challenges. A vehicle offthe road must stay in place until our engineersupport can assure that there is a safe passageto the injured. Nobody leaves the road untilthat time. The Medical Technician mustcommunicate with the injured and providemedical assistance verbally instead of the usualhands on approach. When the injured arerescued a new set of problems come to light.These include the distance to be traveled, roadconditions, lack of a local health care facilities,and weather. Many of these problems can be

alleviated by them u l t i n a t i o n a lImmediate ResponseUnit, which can beflown to the scene toevacuate the casualties.

It is nowNovember and we are amonth and a half into thetour. For the most part,we are settled in to aroutine. Many of theHSS Pl have completedtheir first trip away fromthe camp on the four dayR&R. The short tripshave given us a chanceto relax and in somecases enjoy a third beer.Work continues in theUnit Medical Stationand for the most part we

have a healthy bunch of soldiers with us. Inthe next few weeks we will continue trainingand advancing our medical skills. As always,we will maintain a cat-like state of readinessand hasten to aid the soldiers of the 1 PPCLIBattle Group.


By Cpl MA Desousa

Ways to unwind

AdministrationCompany

Whether you’re doing a gate guardshift, performing a routine patrol, repairing avehicle engine or making lunch for a hundredpeople, eventually every soldier in Camp MapleLeaf will get bored with their daily work routine.When it comes to making the best of off dutytime, the soldiers have a wide variety of clubsand activities that they can participate in to helptake their minds off work.

The clubs that are available in CampMaple Leaf cover a vast spectrum of subjects.This helps provide something for everyone. Notan easy task, when there are almost 400personnel living on the camp, most who sharedifferent hobbies and interests. The clubs thatare currently available are: language, bingo,biking, boxing, volleyball, computer, archery,radio, aerobics / circuit training, golf, book,soccer, running and the most popular of all, the

ball hockey club. A woodworking club will beup and running in the near future.

If by chance, none of the clubs strikesyour interest, there is an abundance of otherthings that you can do. For personnel that prefera quiet and relaxing evening, the Canex has overa hundred available DVDs you can borrow andwatch. For people who like to ‘surf the net’ thereare six computers with Internet access available.Plus, five computers are set up so computergamers can play their favourite games solo oragainst each other. For all the bookworms onthe camp, a small library comprised of hardcovers, paperbacks, magazines and newspapersis readily available.

Probably one of the most importantplaces that soldiers, at all rank levels, can unwindis at their respective mess. Camp Maple Leafhas three messes, an Officers’ mess, a SeniorNCOs’ mess and a Junior Ranks’ mess. Eachmess has their own distinct atmosphere, but theJunior Ranks is by far the best equipped foroverall good times. It currently boasts twobilliard tables, three foosball tables, a ping-pongtable, three arcade games, four pinball machinesand a newly acquired air hockey table.Moreover, you can watch movies on one of twobig screen televisions. With all of theseentertainment items in the mess, it is alwaysfilled with personnel looking to relax.

Taking time,however small, for anyof these activities is agreat way to pass thetime. By providing thesoldiers with healthyoutlets to release someextra energy, it in turnhelps relieve stress andboosts morale. Havinga unit with high moraleis paramount when thesoldiers are away fromtheir families for up tosix months.


Funky dance music coupled with thestrong beat of heavy metal echoes throughoutthe Junior Ranks shacks. People are comingand going out of their rooms, some laughing,some joking, and some starting or ending theirworkday. Approximately 150 people live atCamp Courcelette. All ranks, all ages, all tradesare working and living together. 24 hours a daypeople are coming and going. The buzz of acircular saw, the whine of an Iltis engine, andthe rumble of a diesel motor all add to theatmosphere around camp. Coupled with allthese noises are the smells of cooking food fromthe kitchen, cigarette smoke wafting through theair from the various smoking points, and theoccasional waft of a cologne or perfume fromsomeone passing by.

Delta Company has been in Bosnia nowfor about six weeks. Members of 11 and 12Platoons - the two rifle platoons, theheadquarters element, a CIMIC cell, the combatsupport staff, and ATCO employees all live atCamp Courcellette, Bihac. The first six weeksof living in camp have been extremely hectic.We took control of a camp made toaccommodate a platoon and various supportelements, and moved in twice the amount ofpeople that were here in past rotations. As such,the following large construction projects wereundertaken: old bunkers reconstructed, newbunkers built, old observation posts improved,

By: Cpl Cory Raivio

Life in CampCourcelette

DeltaCompany

Company Quartermaster ’s stores areareorganized, office space reassigned, vehiclebays constructed, weight room built, kitcheneating area expanded, and kitchen storagerebuilt.

In short, we have taken the camphanded to us and completely remodeled it. Wehave had to take on camp construction tasks inaddition to maintaining all other regular patroland security duties, which has made for onevery busy camp. For the shift workers, sleephas been elusive because of all the noise. Withall the construction and camp tasks togetherwith your normal work schedule has meant thatyou often have to work during off time, but nowthat it is week six the construction projects areslowly winding down.

Being in Bihac is not all work and noplay. We do get a chance to relax. Some chooseto lift weights and run on the treadmills or thelocal running path to unwind. While otherschoose to relax with a beverage in our all ranksmess or by the fire pit. We are also fortunate tohave a humungous wide screen TV to watchmovies. Needless to say, we are well equippedto stave off boredom and help maintain sanityfor everyone working here. The kitchen servesmeals three times a day, but remains open 24hours a day for those who wish to grab a snackor hang out and chat with friends. We haveaccess to boxing equipment and have a verywell equipped climbing wall. There is a churchservice every Sunday. Moreover, for themusically inclined we have a drum set andelectric guitars to bang and pluck away at.

Privacy is a precious commodity here.That being said, we all appreciate and respecteveryone else’s space. This is an unwrittenmaxim for any operational environment.Maintaining your sense of humor is a must. Ifyou did not pack your sense of humor then lifein camp would be difficult for you.

We are small, but extremely wellequipped.

Life here is what you make of it.


The soldiers of Delta Company andthe ATCO personnel based at CampCourcelette, Bihac, decided that theyneeded a permanent structure for Sundayservices. Theirs was the only camp in theCanadian area of operations without one,so during the last two weeks in November,they built themselves a chapel.

Using leftover materials from otherconstruction projects around the camp - andsome unused space between two iso-trailers- the troops fashioned themselves apermanent chapel. They constructed it froma raised plywood floor, two sections ofmodular tent, one leftover iso wall, andother odds and ends found around the camp.

By: Cpl Rob Laird

Bihac’snewest chapel

“No matter where you are, once thetroops are well fed and housed, a chapel willspring up,” says Padre Larry Wright. “Ididn’t even ask them to do this, they justdid it using their own initiative.”

Considering what it is made from,it is quite an ingenious piece of architecture.The soldiers have even put up the cross theyused in their Remembrance Day ceremony.

Upon being asked about the project,Cpl Kurt Schoenroth replied, “We waitedso long and are glad to have a place ofworship on camp.”


By: Pte Ron Harvie

A day with SigsPlatoon in CampMaple Leaf

Signals Platoon

Allow me to walk you through anaverage routine day for the soldiers of SignalPlatoon at Camp Maple Leaf in Zgon, Bosnia.You get up before the sun to work on yourphysical training program in the gym. Thougheach soldier is different, most are either on theclimbing wall, the tread mill, on the heavy bag,or just lifting a few weights in front of themirror. After a quick shower, followed bybreakfast and a coffee out on the patio, you‘ reready to start your workday. The stressors ofthe day are comparable to those back inEdmonton, yet slightly different; you‘re not inEdmonton. Once it is time for lunch, meetingup with someone you know on the way to themess hall is almost as important as the mealitself, as it presents a chance for you to talkabout something other than work. The end ofthe day comes all too soon some days, and yet,not soon enough on others. The shop is either

Cpl Gerald “Nerd” Strong

locked up, or the shift change is done, eitherway it is your time now. The chow line at the

mess hall is a littlelonger today, mustbe lasagne orhamburgers.

Supper in theinstitutional styleleaves a bit to bedesired in thegrand scheme ofthings; however,anything beatssitting in the bushwith pre-packagedham steak andpineapple sauce!

The only thing on most peoples’ mind aftersupper is to get out of the monkey suit and puton some comfortable clothes. There are somewho go back to the gym again, and some whoenjoy venting their frustrations upon the wearyenemies of a computer game. The pool table,the ping-pong table, and the make-shift movietheatre are also definite favourites for after workactivities.

Having sufficiently exercised yourenergy reserves for the day, time to start thinkingabout getting some rack. Back to your bed-spaceto collect your laundry and drop it off to becleaned, then stand in line for the internetcomputers, or if you haven‘t used up yourweekly time limit, the telephones. Mostconversations on the telephone consist oflistening, listening to your children ask whyyou‘re not home, your spouse express how verymuch they miss you, or just listening to theperson on the other end breathing and imaginingyou are there with them. The e-mails home arepretty much the same as the telephone calls,minus the breathing of course, yet a littleimagination goes a long way! As the need tosleep eventually overcomes you, a semi-privatebed-space adequately provides a place toslumber and dream of those you left behind.You think to yourself as your eyes close, anotherday done, just under 150 more to go.


If you have watched a tv in a common use area, participated in a club activity, picked out aDVD movie to watch in your ISO or sweated to the oldies but goodies in a Fitness Coordinator ledclass then you have been exposed to Personnel Support Programs. Personnel Support Programs (PSP)are based on the principle that morale, “esprit de corps,” family support, and a healthy lifestyle contributeto improved productivity and performance of military personnel and enhanced quality of life. Intheatre, this means the provision of services such as fitness programs, sports leagues and recreationclubs, welfare computers, amenities such as newspapers, magazines, DVD movies and the moviechannel, and special events. This also means the coordination of all the equipment and resources insupport of these services. Not a small task by any means, but not an impossible one either!

The TFBH PSP staff that brings all this to you is made up of eight individuals all with onepurpose in mind – serving those who serve. This includes yours truly, Cheryl Layden, the PSP Manager;Michelle Bourdon, the Special Events and Services Coordinator; Don Mallory, the Equipment andResources Coordinator; Phil MacKenzie, the Administration Coordinator; and Pam Richardson, SteveCymbaluk, Rene Dugas and Bonny Gardner the Fitness, Sports and Recreation Coordinators. Watchfor us, or the services provided by us, to appear in your camp from time to time. The next big projectthat we will be working on will be to sort and distribute one Op Santa Claus box to every individualwho serving in TFBH for Christmas. For those of you who will be on HLTA during this time don’tworry there will be a box waiting for you upon your return! Until then, from all of us to you, have agreat Holiday Season!

By: Cheryl Layden

PSP in Bosnia

Personnel SupportProgram

left to right – Phil MacKenzie (CFPSA HQ - VK), Michelle Bourdon (CFPSA HQ – VK), DonMallory (CFPSA HQ – VK), Pam Richardson (Bihac), Cheryl Layden (CFPSA HQ – VK),

Rene Dugas (Zgon), Bonny Gardner (Drvar) and Steve Cymbaluk (VK)


Camp Maple Leaf, Bosnia andHerzegovina - Soldiers from the First Battalion,Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (1PPCLI) Battle Group supported local Bosnian firedepartments in putting out a large fire that eruptedat a sawmill November 17 at 4 a.m. about 3 milesfrom Camp Maple Leaf, Zgon.

“While our mission is to provide a safeand secure environment, our help in fighting thisfire is just one example of our commitment to thepeople of Bosnia,” said Major Dan Drew, deputycommanding officer, 1 PPCLI Battle Group.

Camp Maple Leaf dispatched thevolunteer firefighting team to the sawmill at about5 a.m. to support the local firefighters, who battledthe fire for three hours until it was under control.

Eight firefighters and two fire trucks fromthe Canadian camp were dispatched to work withthe local fire departments. Arriving on-scene, thefirefighters were confronted with smoke and 6-metre high flames, with smaller fires burningaround the sawmill, caused by blowing ambers.

Cdn soldiers helpBosnians put out

fire By: Sub-Lt Petra Smith

“As soon as we got there, the local firechief and I together made a plan,” said Mr. EmilioSt-Coeur, chief firefighter, Camp Maple Leaf.“Our priority was to save the houses closest tothe fire and to prevent the fire from crossing theroad.”

With wind conditions at about 100 km/hr, the main priority was to ensure that the firedid not spread to neighbouring homes. The windyconditions created thick smoke and perpetuatedsmall fires with the blowing ambers.

“Our team did a fantastic job,” said Mr.Emilio St-Coeur, chief firefighter, Camp MapleLeaf. “Without them there would have been alot of loss to the homes nearby.”

“We saved two houses, so we werehappy,” said Sergeant Peter Smith, a volunteerfirefighter. “It was good being able to help.”

The volunteer firefighting team, whichis a secondary duty for Battle Group soldiers,trains nightly and their primary mandate is toensure fire safety, and to put out any fires thatmay occur on Canadian camps.

“The training paid off,” said SergeantRobert Clutes, volunteer firefighter. “The teamworked perfectly.”

Editor’s feature unit


A Canadian Forces medicaltechnician took a break from peacekeepingduty in Bosnia and Herzegovina to helpfight breast cancer. Corporal Eric Mantha,whose mother died from the disease, couldnot participate the Canadian Imperial Bankof Conference’s (CIBC) ‘Runfor the Cure’ for the CanadianBreast Cancer Foundationheld October 6, in Edmonton.He is in Bosnia with 1,400Canadians enforcing the peaceas part of NATO’sStabilization Force. So he didthe next best thing – organizehis own run at Camp BlackBear, near the Bosnian townVelika-Kladusa.

“Run for the cure” By: Lt Mary Ann Barber

“This is for my mom. It’s veryimportant to me to run this race, no matterwhere I am,” said Mantha, from One FieldAmbulance in Edmonton. “Running it herejust made sense to me. It’s the least I cando. People die from cancer every day. It’sworth it if my support helps in any way,”he said.

Two colleagues MasterSeaman Edward Ellsworth andLieutenant Mary Ann Barberjoined Cpl. Mantha, who begancanvassing for supportersbefore deploying to Bosnia.Both have seen the effects of thedisease on families.

“Breast cancer is verycommon in my family. My ownmother had a scare just a fewmonths before I deployed,” saidLt. Barber, a nursing officerfrom One Health SupportOperational Training Group in

Edmonton. “Supporting this research is soimportant to me since it could be mesomeday.”

Cpl. Mantha led the group on theirfive-kilometre route around the militarycamp completing the run in 30 minutes.

Camp Black Bear


Camp Maple Leaf, Zgon - The FirstBattalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian LightInfantry (1 PPCLI) Battle Group honouredRemembrance Day with a ceremony at CampMaple Leaf as well as smaller ceremonies atthe memorial sites of the soldiers who havegiven their lives for peace in Bosnia andHerzegovina.

The Minister of National Defence, theHonourable John McCallum, visited the 1PPCLI Battle Group and participated in theRemembrance Day ceremony at Camp MapleLeaf, November 11 at 10:30 a.m. The BattleGroup ceremony included speeches, prayerand the laying of wreaths.

In addition to the camp ceremoniesin Zgon, Bihac, Drvar and Glamoc, there wereremembrance ceremonies held at Canadianmemorial sites across Bosnia to pay ourrespect for the soldiers who have died forpeace. There were ceremonies in honour ofCaptain Jim DeCoste, Sapper C. Holopina,Sapper G.D. Desmarais, Corporal J.W.Ogilvie, Corporal D. Gunther, MasterCorporal S. Langevin, and Corporal Galvin.

By: SLt Petra Smith

Battle Groupsoldiers honourRemembrance Day

Memorial to Capt. Jim DeCoste

“Remembrance Day holds a specialsignificance for us deployed on operationalduties,” said Lieutenant-Colonel Craig King,commanding officer, 1 PPCLI Battle Group.“We commit ourselves in the honour of the20 soldiers who have paid the ultimate priceas we continue to provide a safe and secureenvironment.”

The Poppy And John McCrae

During World War I, much of the fiercest fightingtook place in Flanders, Belgium.The lush greenfields were quickly turned into barren, blackenedwastes. But each spring the soldiers fighting inthe trenches were greeted by a remarkable sight.The wastelands of battle would sprout vaststretches of scarlet from the blood-red of theFlanders’ poppy.Lieutenant Colonel JohnMcCrae, a Canadian artillery officer and militarydoctor, wrote In Flanders’ Fields. He had just cometo Ypres to tend the wounded and dying in thespring of 1915. It was during the time when theenemy first used chlorine gas, and the dead litteredthe front line. McCrae lived that horror forseventeen days without relief, working with notime to bathe or change his clothes and with onlybrief stretches of sleep. One death particularlyaffected McCrae. A young friend and formerstudent, Lieut. Alexis Helmer of Ottawa, had beenkilled by a shell burst on 2 May. LieutenantHelmer was buried later that day in the littlecemetery outside McCrae’s dressing station, andMcCrae had performed the funeral ceremony inthe absence of the chaplain. The next day, sittingon the back of an ambulance parked near thedressing station beside the Canal de l’Yser, just afew hundred yards north of Ypres, McCrae ventedhis anguish by composing a poem. The major wasno stranger to writing, having authored severalmedical texts besides dabbling in poetry. In thenearby cemetery, McCrae could see the wildpoppies that sprang up in the ditches in that partof Europe, and he spent twenty minutes ofprecious rest time scribbling fifteen lines of verse


In Flanders Fields

In Flanders fields the poppies blowBetween the crosses, row on rowThat mark our place; and in the skyThe larks, still bravely singing, flyScarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days agoWe lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,Loved and were loved, and now we lieIn Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:To you from failing hands we throwThe torch; be yours to hold it high.If ye break faith with us who dieWe shall not sleep, though poppies growIn Flanders fields.

- John McCrae

in a notebook.Ayoung soldierwatched himwrite it. CyrilAllinson, at w e n t y - t w oyear oldsergeant-major,was deliveringmail that daywhen he spottedMcCrae. Themajor lookedup as Allinsonapproached ,then went on

writing while the sergeant-major stood there quietly.“His face was very tired but calm as we wrote,”Allinson recalled. “He looked around from time totime, his eyes straying to Helmer’s grave.” WhenMcCrae finished five minutes later, he took his mailfrom Allinson and, without saying a word,handed his pad to the young NCO.Allinson was moved by what he read“ The poem was exactly an exactdescription of the scene in front of usboth.The word blow was not used inthe first line though it was used laterwhen the poem later appeared in Punch.But it was used in the second last line. Heused the word blow in that line because the poppiesactually were being blown that morning by a gentleeast wind. It never occurred to me at that time thatit would ever be published. It seemed to me just anexact description of the scene. “ In fact, it was verynearly not published. Dissatisfied with it, McCraetossed the poem away, but a fellow officer — eitherLt.-Col. Edward Morrison, the former Ottawanewspaper editor who commanded the 1st Brigadeof artillery, or Lt.-Col. J.M. Elder, depending onwhich source is consulted — retrieved it and sent itto newspapers in England. “The Spectator,” inLondon, rejected it, but “Punch” published it on 8December 1915.McCrae’s “In Flanders Fields” remains to this dayone of the most memorable war poems ever written.It is a lasting legacy of the terrible battle in the Ypressalient in the spring of 1915.



A Christmas storyby the DCO

By: Major Dan Drew

I grew up on isolated Pine Tree Radarstations in the backwoods of Canada. As ayoungster, it was a close call as to what thehappiest day of the year was; Christmas, or thefinal day of school at the end of June, with afull summer of adventures beckoning. For therecord, I would have to say it was Christmas.

Like most kids, we would be besideourselves the night before Christmas, nearlysplitting with excitement. We would attend alate church service, usually on whatever stationor base we were posted at, and then head overto the Sergeant’s Mess for meat pies and thenhome to bed. Mom and Dad would stay up abit later to lay out the presents (didn’t take solong in those days as most stuff cameassembled) and leave a little something forSanta.

Dad would always be up first and hewould have made a few prints in the snow asevidence that Santa really had come, and hisHO HO HO would be the alarm that woke usto the thrills of Christmas morning. We alwaysgot a new shovel, I guess that was one way ofinstilling respect for hard, physical work(somewhere out there is a psychologist whowould connect that annual present to three ofus joining the Infantry) and a new hockey stick.Everything after that was gravy.

As soon as we had breakfast we’d beout onto the road beating a puck up and downthe road, my brother Kirk wearing a wool Leafsjersey with the number 27 on the back - FrankMahovolich. And me, I was number 4 for theCanadiens - Jean Beliveau. Sometimes I wasGump Worseley, and even collected a few

stitches like Gump, playing without a mask.After spending all day shooting that poor puckwe would have to be called in for ChristmasDinner which Mom had been slaving over forthe better part of the day.

Just before presenting that wondrousmeal, Mom would disappear for a few minutesand reappear in a fancy Christmas dress (whichshe usually made for herself) to direct the formalmanner in which that most important meal ofthe year was to be taken. Dad was the manwith the knife and before long ol’ Tom wascarved up and ready to go and all of our plateswere heaped high with turkey, mashed potatoes,glorious steaming gravy (with a hint of onion)peas, carrots and stuffing seasoned with summersavory that had been horded just for thisoccasion. What followed was Mom’s steamedcarrot pudding and caramel sauce, a dessert assweet as it was thick and heavy. Afterwards,faces glowing and tummies stuffed, we wouldsit around the little living room and marvel athow lucky we were again this year.

Spending six months in Bosnia,especially during the bleak winter months, isan experience that will most likely makeeveryone of us more aware of those who areless fortunate. From a positive perspective, itshould also make each and every one of usthankful that we were born in our great country,Canada.

I wish all ranks a Very MerryChristmas and a Healthy and Happy New Year.BE SAFE.

Major DanDrew

Christmas in thebackwoods of

Canada


PETRA SMITH as “Frau PAFFO”

in



Edition 3January 2003


By: LCol Craig King

It is a pleasure to be providing the fore-word for this edition of the Palladium Post. Janu-ary is of course the start of the New Year and moreimportantly, it marks the official mid-tour point ofour mission. It is appropriate that we take this op-portunity to look forward towhat lies ahead for the re-mainder of our time inBosnia.

In terms of our dailyoperations, we will continuewith our many activities toprovide a safe and secure en-vironment in our Area of Op-erations. The European Un-ion Police Monitoring(EUPM) mission begins onJanuary 1, and we are assist-ing this transition greatly. Interms of supporting popula-tion stability, we can look for-ward to the completion of our many CommunityImprovement Programmes and Humanitarian AidProjects in February, as well as continued progresswith the Canton 10 census before the arrival of Roto12. We have much more work to do to stimulateeconomic development and this area will receiveincreased attention in the New Year.

I have had the opportunity to brief the sub-units on the operational changes that will occur in

the New Year. You will note some differences inthe way we conduct operations in the future thatare part of the larger NATO plan to begin our with-drawal from Bosnia. Our past successes permit usto undertake this next step and I will keep you ap-praised on the progress of the plan in the weeksahead.

As we embark on this work for the secondhalf of the tour, I would highlight some importantaspects of our mission to date. To this point in thetour, we have had less than half the vehicle acci-dents of the previous Roto. This is a significant ac-complishment particularly given the winter climateand local conditions. I would like to thank all driv-ers and crew commanders for this achievement andextend encouragement to all to keep up the excel-lent work. In personnel matters, incidents requir-ing disciplinary action have been rare, indicatingthe high standard of discipline you continue to main-tain on operations and during leave. Similarly,repatriations are a fraction of previous Rotos, high-lighting both the first rate service being providedto our families by our Rear Party and the collectivedrive of all our Battle Group members to see throughour mission. Please keep up our remarkable stand-ard of discipline as we proceed through the remain-der of the operation.

Y o uare doingyourselvesproud andevery visitorexposed tothe BattleGroup re-ports to mehow tremen-dously im-pressed theyare with theextent ofyour work,your profes-

sionalism and the results you are achieving. We canall look forward to even greater success in the NewYear. I thank you for your efforts. Stay sharp, paceyour work and, above all, be safe in everything thatyou do.

Lieutenant-Colonel Craig KingCommanding Officer 1 PPCLI Battle Group



C CoyCpl Sarah Keller

11 Fd SqnCpl Dale Brophy Admin Coy

Pte Matthew Glen

D CoyCpl Jennifer Tracz

B SqnCpl Gregory Moon

HQ CoyMCpl Trevor Parkinson



Chief of DefenceStaff

By: Lt James Dawe

CDS visits theCanadian BattleGroup at Xmas

Christmas is a difficult time to spendapart from loved ones. This was madeapparent to the soldiers of the 1 PPCLI BattleGroup (BG) this year, as they were deployedin Bosnia for the duration of the holidayseason.

Breaking the day-to-day routine isalways a challenge when deployed in an

operational theatre, but at Christmas time, itis a necessary challenge to overcome to putthe members of the BG in a festive mood. Thisyear, the BG held true to long standingtraditions and planned for the regularChristmas hockey games featuring thePrivates and Corporals versus the MasterCorporals, followed by the Senior Non-Commissioned Officers versus the Officers.To make the events of Christmas Eveespecially interesting this year, GeneralHenault, the Chief of Defence Staff, decidedto spend Christmas away from his loved onesto spend it with deployed soldiers. A gesturemuch appreciated by the BG.

The CDS first arrived in Zgon wherehe witnessed the Pte/Cpls beat the MCpls onthe floor hockey court. The second gamebetween the Officers and Senior NCOs startedon a good note as the CDS dropped the ballfor the opening face off. The officers appeared


to be very willing to impress their top rankedGeneral as they marched past the SeniorNCOs in convincing fashion.

The festivities were moved to thekitchen where Christmas dinner was servedby the Officers and Senior NCOs to thesoldiers of the BG. The dinner was highlightedby the Christmas greetings from the CDS tothe BG and the presentation of severalGovernor General awards to the members ofthe BG who participated in the Battle of theMedak Pocket.

The CDS proceeded across theBosnian countryside to Drvar and Bihac,where he visited members of Charlie andDelta Companies. In both camps he spenttime with the members of the BG, wished thecompanies “Seasons Greetings” and presentedGovernor General commendations.

On Christmas Day, the CDS’s tripculminated with a trip to the heights of Mount

Gola to have lunch with the six signalers whoman the station for the duration of the tour.Due to their remote location, visitors are oftenfew and far between and as a result anopportunity to host the CDS for lunch onChristmas Day was well-received.

The difficult times soldiers encounterwhile being deployed over the Holiday Seasoncan be alleviated by breaking the monotonythat a tour brings with activities that areconsistent with those holiday traditions athome. A show of solidarity from their topGeneral is also an excellent way to make timespent away from loved ones more endurable.


Adventures in


December By: Cpl Rob Hannivan

The month of December arrived quietly, with nofanfare, just the obligatory 23 hours of rain per day; or atleast that is the way that Alpha patrol sees things. To makethis easy to understand, every time Alpha patrol goes out ona task, the weather generally co-operates, but somewherepast the “half-way point of no return,” the weather lets loosewith everything it has, leaving two Coyote crews less thanpleased and more than soaked to the bone. This, sadly, isonly one of the ways that Mother Nature likes to interactwith Recce Soldiers.

In the early days ofDecember, Three Troop waschosen to take part inOperation Inferno, escortingconfiscated weapons to afoundry in Zenica fordestruction. The night beforeand the morning of departureheld great promise for ourlong journey, until we leftZgon and traveled less than5 kilometers, when MotherNature showed us one of herother favorite methods ofinteraction, icy fog, andfreezing rain. Our trip to thefoundry was, thankfully,uneventful, and upon arrival,Cpls Robin Whiteley andRob Hannivan provided ground security while the weaponswere unloaded and deposited into the smelter, permanentlyremoving 3 tons of confiscated ordnance from this theatreof operations.

Our return to Zgon was pleasantly delayed by aone night stop at the Dutch camp at Bugojno, that gave allpersonnel involved a little down time, and the chance todine at “Echos,” a diner that is prevalent on European bases;serving good old fashioned greasy food. Master CorporalDarren Magas also had a chance to purchase yet anothercoffee mug, his third at last count, to combat the spirits inhis call sign, the mischievous ones, that always ensure hismug disappears causing great grief to his crew with the de-kitting of the entire vehicle. We all hope that he can keep agrip on this nice, shiny, stainless steel mug, which he lovinglyrefers to as “Rosebud.”

Only a few short days after our return to Zgon, areconfigured Recce Squadron was launched to Banja Lukato render assistance and show a force presence in the Prijedorarea. Our three-day task turned into a week of six hours onand six hours off patrolling. Once again, between patrollingin both a mounted and dismounted configuration, membersof Recce Sqn were able to consume mass quantities of tea,coffee and greasy food at Echos, supplementing the wonderfulfood served at the mess. It was a long week, spent in theconfines of a super-sized weather-haven, where thetemperature was somewhere between not warm and notfreezing. The return trip was made a little more interestingby Mother Nature, when she once again showed anotherfavorite way of interaction, snow, and lots of it.

With the arrival of the sea containers filled withhumanitarian aid from Edmonton, Three Troop took greatjoy in filling the request that had been accumulated in thepast three months. The timing could not have been betterwith a week before Christmas. We were also able to help theschool in Kijevo with some needed school supplies and 25

other families in the form of blankets, candles and winterclothing.

What would a December article be without tellingyou how we spent our holiday season? The Squadroncommenced its Christmas in Bosnia with a gift exchangefrom our secret Santas on the eve of the 23rd. To every onesdelight, the merry little elf, in person, showed up to hand outthe gifts. I believe he was the real Santa, as he required noextra padding. The 24th commenced with the traditionalhockey games between the Privates/Corporals against theMaster Corporals, and the Senior NCOs against the Officers.In keeping with tradition the Privates/Corporals and theOfficers were victorious. That same day we received ourturkey dinner with all the trimmings served by our Officersand Senior NCOs. We finished our holiday with a relaxingday off on the 25th under the umbrella of security provided


to travel. That evening we received orders from the OfficerCommanding (OC), Major Scott Long, to begin our taskimmediately. Our adventure began with the deployment ofour command post, underthe control of Captain Doug Evansand Warrant Officer Geoff Bamford, to a platoon house inPrejidor to sustain communications.

We embarked on a very rigorous patrollingschedule to ensure we had comprehensive coverage of theAO. The requirement of blanket coverage of the AO saw theOC and the Squadron Sergeant Major becoming a patrol aswell, which took the pressure off the troops until that fatefulnight of supreme navigational and crew commander skillsresulted in that patrol becoming bogged in a driveway whilstturning around. Lieutenant Rob McKenzie of first troop cameto their aid, after three hours, the recovery was complete, andmuch to the chagrin of the OC they appeared back in campcompletely mired in mud at 0500 hours (an extra three hoursafter they were scheduled to return). Sgt Bruce Montrose(not to be outdone by the OC) travelled the same section ofroad the next day and became bogged as well. This led us toavoid that stretch of road with our larger vehicles.

December 10 saw the Squadron launch intoanother task with the British, as well as an Operation Harvest,conducted by first troop. The main operation consisted ofthe Squadron patrolling and establishing an outer cordon forthe search teams of Canadian, British and Dutch soldierswithin a warehouse complex. An indication of the overallsuccess of getting weapons off the street, was that very littlewas found at this time.

The mission was a complete success due to manypeople behind the scenes; including the maintenance section,which provided full support to maintain the fleet of vehiclesand the QRF personnel, who provided the support of vehiclesand personnel forward to the operational area. A specialthanks to Warrant Officer Rick MacMillan for his overall

support to the troops, whether it was providing soldiers forthe vehicle maintenance and the care of the soldiers in thebroken down call signs, or the coffee and sustenance at thefuel point on the return of the Squadron after a long coldroad move.

December 4, the Squadron, after two months ofensuring that we knew our Area of Operations (AO),was issued a warning order to assist the British with acouple of operations that they had planned. Theyrecognized the requirement for more manpower toaccomplish the mission and to do their normal frameworkof operations. The Squadron’s operational grouping wascomprised of first, second and SHQ/Adm Troops. Dueto the number of personnel on leave and the requirementto maintain a Quick Reaction Force (QRF), a third troophad to augment the Squadron. Attachments to theSquadron included an engineer section from 11 FieldSquadron, Battle Group Maintenance Section MRT, andan ambulance from the Unit Medical Station (UMS) forthis task.

On December 5, 80% of the Squadron rolledout the gate for Banja Luka, our planned staging area. Thatday the Squadron recced the British AO and confirmed thecapabilities of our radio systems throughout the area. Theengineer section, commanded by Sergeant Mike Vandebroek,confirmed cleared routes and areas, which we were required

OperationBroadsword

By: Sgt. Rick Smith

by Troopers Long and Bromley, AKA Maj Scott Long andCapt Darren Bromley.

In between these separate adventures, Three Troopconducted standard patrols, Quick Reaction Force duties,gate guard, vehicle checkpoints, refresher training, andvarious other tasks. The PT level of Three Troop has neverbeen higher, thanks to Tiger Woods golf 2002 for PS2, andNHL Hockey 2003, also for PS2. Corporal Robin Whiteleywon the 50/50 draw, as did other members of the Squadron,and our very own Sgt Rick Smith made the papers backhome in Edmonton and received a Commanders Coin forhis participation in fighting a fire in the village of Rudinice.As well, the very same Sgt Smith received his SFOR medalon December 28 in preparation for his repatriation back toCanada January 3, 2003 to attend the Armour QL6B.

Three Troop is carrying on with daily duties andtasks, just waiting for the next set of adventures to come ourway, or at the very least, R&R or HLTA to arrive. Spirits arehigh, professionalism and humor are side by side, and eventhough Mother Nature is not often our friend, we will alwaysbe there. So every day that it rains or snows or fogs over, donot forget that every day, somewhere in the world an ArmourRecce soldier gets cold and wet; so speak kindly of yourlocal volunteer Recce Squadron.


Twas the night before Blue Light, “Now Iggy, now Augy, Down the road,And throughout the Patrol, Now Mooner, and Q, 200 metres to see,Not a soldier was stirring, Now Mag, Now Robin, The place were “Wild Cat”,

“It was late, don’t ya know!!!” And Rental, you Too!!!” Soon would be.

The Coyotes were stowed, Throw the kit in the vehicles, I marked the road,Full, and then some, No item too small, I marked it real good,In hopes that the call, Now head to the vehicle park, Wild cat landed,Would never come. Head there all. Right were I stood.

The Patrol was all snoring Just like the wind, A wink of his eye,All snug in their beds, To the vehicles we fly, The pilot nodded his head,While visions of R&R, “We’ll set up a road block, IRT would take over,Danced in their heads. And let no one bye.” We had nothing to dread.

With the “WO” in the mess, There at the vehicles, They went to the site,Not having any booze, The soldiers they knew, Wild Cat worked fast,I was just laying down, We got guns, and smoke grenades, The guys in the accident,

To have a snooze. And Mag’s coffee cup too!! Wouldn’t have time to last.

When over the radio, And once in the vehicle, They spoke a few words,There came such a noise, I heard on the hatch, And went straight to work,

It was the Patrol Commander, “Hey Mag, give me a smoke, They pulled out the casulties,“Gather the Boyz.” I’m getting off the patch.” With one smooth jerk.

Away to the weather haven, As we all lined up, Once in the chopper,I ran with all my might, Close to the front gate, The pilot nudged his nose,

Tore open the door, I was really amazed, The door slammed shut,And turned on the light. That nobody was late. And up IRT rose.

“Get outta bed, We had on our vests, The job was finished,The time is here, Our flak jackets as well, It was over here,Grab your guns, Ready to do our best, Back to Camp,

And all of your gear.” To give it hell We’ll have our 2 beer.

When what to my wondering, All the radios dangling, The radio it crackled,Eyes should I see, From shoulders and straps, We strained with our mite,6 sleepy soldiers, “We have enough comms already, “Job well done

Starring back at me. Please, take some back!!!” You’ve passed Bluelight!!”

“Get to the vehicles, We get to the grid, Now back to the camp,Get to them fast, Where we should be, And we’ll give you the scoop,I really can’t wait, And I stop by the accident, “Pass the radio’s on over,

For this task to pass. To see what I can see. To the next lucky Troop.”

Quicker than lightning, The place it was ugly,The Patrol Commander came, Up came the rest,As he shouted and hollered, We’ll figure it out,

And bellowed our names, We’ll do our best.

T’was the Night Before Blue Light

MCpl Magas, B Sqn


Welcome to the world of information.“Information Central” is what the 1 PPCLI HQbuilding could be called. Inside this buildingsits the offices of many sections that feedinformation in and out of the Battle Group (BG)24 hours a day, seven days a week. So comealong and I’ll give you a quick tour of thebuilding. In the future some of the sections wevisit will probably be telling you a little moreabout what they do.

Let’s begin with the Civil and MilitaryCooperation (CIMIC) Section. This section isinvolved with making life a lot easier for thepeople living in our Area of Operations (AO).They receive information from our patrols aboutneedy families and then try to help them out bygetting in touch with Non-GovernmentalOrganizations (NGO’s) who provide them withHumanitarian Aid such as blankets, clothes, bedsand stoves. They also talk to local people to getthe “feel of the land” and to see how they canhelp make life easier for them.

There is also a Legal Officer located inthe building who provides the BG with adviceon issues such as the implementation of Rulesof Engagement by our soldiers and disciplinarymatters with the BG.

The HQ Administration staff and HQCoy OR is also located in the building. Theyprovide administration support to HQ Coy andthis is also where the important but much dreadedHQ Coy Gate Guard List comes from.

Another major element of “InformationCentral” is BG Ops. Here personnel plan and

coordinate BG operations to ensure a safe andsecure environment in our AO, in order to assistSFOR and the International Community in settingthe conditions for a self-sustaining peace in BiH.All these individuals handle what is termed the“Blue” information that is needed to run the BGsafely, effectively and efficiently. Many NCO’swork here also as they assist the officers, of course.

Down the hall is the Intelligence Section.These folks manage the BG’s “Red” informationand keep tabs on issues affecting force protection,law and order politics and crime. This informationis passed daily (yes we work Sundays) to the BGand to our lower and higher formations.

Right next-door is the Geomatics Section(The Geo Monsters). The Geomatics SupportTeam manages the “Brown” information gap.They provide terrain analysis and visualization,geomatics data access and management, and alsohandle map requests and graphics (prettypictures).

Across the hall you will find 11 FieldEngineers Ops who provide the BG with overallco-ordination on engineer tasks, maintain TaskForce designated ground traces, provide minethreat assessments and technical advise onmobility, protection and general support.

Last but not least is Public Affairs. Theyprovide the BG with updates on what is beingsaid about SFOR and world news from thedifferent newspapers and radio stations. Theyalso provide liaison between Canadiannewspapers and radio stations so the BG getsfull coverage back home about the fantastic jobwe are doing here. They also help tell the troops’story through interviews with hometownnewspapers and get someone to take those nicehandshake photos.

Well that’s concludes our tour of“Information Central” the 1 PPCLI HQ building.Hope you had a nice time and don’t be afraid tovisit us. We’re here to make sure everyone in theBG stays in the loop and that everyone gets homesafely.

By: PO2 Don Eenkooren

INFORMATION CENTRAL

Intelligence


9 Platoon

As of October 6, 2002, all of 9 Platoon werein Drvar and prepared to begin our tour of duty. Drvaris located in western Bosnia, in the Federation ofBosnia-Herzegovina, just a few hours east of theAdriatic Sea. Drvar is located in a valley that has onlytwo main access routes in and out of the town. Thetown of Ahas has an approximate population of10,000 people which includes the surroundingvillages. Our camp is set up in an abandoned breadfactory that some have named Castle Greyskull afterthe old He-man Cartoons, this is due to the fact thatmost of the personnel in the camp live in a five-storygrey building.

The platoon had a very busy start to the tour,as we were the first to have all troops on the ground.Therefore, we had to cover off the Quick ReactionForce (QRF) section and Camp Security Sectionwhile the commanders continued to familiarizethemselves with our area of operations (AO). TheQRF section is manned by a nine man section withthe minimum manning being seven personnel. Dutiesof the QRF are to be on 15 minutes notice to move toreact to any emergencies that may occur within ourAO. Normally a section will spend three days as theQRF and then continue with normal patrol duties.The Camp Security Section’s duties are to secure thecamp for a 24-hour period, which consists of fourmen doing a 12-hour shift. We keep a logbook of

civilian employees entering or leaving the camp andconduct periodic checks of personnel coming throughthe gate. The Security Section escorts civilian servicevehicles through the camp and conducts continuousroving patrols around the camp perimeter. Sectionsrotate through as the security section every three days,and platoons rotate weekly as with the QRF task.Throughout the long hours of the night we had lots oftime to practice our card playing skills in the guardshack while keeping an eye on the gate.

When not the QRF or Security Section weare tasked with patrolling through our Platoon’s AO.While out on patrols we have had the opportunity tosee both the physical and economical damages thatwar can have on a country. To paint a picture for thosewho cannot experience the effects there are manyhomes that were gutted by fire, riddled by bullets, orpillaged for building materials. There is garbagelittering every roadside and river, which consists ofeverything from automobiles, appliances, clothing,and everyday garbage. There are a few aid agenciesaround attempting to help where they can, and weconduct humanitarian assistance in the form ofdelivering beds, stoves, and tarps.

C Company is becoming well-known in thecommunity; we have made many valuableconnections within the town. One of which is theleader of one of the local hunting associations. SergeantPat Tower and Master Corporal Mike Cruickshankwere invited to a dinner meeting of this club. Theywere treated like guests of honor and were servedfresh bread, pop, and the hunters special, a soupsimmered for hours with large chunks of lamb in atasty broth. They stayed for many hours talking tomembers about problems in the local area and hearingheroic hunting stories from the elderly hunters. Thenight ended with some old Serbian hunting songs,many handshakes, and some agreements about thenew relationship between SFOR and the DrvarHunting Association

1 Section was given the privilege of takingthe commander Multinational Division (South-West)on patrol with them. It was a normal day in Drvar,and British Brigadier-General Farquar saw just howwell the community is getting on with day-to-day life.He was even seen helping a local road worker fill in apothole in the road.

By: Lt Loic Gomez


On December 11, 2002, the childrenof Bosansko Grahovo had a special visitor.Helped by the soldiers of 7 Platoon, C Com-pany, 1 PPCLI, Santa Claus visited this tiny,war-ravaged town 45 minutes South of Drvar.Bosansko Grahovo (or Bos G to the soldiers)was a dying town before the war in Bosnia andhasn’t seen much rebuilding or economic de-velopment since. That’s why Santa decided tocome a bit early to check on the children thereand to make sure that they had the happiestChristmas possible. Organized by Sergeant TimHalcro and Padre Gabby Legault, Santa’s visitto the Bos G School Christmas party was a suc-cess.

Santa Claus (a.k.a Master Corporal JoelTurnbull) had some unusual transportation thatday since Rudolf and the crew were resting upfor their big night on the 24th. The soldiers of

7 Platoon offered to give him a lift in their state-of-the-art Armoured Personnel Carrier, the LAVIII. Santa was quite impressed with his rideand he was heard to comment that the LAV IIIwould provide lots of space for gifts, but hewasn’t sure if only nine reindeer could lift 18

tonnes intothe air. Afterthe kidslunched onsubmarinesandwichesand juicebrought by 7Platoon, andcookies do-nated by theGirl Guidesof Canada,some of thes o l d i e r sjoined in onthelast pe-riod of“ s p o r t sclass” in thegym and had

a challenging game of soccer.

Christmas inBosanski Grahovo By: Lt James L’Heureux

After the last period of the day, the 60children in the school, grades 1 to 8, gathered inone room and expectantly waited for the “big man”to make his appearance. They patiently listenedas Captain Matthew Aggus explained a bit aboutthe Canadian Christmas tradition, all the whilewith

As Corporal Kelly Stewardson broughtout packages for all the children and CorporalKeith Mooney and Private Mike Rowsell playedthe guitar and sang Christmas carols, Santa Clausmade his entrance. The faces of the youngerchildren actually lit up when they saw Santalaughing and carrying a huge bag of toys. Santacalled each student forward one by one and said afew words as he gave them a stuffed animal, abag of treats and some school supplies. Awonderful day was had by all!


entered with his bag of goodies for thechildren. It was a timely processdistributing the gifts as each child wascalled up to Santa to receive his/her gift oftwo shoebox sized gifts (containing schoolsupplies, candy, and other odds and ends,donated by Canadians), candy, andhomemade mittens that were a donationfrom Canada. After Saint Nick called uponeach child to receive their gifts, the childrenopened their gifts to see what Saint Nickhad brought for them this year.

Due to the number ofpresents that were given for the party, therewas even enough to give out to the kids in

attendance that were too young to go toschool, but were there for the concert. Aswell, the younger crowd received teddybears, graciously given to Saint Nick byCapt Jason Watt of the CIMIC cell in CampDrvar.

After the presents weregiven out, each child had the chance to haveits picture taken with Saint Nick, who wasmore than happy to do it. Once all thepictures were taken it was time for a quickreception where the children were treatedto pop and cookies. Shortly thereafter, the

By: Lt James L’Heureux

Christmas party atPrekaja school

On December 19, 2002, themembers of 1 Section 8 Platoon, CCompany attended a Christmas celebrationat a school in the village of Prekaja. Prekajais located about fifteen kilometers east ofthe town of Drvar. The school has 21students ranging in grades from 1 to 4.

Section Commander Sergeant DaveShultz played the part of jolly old Saint Nickand with the help ofmembers of 1Section (acting asthe elves), aplethora of giftswere loaded into thesection’s LAV IIIand transported tothe school wherethey were warmlywelcomed by theteachers and parentsof the students.

T h eChristmas partybegan with a small concert performed bythe children of the school. It encompassedsongs and skits by the school children aboutChristmas and Lady Winter. The childrenappeared nervous due to the number ofpeople in attendance, but after a couplesongs they warmed up to the presence ofsoldiers and put on a fine display of singingand dancing.

The finale was a song where thechildren call for Saint Nick to come and visitthem, as they have been well-behaved forthe last year. At that point, Saint Nick


kids had to catch the bus to gohome, but all left with big smileson their faces and arms full of giftsdue to the generosity of those backin Canada and the hard work ofSFOR.

The teachers andparents of the children inattendance of the Christmas partyall thanked SFOR for the work thathad gone into making this partysuch a success and for the joy thatSaint Nick had brought to thechildren that day.

The presents were adonation from the Fort SaskatchewanElementary School. Special thanks goes outto Caitlin Nielsen who played a big part inorganizing the donations and shipping themto her father, WO Kevin Nielsen, whodistributed them on behalf of the school. Avery special thanks goes out to all thechildren of the Fort Saskatchewan

Elementary School who made thedonations to make this Christmas party areality. As well, thanks to the Girl Guidesof Canada for their donations of cookiesthat were used after the party forrefreshments.

Teaching Bosnian children about mines




By: Cpl Matt Bird

A Bihac Christmas

DeltaCompany

Thousands of miles away from families andfriends, the soldiers of Camp Bihac still managed tofind some cheer duringthis year’s holidayseason. Presents fromhome, thecompanionship offriends and co-workers,and a generally upbeatChristmas spirit allcontributed to a happyand joyous holiday foreveryone. Amidst all ofthis, of course, came along standing traditionsacred throughoutCanada’s military; theMen’s Christmasdinner. And even herein Bosnia, amidstpatrols, camp duties,and everyday tasks, Camp Bihac managed to enjoytaking part in this tradition.

The Men’s Christmas Dinner in Bihac waspreceded of course by the senior staff in the camp takingover the duties normally carried out by the troops. TheSection Commanders, Warrant Officers, Chief WarrantOfficer from CIMIC and Platoon Commanders all tooktheir turns on gate guard, doing both the day and nightshifts over Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. As well,the Operations cell and some of the other Sergeants tookover the CP shifts, and the OC and CSM carried outfoot patrols into town along with the help of some of theother officers. All of the hard work on the part of thecommand elements made for some very welcome timeoff for the soldiers in camp, which was much appreciatedby all.

Finally came the dinner. Our local kitchenstaff worked long and hard all day to prepare for us oneof the finest Christmas meals possible in all of Bosnia,

and any food can only be made that much better whenserved to you by you platoon commander. The servingcrew made up of all the senior staff in camp did anexcellent job of catering to the troops. Everyone enjoyedthe meal greatly, and the time together provided us allwith a chance to be truly thankful for all that we have.

However, there was an added benefit to beingat the Christmas Dinner in Bihac this year; we had avery special guest present, to wish us all a very MerryChristmas. The Chief of Defense Staff, General Henault,who took time out of his busy schedule to stop by andshare in our Christmas cheer. Though he had a tightschedule, and had a long journey ahead of him due to

the foggy road conditions, the General took the time toanswer some questions posed to him by camp personnel.

By: Cpl Jennifer Tracz

Life in the FastLane-UMS

It has been three months since our arrival inBosnia. Six medics all from Edmonton, all withdifferent ideas of how this tour was going to go down.In addition, in the three months that have past wehave all learned a few things about each other,ourselves, and living in the close quarters of CampCourcellette.


Upon our arrival the biggest task was takingwhat used to be a platoon house Unit Medical Station(UMS) and turning it into a decent UMS suitable totake in whatever should come through its doors. Ourbenevolent leader, Petty Officer Second Class R.C.vanOwerkerk, handled the undaunting task. With aname like that he should be able to handle anything.His second in command is Master Corporal BobBeaudry, Pharmacy I/C Corporal Steve Zreick,Treatment I/C Corporal Eric Demers, and the twodrivers are Corporal Jennifer Tracz and Private AmyPennington. The team was assembled and ready tobring Bihac UMS up to speed.

VanO and his team of elite medics broughtthe little Bihac UMS up to par. Vehicles were broughtup to specs thanks to the diligent work of the twodrivers, and the know how of the Bihac mechanics.What’s next?

T r a i n i n gpeople that’s what it’sall about. So lets throwin some first aidtraining. D-Coy boyswere up to the rigors ofsome intense first aidtraining to hone theirskills. Of course,there’s mineawareness trainingthanks to theengineers. Somepoking and prodding,it’s not only for leave.ROE training wasbrought to us by theOfficer in Charge ofD-Coy, who re-enforced the importance of knowingwhat we can and cannot do based on the situation.

The medics all got the opportunity tocomplete TOETs and the personal weapons test withthe 9 mm pistol. That’s right no more C-7s; the pistolis the lightweight weapon of choice for medics.

In amongst all this training the drivers stillgot the opportunity to increase their hours on thebeloved Bison. Armoured vehicles are the vehicle ofchoice when traveling through the Bosniancountryside. These day trips provide the opportunity

to see other camps and others throughout the Area ofOperations (AO).

You can’t forget about those poor souls atthe Radio Rebroadcast sites. Mt. Gola is closest toBihac. What must you do to get used to the goat path?Drive it with a sense of urgency. Take that BisonAmb and get to the top. Once a week, every weekuntil you get it right. Two drivers, one crewcommander, and nerves of steel have proven that nomatter what the conditions, we will make it to the top.

But don’t think it’s all sunshine and lollipopsin Bihac. Not always the case. Some times peoplehave to make difficult decisions. And the person tomake those decisions should be the Senior MedicalTechnician…vanO. Controversy reared its ugly headwhen the camp adopted some dogs. Unfortunately,SFOR doesn’t like dogs on its installations. As the

Senior Medical authority the PO felt the brunt of thedebate. Until one day, the local authorities arrivedand ridded the camp of the four-legged canines. AChristmas tree memorial was erected in memory ofthese noble animals and a candle light vigil was heldin their memory. So long “Cooter” there are morefire hydrants where you are now…little fella.

Aside from that all is well in our little cornerof the AO. So if you happen to be passing by Bihacstop in stay a while, enjoy our kitchen, and the friendlyfolks who are only here for a good time not a longtime.


The actual distribution of HA to the generalpopulation is done by the patrols; there issome done by CIMIC, but most done by thepatrols.

Aside from HA distribution - CIMICis heavily involved in projects - everythingfrom rebuilding infrastructure (key buildings,sewage and water, electricity, etc) toimproving social conditions (communitycentres, youth centres, schools, etc). HAP(Humanitarian Assistance Projects) are alsoadministered by CIMIC. HAP are smallprojects that are proposed by any soldier tohelp out the local population. Examples ofHAP are: firewood, hand tools, wheelbarrowsand others. The LO teams (LO & Driver,along with an assigned interpreter) arecontinually submitting new projects forpossible consideration to our headquarterselement consisting of Economical andOperations Officers. Often CIMIC has theunfortunate, and often difficult task ofdeciding which possible project ‘will’ beconsidered. I say ‘possible projects’ becausethere are many criteria that each project mustfit in order to be considered. It’s not alwayseasy to turn down some requests, but someonemust do it. It is important that we staydiplomatic to avoid conflict in the decisionmaking process.

One criterion a project usually mustmeet, which is extremely important, is it mustbe capable of providing a benefit for a largenumber of people. Examples of this wouldbe the reconstruction of an electrical facilityor the construction of a water facility. Wewould then present the idea to variousHumanitarian Aid organizations. Should theproject be seen as suitable, we receive therequired funding and implement the plan byhiring local contractors. By being in the field,we get an opportunity to see the completionof our projects. In most cases we get aheadof ourselves and immediately want to trybettering the project or get on to another one.This is where the team drivers play a key role.

By: Cpl Lawrence Spencer & CplAndrew Weninger

CIVIL MILITARY CO-OPERATION

CIMIC

After months of pre-deploymenttraining, CIMIC related courses in variouslocations throughout western Canada, the G8Summit and a few administrative changes tothe existing organization; our platoon arrivedat its first of many goals to obtain over thenext six months. We all arrived in Bosnia!Our mission remains the same as the rest ofthe Battle Group: To aid in a safe and secureenvironment.

What is CIMIC? Is it a new boyband? Actually, the answer is no, this is a neworganization within the military to helppromote Civilian Military Co-operation. Aunique aspect of this organization is that it isa Reserve task and the majority of it is madeup of Reservists from across Canada, withkey Regular Force personnel in certainpositions. Reservists bring personalexperiences from a wide range of workenvironments. Some are welders, pipe fittersand other construction trades. ManyReservists are business owners, businessmanagers, and others have training ineconomics and computers. We even have apolice officer in one camp. It all adds to theoverall effectiveness of the unit.

CIMIC is probably best known forour Humanitarian Aid (HA) contributions ie:clothing, stoves, teddy bears etc, but that isonly a small part of what they do. CIMIC actsas the “distribution centre” for HA - theycoordinate the movement of HA betweencamps and maintain the inventory of HAwithin the camps. In most camps, it is theCIMIC drivers who are coordinating the HA.


the economic side of the house we have CaptAtkin and Capt McCranor (both of theseindividuals remember the Lee Enfield with

great fondness) and their ever so trustingdriver Cpl Weninger. But for all those wholive in Camp Zgon we have our local LOSergeant Powell and his very own crash teamof Medics, along with his driver the ever socheerful Cpl Spencer.

For those of you who live in Drvarwe have Capt Watt, Chief Warrant OfficerStewart as LOs, and their trusty drivers CplLees and Cpl MacIntyre. MWO Fink and CplRolls who reside in Camp Glamoc round upthe “Rat pack” of Canton 10. While in Canton1 we have Lt Burke and CWO Fletcher withPrivate Paterson and Cpl Jesse as their drivers.Together all of these people make up theCIMIC platoon in the Canadian AO.

So if you are looking for a teddy bearto hug at night – call CIMIC. If you want aschool built or firewood to keep a familywarm – call CIMIC

They act not only drivers, but theyalso add driving the commanders in theirdecisions. Everyone has a say in ourorganization,and often thedrivers haveto remind thecommandersto take a stepback. Theyget in to sucha giving frameof mind,e s p e c i a l l yaround thefestive season,that they oftentry too hardand need to bereminded ofthe situation.It’s usuallyg r e a t l yappreciated!

Someof the major agencies we assist in our Areaof Operations (AO) are the InternationalCommunity (ICs): OHR, OSCE, UNHCR,EUPM and CIDA. We are also in contactwith a number of NGOs, ranging from “mom& pop” organizations to agencies withprofessionals (doctors, lawyers, economists,etc) and millions of dollars at their disposal.Within the opstinas we are dealing withmunicipal councils, local police and citizens.When people have different ideas of howthings should play out and the order in whichthey should be completed, CIMIC LOs aretrained to act as a mediator and bring thedifferent parties together in hopes of comingto a decision that suits all sides.

CIMIC is led by Major Furuness, andhis driver is Corporal Klingbile. Under himwe have the CIMIC Ops Cell with CaptainLonghurst and Master Warrant OfficerHassan and their driver Trooper Agarsky. On


By: Cpl Bob Klingbile

When I first received the task of creatingan article on recreation for the ‘Palladium Post,’ Itook a deep breath (swearing under it, of course)and said to myself, “do not take this mission, it’s toorisky! I’m too short for this!” I had a million andone reasons not take the mission but, truth be told Iwas looking forward to it after the lack of real actionsince being in theatre. I procrastinated longenough…I had to carry on.

As everyone knows, the daily events arerather typical for most people in Zgon. “Drive mehere,” “Report for gate guard,”, “Report to stores fora work party”…the list is endless. At the end of theworkday, it would be nice to have something to doto pre-occupy our down time? Some people like tosit in their room and dread the coming workday.Others wish to soak their sorrows with their “2 beer,per-person, per-day, perhaps.” Well, fortunately Ihave discovered through some ‘extensive’ researchthat there actually are things to do here! I havedocumented occurrences in chronological orderbeginning December 27, 2002. It appears an alternatelife form takes around the corner, but realizing I leftit behind, I slowly poked my head out so as not togive away my position. I couldn’t believe my eyes,and even today the thought alone stirs feelings ofinadequacy in me. Strange, muscle bound freaksoccupied the arena of terror…some larger than twomen put together! They were pushing, pulling, liftingand pressing different sized weights made of metalor plastic affixed to metal bars, or set within differentstudy’ or ‘religious gathering’ of sort. Not wantingto be corrupted by their ways, I darted towards thenoise coming from the tents to my right. It lookedlike our version of an “Ops room” with the amount

OPERATION:“NUTTIN’-TA-

DO! “

of computers in use…however, it seemed morepersonal related. Through further espionage, Idetermined they were writing personal letters.Perhaps this was a room intended for extraterrestrialcorrespondence via intergalactic Internet service?Again, more voices. I heard someone yell, “I’vebeen shot!!!” Curiously, I moved towards anotherseries of tents. Inside I saw four members practicingmilitary tactics on yet, more computers. I heard oneof them reply, “It’s only a game, man!” in a clearlyEnglish voice. The game depicted extreme violenceand carnage. What sort of creatures were they? Theyseemed to take pure enjoyment in such viciousactivities. They were all laughing, having a greattime! I realized the danger…morale was very highamong this sick culture.

2030hrs: After my grisly discovery, Iextracted myself from behind the tents only to findsix small cubicles affixed with telephone systems.Only two were in use, but that goes without saying.They were all preoccupied with their murderouskilling spree by way of computer. Ensuring the coastwas clear, I used my blinding speed to charge duesouth. As I passed by, I quickly glanced to my rightand saw the name, ‘The Soldier’s Rest’ on a signbeside an entrance. Inside ‘the Rest’ I noticed agroup playing an odd game of hitting balls into smallpockets on the corners of rectangular tables. Theyused long sticks actually fashioned for such an event.Two other tables were used for some sort of ‘soccer’game. They hit a little ball with great force, usingonly tiny plastic men attached to a series of bars.Often the ball would launch off the table and into anarea where others were watching movies. Theyseemed to heckle each other when this happened. Igathered my information and carried on.

2035hrs: An aroma of sweet spices caughtmy nose. I had to investigate its origin. As I wasabout to move, two more creatures appeared andbegan striking a small white ball across a platform,over a net. How odd…a version of tennis, playedon a table! Someone caught their attention…nowwas my chance to flee! I gathered up my nervesand rushed towards the odour. As I entered its fort,I was shocked to find a plethora of baked goods.Cookies, cakes, doughnuts, breads as far as the eyes


could see! Tucked away in a corner was anothersmall group. They were practicing a language, butwhat was it? There was an alphabet that resembledCyrillic, but I couldn’t be sure. What use wouldthese creatures have for such a language? Theytruly were an odd bunch. I was beginning to feelsick to my stomach. These beings were far moreadvanced then I had ever imagined! I had to makemy retreat…my room was the only safe haven. Ishot out the doors and bolted towards the front ofthe complex. I found two soldiers dressed in fightingorder roving the perimeter. I felt I would neverescape. Being the highly trained soldier I am, Iascertained that taking the same route back wouldsurely lead to my capture. Therefore, I took analternate route, which I planned prior to departing.It took me outside to a compound where I heardmore strange noises…would it ever end? It was amusical twang of some kind. I stalked the positionand conducted a listening halt. To my delight Irecognized the tune… it was AC/DC! I had to movecloser for visual confirmation. I peered in to theshanty through a door that was left ajar. This wasnot AC/DC!!! The called themselves “PUMP-THE-MOOSE.” I listened longer and discovered thatthey were capable of playing tunes from variousgroups including ‘Pearl Jam,’ ‘The Eagles’ and eventhe great Canadian band, ‘Nickel Back.’ Were theyan Alien cover band? I was shocked at the similaritybetween their music and the real thing! I foundmyself singing along to the familiar tunes. If I didn’tmove now, I would surely give away my position.If I were caught this deep in enemy territory,my capture would be unavoidable. I movedon, still singing the songs I just heard. Wasthis their way of brain washing people?

2045hrs: There…in the distance…afamiliar sight and smell. It was the washroomcomplex positioned only meters from WeatherHaven 32. I was almost home. Sticking tothe shadows as I was taught to do on manyRecce patrols I had conducted in my illustriouscareer, I adopted a prone position and leopard-crawled the remaining 50m to the entrance. Iwas safe…finally! I stood up, gathered mycomposure and walked directly towards the

entrances at the rear of the carpet factory. I wasable to blend in amongst the others. Surprisingly,they didn’t even look twice at me! I must haveseemed out of place, dressed entirely in black, thesweat beading off my dirty face. One of themstartled me when he said, “Hey, Bob! How ya’doin’?” How did he know my name?

2100hrs: Home at last! I have never feltso safe! I set my alarm for the up coming workday,locked my door, positioned my ‘cans-on-a-string’alarm system at the doorway and fell to my bed,exhausted from the ordeal. I found there was somuch to do in Camp Maple Leaf. And it onlytook one hour…the people at Intelligence wouldbe pleased when they read my report. I was certainsubsequent missions would follow. I slowly feltsleep cross my eyes. As I drifted off to a betterplace, a sudden sharp pain struck my abdomen.Had I been shot? Did they poison me with theirfoul air? No…it was nothing so severe, though Iwish it had been. I realized I would have to embarkon yet, another patrol. For the pain became areality…I had to go to the bathroom!

These are the facts as I remember them!!!


By: Spr Cameron McIntosh

1 Section’s Glamocbunker task

11 Field Squadron

When most people think of a combatengineer, they picture a soldier withexplosive ordnance, a mine detector, aprodder or a bridging panel in his or herhands. These are all very important skills a

combat engineer must have, but there is alsothe “dirty work” we must perform. Campmaintenance or force protection, which areconsidered by some as the unsung duties ofa combat engineer, are also very important.

1 Section, 11 Field Squadron, led bySgt Johnson and MCpl Spurrell, traveledfrom Drvar to Glamoc to improve strongerforce protection for personnel living in the

camp. An unexploded ordinance (UXO)bunker was re-constructed with a concreteframe and sandbags.

The front gate observation postrequired major renovations. A door wasadded to the back giving better access andprotection; a Hesco bastion wall was placedbehind the ladder leading to the C-6 porton the roof to also give better protectionfor personnel approaching this position.Another Hesco bastion wall had to be addedto the front of the structure and a C-6 portwas constructed in the front wall foradditional security.

A tear down and re-layering of theroof was alsoconstructed for thefront gateobservation post.After years ofweather erosion,the observationpost looks brandnew once again.Located at the backof the camp is a C-6 bunker; its roof isalso suffering fromsevere weathererosion. On thisbunker, the roofwas replaced withnew sandbags and

covered with hessian for protection againstweather erosion. Along the front wall ofthe perimeter of the camp, a concertina wirefence was put up for more additionalcoverage.

The efforts were hampered by wind,rain and snow but always the engineerswere able to complete their task on time.

Chimo!!


Here we arrive to a place we have never seen,Here we arrive to a place we have never seen,Here we arrive to a place we have never seen,Here we arrive to a place we have never seen,Here we arrive to a place we have never seen,We have traveled from Drvar with much history betweenWe have traveled from Drvar with much history betweenWe have traveled from Drvar with much history betweenWe have traveled from Drvar with much history betweenWe have traveled from Drvar with much history between

We work all day, through wind, through rain, through snow,We work all day, through wind, through rain, through snow,We work all day, through wind, through rain, through snow,We work all day, through wind, through rain, through snow,We work all day, through wind, through rain, through snow,But not once do we complain although so coldBut not once do we complain although so coldBut not once do we complain although so coldBut not once do we complain although so coldBut not once do we complain although so cold

Together we form the tip of the spear,Together we form the tip of the spear,Together we form the tip of the spear,Together we form the tip of the spear,Together we form the tip of the spear,Ready to pierce what ever tasking comes nearReady to pierce what ever tasking comes nearReady to pierce what ever tasking comes nearReady to pierce what ever tasking comes nearReady to pierce what ever tasking comes near

We start work now with our tools and our hands,We start work now with our tools and our hands,We start work now with our tools and our hands,We start work now with our tools and our hands,We start work now with our tools and our hands,Eyes focused, minds pondering, ears open to the words of commandEyes focused, minds pondering, ears open to the words of commandEyes focused, minds pondering, ears open to the words of commandEyes focused, minds pondering, ears open to the words of commandEyes focused, minds pondering, ears open to the words of command

Our bodies so sore our hands so cold,Our bodies so sore our hands so cold,Our bodies so sore our hands so cold,Our bodies so sore our hands so cold,Our bodies so sore our hands so cold,But our determination will keep us working until this bunker shall holdBut our determination will keep us working until this bunker shall holdBut our determination will keep us working until this bunker shall holdBut our determination will keep us working until this bunker shall holdBut our determination will keep us working until this bunker shall hold

I look below to see whom this will be protecting,I look below to see whom this will be protecting,I look below to see whom this will be protecting,I look below to see whom this will be protecting,I look below to see whom this will be protecting,To see infantrymen of a few warm in their nestingTo see infantrymen of a few warm in their nestingTo see infantrymen of a few warm in their nestingTo see infantrymen of a few warm in their nestingTo see infantrymen of a few warm in their nesting

I look above to see my section,I look above to see my section,I look above to see my section,I look above to see my section,I look above to see my section,Ignoring their pain to achieve perfectionIgnoring their pain to achieve perfectionIgnoring their pain to achieve perfectionIgnoring their pain to achieve perfectionIgnoring their pain to achieve perfection

And I say to myself thank god, I am not a zero three one,And I say to myself thank god, I am not a zero three one,And I say to myself thank god, I am not a zero three one,And I say to myself thank god, I am not a zero three one,And I say to myself thank god, I am not a zero three one,For if I was I would be missing out on all the funFor if I was I would be missing out on all the funFor if I was I would be missing out on all the funFor if I was I would be missing out on all the funFor if I was I would be missing out on all the fun

Our completion of our tasking is so near,Our completion of our tasking is so near,Our completion of our tasking is so near,Our completion of our tasking is so near,Our completion of our tasking is so near,Only a thousand sandbags and the end will be hereOnly a thousand sandbags and the end will be hereOnly a thousand sandbags and the end will be hereOnly a thousand sandbags and the end will be hereOnly a thousand sandbags and the end will be here

As our watches strike five we put our tools to their hide,As our watches strike five we put our tools to their hide,As our watches strike five we put our tools to their hide,As our watches strike five we put our tools to their hide,As our watches strike five we put our tools to their hide,Bodies’ still sore, hands still frozen, we have nothing but prideBodies’ still sore, hands still frozen, we have nothing but prideBodies’ still sore, hands still frozen, we have nothing but prideBodies’ still sore, hands still frozen, we have nothing but prideBodies’ still sore, hands still frozen, we have nothing but pride

Together we walk past the bunker in pair,Together we walk past the bunker in pair,Together we walk past the bunker in pair,Together we walk past the bunker in pair,Together we walk past the bunker in pair,And see an infantrymen sitting on a pillow on his chair,And see an infantrymen sitting on a pillow on his chair,And see an infantrymen sitting on a pillow on his chair,And see an infantrymen sitting on a pillow on his chair,And see an infantrymen sitting on a pillow on his chair,

He looks to us and says, hey come over here,He looks to us and says, hey come over here,He looks to us and says, hey come over here,He looks to us and says, hey come over here,He looks to us and says, hey come over here, Look at me; thank god I am not an engineer. Look at me; thank god I am not an engineer. Look at me; thank god I am not an engineer. Look at me; thank god I am not an engineer. Look at me; thank god I am not an engineer.

Sapper Sapper Sapper Sapper Sapper Cameron Cameron Cameron Cameron Cameron McIntoshMcIntoshMcIntoshMcIntoshMcIntosh

GLAMOC BUNKER TASK,THROUGHGLAMOC BUNKER TASK,THROUGHGLAMOC BUNKER TASK,THROUGHGLAMOC BUNKER TASK,THROUGHGLAMOC BUNKER TASK,THROUGHTHE EYES OF A SAPPERTHE EYES OF A SAPPERTHE EYES OF A SAPPERTHE EYES OF A SAPPERTHE EYES OF A SAPPER


During the five days of operations, theSection collected 38 grenades, 12 rifle grenades,two high explosive anti tank grenades, a mor-tar, a 155 mm artillery round, some 20 mm highexplosive ammo, various small arms ammo, aswell as some small arms weapons. As one sol-dier said on a slow day, “We only got four gre-nades and some small arms ammunition.” – thisalone is still considered a good collection. Ci-vilians who approached us said they heard ofthe harvests on the T.V. or the radio and askedus to pick up some ordnance at their houses.The local population was very supportive inthese operations. Task Force Sabre has an out-standing relationship with the local police, whichproved very helpful during this exchange. We

would all have to agree that these Op Harvestswere a great success.

Everyone in the Section walked awaywith an invaluable experience from this ex-change. The Americans expressed thanks andcommented on the professionalism displayed bythe Canadian troops. The Americans were fan-tastic hosts and being National Guard soldiers,they had vast experiences ranging from Korea,Vietnam, Panama and the Persian Gulf. If giventhe opportunity to work with the Americansagain, we would gladly accept.

On December 15, 2002, 2 Section of 1Troop, 11 Field Squadron based from CampDrvar, travelled to the American Area of Opera-tions (AO) to work with Task Force Sabre. Wewere tasked to provide BMD (Battlefield Mu-nitions Disposal) support to their Operation Har-vest since their soldiers were unable to collectordinance larger than 20 mm or any high explo-sive ammunition.

Upon arrival to Camp McGovern, wewere all impressed with the size of the camp, aswell as the types and va-riety of facilities avail-able. This Companysized camp has room foran additional 500 sol-diers if required, makingthis camp far larger thanany camp in the Cana-dian AO. The camp’s fit-ness facility was largerthan what you wouldfind on some garrisonbases, which included afull sized basketballcourt with a wood floor.The camp also had twocoffee shops and threestores from which youcould buy gifts for your family at home. Whileoff duty in Camp McGovern, the Americansproved to be great hosts by giving us full accessto all facilities on the camp. Each night of theweek, their all ranks mess hosted a variety oftournaments. Sergeant Laprade took first placein Ping Pong while Sappers Husted andAnderson placed 3rd. Corporal Dawe and Sap-per Pepin both learned to play Dominos duringthe week and won 1st and 2nd places respec-tively. Prizes awarded were T-Shirts, CD casesand bottle openers.

By: Spr Mike Pepin

1 Section, 2 Troop,


Good day all. Now that Christmas is over,things should settle down here at the Post Office. Weare usually a hub of activity and at any given time weare short-staffed, with either Cpl Symes, Cpl Mah ormyself MCpl Bouillon, on the road delivering lettersand parcels to Drvar, Bihac and Glamoc weekly, oron operational commitments (gate guard!).

Realizing how important mail is to thewelfare and positive morale of the soldiers, our dooris usually never closed. When the 10-ton truck rollsthrough the gate with full mailbags, no matter whatthe time is, my staff always ensures the fastestdistribution. This keeps the morale high within theArea of Operations (AO) and in the office since weare told on a continuous basis how much everyoneappreciates our dedication.

During this Christmas Season the PostOffice handled 393 bags (weighing 6453 kg) of mailfor soldiers within the camps of Zgon, Drvar, GosPeak, Sipovo, FSS Glamoc and Glamoc. Acting

Santa, MCpl Bouillon, and his elves Cpl Mah andCpl Symes have put in many hours ensuring everyonereceived their parcels in a timely fashion and in goodrepair. Sorting the parcels was a little easier this yearsince we seem to have come across a lot of parcelsfor the same people. Captain Peck, Master SeamanArsenault and Master Warrant Officer MacKayseemed to be having a competition amongstthemselves. Christmas Season was busy since we have

put 3,500 km on our postal vehicle serving the campsto ensure all the personnel had time to send gifts backhome to their families. I hope that all the familiesreceived their parcels on time and intact.

Now that the holidays are over, the big rushwill be to mail all those parcels that you have receivedin theater back to Canada. I know this will be a busy

period for us with everything elsegoing on, but I have confidencewe will complete our tasks in atimely and professional fashion,ensuring that all mail arrives backin Canada.

In closing, I would liketo thank Transport Platoon for thelong hours and hard work theyhave put forward in supplying thesleigh for getting the mail to us andthen to you to make everyone’sChristmas in theater an enjoyableone. Thumbs up to TransportPlatoon for their enormous effort!

As I say “service to allsecond to none.”

By: MCpl Claude Bouillon

A Word from thePostmaster

Admin


Maintenance platoon has gone throughand continues to go through alterationsthroughout Rotation 11.

In the New Year, 11 Field Squadron incooperation with Field Service Representative(FSR) from Sprung Canada will be replacing theskins on the three maintenance sprung shelters.The first sprung shelter to receive the new faceliftwill be Ancillary, followed by the A shop/Heavyequipment shop and then B Vehicle sprungs.Presently, the B shop walls have numerous namesof maintenance platoon personnel who haveserved on previousOperation PalladiumRotations painted onthem. These specialskins will be sent toBorden, which is hometo the ElectricalM e c h a n i c a lEngineering Branch.

Maintenanceplatoon held a BBQNovember 23,organized by MasterCorporal Colin Priceand his personnel fromB vehicle section. Special mention must be madeof the fantastic food that was prepared that night.The BBQ was held in the B shop and thehighlight of the evening was the foosballtournament. Master Corporal Colin Price alongwith his partner Corporal Ed McCarty won theevent after defeating Captain Mike Cole andCorporal Fred Demers by winning two out ofthree games in the final. The useless hammer was

also awarded that night to Sergeant DonColombe. Apparently, he tried to call MasterCorporal Dan MacLeod on the telephone bydialling the local on the computer keyboard.

Maintenance platoon was filmed doinga sixty-second New Year’s countdown. Thisfootage was spliced in with other groups countingdown the final seconds of 2002. This count downwas featured on “The Royal Canadian AirFarce’s” New Years Eve program.

We would like to extend a warmwelcome to Master Corporal Brad Gaiger, whohas taken over from Master Corporal Rob Moserin the tool crib. Master Corporal Moser hasmoved to Bihac to support D Coy. Another newface will be joining the platoon in the New Year.Master Corporal Maureen Brush, the current TQ,will be switching positions with Master CorporalDan MacLeod who is currently in charge ofSPSS. A last minute change to the control officein the near future, our current skirt, MasterCorporal Al Lotocki will be going to work in B

Vehicle and Master Corporal Colin Price is goingto visit his local seamstress for fitting of his newskirt, as he goes upstairs and becomes the newPlannexpert administrator.

Maintenance platoon would like to takethis opportunity to wish you all the best for theNew Year.

By: MCpl Donna Woods

What’s New InMaintenance Platoon

Maintenance


By: Major Dan Drew

I am reminded of the story of the Newfie(I call upon all seal clubbing stalwarts from that fairisland to forgive my failure to appease the evil godsof political correctness) who decided to swim acrossthe ocean. Anyway, he got halfway across, anddecided that he was tired and so he swam back.Well, we are at about that same stage in our tour,and although an element of fatigue may be settingin we have only one choice and that is to moveforward. And, so we will.

To date we have had a fairly uneventfultour. From an operational perspective one mightsay that things have been downright boring. Oneonly needs to be reminded of the ancient Chinesecurse that goes along the line “may you live ininteresting times” to conclude that at least in thiscase boring is a lot better than interesting or exciting.The problem with boring is that it tends to lead usclose to that old minefield known asCOMPLACENCY.

Complacency is defined as follows, [n.(also complacence) self satisfaction or tranquilpleasure, esp. when uncritical or unwarranted].Unwarranted self satisfaction is the product ofignorance, idleness and poor discipline.Complacency let the Germans conquer westernEurope in a few short months in 1939-40.Complacency led to Pearl Harbor and the Japanesein a commanding position in the South Pacific withindays in December 1941. Most recently, the resultsof complacency have manifested themselves withthe terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. Theprice to be paid for complacency is not only theinitial installment, that is the suffering causedbecause of an initial sneak attack or ambush. Afterthat, there is the long hard battle to recover yourselfand then defeat the enemy (if you are lucky enoughto survive that first attack).

DCO’s

Halfway

Message

In this theater, complacency may result invehicle accidents. Deciding to drive without chainsbecause they are a pain in the ass to install, failing toconduct routine maintenance and driver inspections,even failure to properly clean off windshields priorto driving are examples of complacency that willkill you as surely as failing to care for your personalweapon prior to engaging the enemy.

Complacency may also result in fires. Weare very comfortable (see unwarranted tranquilpleasure above) in this theater, electrical heaters, TVs,radios, hair dryers (see the Asst Adjt), video gamesand no end of other electrical gadgetry abounds.These devices tend to get used more frequently inthe cold, and consequently, larger and larger amountsof electricity are flowing through increasingly olderand frequently frayed or damaged extension cords,connectors etc. On the early morning of 5 Jan welost two buildings in Zgon to a fire that could veryeasily have been much, much worse. Initialindications are that an overloaded extension cordwas the cause of the fire. The buildings that weredestroyed were visited by security patrols 15 minutesearlier and at that time there was no sign of fire!

All that to say, each and every one of usmust fight the urge to relax in the conduct of ourduties. The potential to be injured or killedaccidentally remains very real, VIGILANCE in allsafety related matters is the key to defeating the threatof complacency. We are half way home, do notseize defeat from the jaws of victory on the last leg.

Be safe out there.


The ETQMS and the CSM won the “hammer award” for their courage in fishing the

CSM’s cup out of a blue rocket during the Tac Recce.

Our fearless leader - from Recce Sqn




Edition 4February 2003



By: LCol Craig King

I have often imagined our tour as beingsimilar to running a long distance race. I think theanalogy is appropriate. The start is full ofpreparations and a few bouts of nerves as weconsider the course and the magnitude of ourchallenges. Once out the gate we settle into a paceand exert ourselves to achieve the goals weestablished. As we get closer to the end, we beginto feel the effects of our hard work and we strive toward off fatigue. At the finish, we know that therewill be a great sense of accomplishment, an end tothe loneliness and above all, rest. I think we all haveencountered these emotions and experiences to acertain extent on Roto 11.

We are now entering the final portion ofour race and while we focus on the course we haveyet to run, we should also acknowledge where wehave been. In maintaining a safe and secureenvironment, we have kept the peace effectively inour AO. Charlie and Delta Companies and RecceSquadron conducted Ops ROOSTER, SNARE andSOPRANO to ensure illegal weapons remain off thestreets and send a message to those who wouldjeopardize the safety of our communities that wedo not tolerate their actions. Delta Companyincorporated elements of the Bosnian 5 Corps intotheir January field training that provided them withtheir first live fire infantry collective training sincethe end of the war. The efforts of HeadquartersCompany to provide our command support

capability and Administration Company to sustainall of our activities in spite of the demands of winterhave been nothing short of remarkable.

In support of the local population, we arenearing completion on 17 major CIMIC projectsthroughout the AO that will improve livingconditions for thousands. 11 Field Squadron’songoing work on the Poljana School is particularlyimpressive. Our census in Canton 10 is providingthe international community with a level ofinformation on the local population that has beenmissing since before the war. We have distributedhumanitarian aid that has alleviated suffering andsaved countless lives during these winter months.We are generating a sense of civic pride in schoolsand communities that has been absent for manyyears. Municipal councils across the AO are meetingregularly due to our support and leadership. Finally,we are the first Battle Group to define our economicenvironment and actively look to establish projectsthat will promote jobs and business opportunities.These are but a few of our many achievements andwe can look back with justifiable pride on the coursewe have run.

There is still so much to do for theremainder of our tour and we must redouble ourefforts as fatigue becomes more of a factor. Therecan be no question that we are equal to the task.Following his recent visit Commander 1 CMBG,Colonel Beare, remarked to me how very impressedhe was with the commitment, sense of purpose andteamwork that he saw across the Battle Group. Ofcourse, I was pleased with his compliments, but thenhe only confirmed those qualities that I have seenin this Battle Group over the past eight months.

As we enter the home stretch,remain alert and above all, be safe. We were quitefortunate that CWO Fletcher, Cpl Jesse and ourlanguage assistant Alma escaped with the injuriesthat they did. The accident could have happened toany one of us and the situation could have been muchworse. The DCO has provided some importantthoughts on safety and I commend his article toeveryone.

As the race nears completion, I encourageus all to keep up the pace. I will be making additionaldemands on you in the weeks ahead and we mustbe prepared for the challenges that await us. I amgrateful to you all for your hard work. Take care.

Lieutenant-Colonel Craig King, CO1 PPCLI Battle Group



C CoyPte Clinton Pye

11 Fd SqnCpl Matt Van Erp

Admin CoyMCpl Rick White

D CoyCpl Chris Skousbol

B SqnCpl Russell Klassen

HQ CoyCpl P.B. Barter


Padre

Mosque Visits

We see them every day. From their towers,that punctuate the landscape, we hear the strange call.They are the mosques of Bosnia. For most of us inthe Battle Group, these buildings and the religion ofIslam for which theywere built are unknownand perhaps a bitmysterious. A number ofyou have wondered,some even aloud, “Whatis that guy saying fromthe tower?” “What doesa mosque look likeinside?” and “What dothey do there?”

Recently, withthe cooperation ofIslamic leaders in thearea of operations (AO),members of the BattleGroup were welcomedinto two local mosquesand given theopportunity to “ask theexperts.”

Personnel from Camp Maple Leaf in Zgonvisited the Mosque in Kljuè. Our visit had beenarranged through Ermin Ef. Vuèkiæ, the Main Imam(priest/minister) for Kljuæ Area, but the night beforeour visit his wife gave birth to their fifth child. In hisplace our host and guide was the Imam for Kljuè,Mensur Ef. Štulanoviæ.

Leaving our boots outside, we entered themosque, which was started in 1997 to replace onethat had been destroyed. Efendija (Rev.) Štulanoviæwelcomed us and gave a brief explanation of the five

pillars or principles of Islam. He also explained thedesign and function of the various parts of a mosqueand translated for us the call to prayer that we heareach day from the minaret. After being provided anopportunity to ask questions and take pictures, wewere given souvenir key chains and taken for coffeeto a nearby “Caffe,” where our discussions continued.

Personnel from Camp Coucellette had theopportunity to visit the Main Mosque in Bihaæ. Thismosque is over four hundred years old. Originally achurch, it was converted to its present use by the Turks.Our guide for this visit was Suad Ef Mahmutoviæ,the Main Imam for Bihaæ Area. Although we arrivedat the mosque late, Ef. Mahmutoviæ was extremelygracious in giving us a very thoughtful and thought–

provoking briefing on Islam and the function of amosque as well as providing opportunity to ask manyquestions.

A special thanks goes to our languageassistants, Vahida and Seid from Zgon, and Kijanafrom Bihaæ who were our bridges to this newexperience.

Some things we learned from our visits: Thecall to prayer is heard from the minaret five times aday, the call is a repetition of Arabic phrases, whichroughly translate as, “God is great. There is no Godbut God and Mohammed is his Messenger. Hurry toprayer. Hurry to your salvation. God is great.”

By: Padre Larry Wright


ORTHODOX CHRIST-MAS CELEBRATION –

SANSKI MOST

By: Padre Larry WrightJanuary 6, the Battle Group was putting

Christmas behind them. The decorations, hung withcare, were being boxed. But not completely!

Members of the LdSH(RC) Recce Sqn, 1PPCLI Headquarters personnel and civilian supportstaff journeyedto Sanski Mostto join the cel-ebration of theO r t h o d o xChristmas Eve.They arrivedwith food, do-nated by busi-nesses inCanada andEngland, aswell as per-sonal dona-tions from sol-diers in the Bat-tle Group.There weretoys and bagsof treats formore than 120children and

There are five pillars or principles in Islam:belief in one God and his Messenger; prayer five timesdaily; fasting during Ramadhan; giving charity; and,if possible, making a pilgrimage to Mecca once in alifetime.

A mosque is a large room with twodistinguishing features; the mihrab, the niche orarchway to indicate the direction of Mecca, and theminbar, from which the Imam preaches at Fridayprayers. The minbar often looks like a stairway.It is hoped that we will be able to provide theseopportunities again.

warm clothes for those in need. The highlight of theevening was the special appearance - Sgt MajorChase, who you would never dream of calling aclown... In his alter ego as ... Looney Toons the clown.

Master Warrant Officer Chase, headquarters1 PPCLI, Zgon, is a professional clown and magi-cian. He entertained the children and adults alikeoutside the church after the Christmas Eve prayerservice, until the fading light would let him performno more. One of the locals thanked SFOR for com-ing and especially for bringing the clown. The priestcommented that the night would be a great memoryfor the children for a long time to come.

This was the first Christmas Eve celebrationfor the Orthodox of Sanski Most in a number of years,as the church was only recently been restored to use-able condition. There is still no electricity in the build-ing and no light fixtures. To remind those attendingof the Christmas stable, the floor of the Church wascovered in straw. Most of the Canadian service per-sonnel and our civilian language assistants joined acongregation of close to four hundred for the serv-ice. It was a new experience for the group.

Some of those civilians are not membersof the Orthodox faith, but no evidence of discomfortshowed as they ensured that the SFOR attendees


local Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) tofacilitate Humanitarian Aid (HA) delivery. This newNGO will hold nine chairs three of each ethnic group(North, South and Center). The Glamoc CIMICOfficer will initially lead the meetings, but it is ourintent that of one day, after achieving a certain levelof unity and cooperation, to phase out the CIMICleadership of the meeting to facilitate rotating andmulti-ethnic leaderships.

Is this endeavor utopia? I can’t accept thatthese people cannot help themselves! There mustbe hope, for without hope there is no future. Ourjob here is to buy time, time for the locals to healenough to see, perhaps far in the horizon, hope! Theheart of the Christian message is hope and the clericsgathered there were tasked to find find three peopleof their own practicing communities to sit on thenew NGO. They themselves would not be part ofthis. The new NGO’s fabric will be formed of peoplemost likely to entertain a peaceful and hopefulfuture. My hope is that this lunch gathering willsend a positive and symbolic message within thecommunity that unity is not just a word, but a smallperceivable reality. The new NGO will be a welcomeentity in the village has local clerics are presentlysubmerged with humanitarian assistance (HA)requests. They have limited resources and HArequests usually come in at importune times. Withthe NGO in place, the cleric would simply send theperson to the local ethnic NGO member.

In my first few visits in the area I foundout that there was a perception among the localsthat SFOR was pro ethnic favoring one group morethan another. Obviously, we all know that this isnot the case. The structure of the new NGO willdissipate these false perceptions as HA will beevenly distributed to all three ethnic groups.

On January 15, in aneffort to unite a little more thethree local ethnic groups inGlamoc, Padre Gabriel Legaultfacilitated a gathering of the localclergy. Surprisingly, Glamoc hasfive clerics pastoring the littlevillage: two Orthodox priests, twoRoman Catholic priests and oneImam. The gathering was astepping-stone to form a new

Clerics to form aNon-Goverment

Organization

By: Padre Gabriel Legault

understood the service. Following the prayers thatwere chanted in Church Slavonic, a language usedonly for Orthodox worship, Father Slobodanpreached a brief sermon emphasizing the joy expe-rienced by the shepherds at Bethlehem. He encour-aged those present to embrace the possibility of ex-periencing that same joy in their faith today. Heconcluded by encouraging the congregation to cel-ebrate in joy and peace. Padre Wright, a UnitedMinister, actually got to sit (or in this case stand)one out!

Following the service, while Loony Toonsperformed his mystifying prestidigitation, many ofthe men of the congregation gather around a largebonfire of oak branches. They shared songs, mulledwine and perhaps a shot of Slivo. When Padre LarryWright asked about the meaning of the bonfire, Fa-ther Slobodan replied that for every one hundredvillages there are one hundred explanations for thecustom.

As the celebration continued on into theevening, the soldiers quietly returned to Zgon, hav-ing made a positive contribution to the communityof Sanski Most.


which he made a very sincere speech aboutbeing in the Forces, but more to the point,being in the Infantry. He spoke about hisrole as a spokesperson for us, and howproud he was of our achievements and ourprofessionalism. He kept the speech briefbecause he did not want to cut into ourdown time. I would have to say that theColonel Commandant is one of the moremotivating speakers that I have heard inquite aw h i l e .After hew a sfinished,M G e nF o r a n dand RSMMcCardlet o o ks o m etime tomeet with the troops. Both made a point ofmeeting with as many troops as possibleand took the time to speak on a one-on-onebasis. The table that I was at was a groupof Maritimers.

There was a myriad of conversationgoing on, biggest question from the Generalwas “How was Christmas?” and “If wewere married?” So, after a few minutes withour table, he moved on to meet otherswithin the Company Group. I am sure RSMMcCardle was able to see a lot of new facesand quite a few familiar ones as well.

The entire visit to “Bear Country”went off quite well, despite theuncooperative weather conditions at thetime.

The Company Group hopes that theCommandant and the RSM enjoyed theirstay as well.

January 12, the ColonelCommandant of the Canadian Infantry,Major General Forand, and the RegimentalSergeant Major of the Infantry School, ChiefWarrant Officer McCardle, came to visit“Bear Country” (C Coy Gp’s AO).

At 12 p.m. all the infantry personnelin Camp Drvar with the exception of theGate Guard, met in the mess hall for lunchwith the Colonel Commandant. A fewtroops arrived at the mess about twentyminutes early just to make sure there wasn’ta chance of coming in late. Since the visittook place on a Sunday, the troops were onSunday Routine and thus dressed mostly inPT gear.

The Company Group had a quicklunch with Major General Forand, following

THE VISIT OFTHE

COLONELCOMMANDANT OF

THE CANADIANINFANTRY

TO C COY GPBy: MCpl Peter McCarron


You have heard the expression “lifeis an adventure.” Well it’s what happensduring that adventure that really defines aperson. So when the chance arose forPrivate Steve Ferry and myself to join asmall group of British soldiers on their“adventure island,” we were determined tomake the most out of this uniqueopportunity. On January 15, we packed ourkit and headed out for the Island of Brac,just off the coast of Croatia. After a stayover in Zgon, we headed for the Britishcamp in Mrkonjic Grad where we loadedup onto a bus, and began our adventure.

The bus ride down to Split gave usa great chance to get to know the guys thatwe were going to spend the next week with.It did not take long, as we were travelingwith a great group of guys. After a shortstay in Split, a ferry ride, and a quick busride, we arrived at the British AdventureTraining Center, located in the small fishingtown of Povlja, on the northeast corner ofBrac. This quaint, picture perfect townprovided an excellent backdrop for us tocreate our adventure.

Our first morning at the centrestarted with a bang, or should I say ring.We awoke to the sound of the hotel’s firealarm, testing us to see if we had actuallypaid attention to the fire brief the nightbefore. What immediately followed couldonly be described as pure horror. We hadto do a swim test in the Adriatic that would

no doubt merit honorary status in the PolarBear Swim Club. It was the longest 100m Ihave ever swam, but it was necessary as thebulk of the activities at the centre are watersports.

After a quick meal, it was back intothe water for snorkeling. With the swim teststill fresh in our minds, we made sure thatwe were dressed from head to toe in wetsuits. The instructor gave us a few pointersand then we spent the rest of the morningcruising the surface and free diving. Thatafternoon we learned that “challenge” is akey component of any adventure. A short -but grueling - 20 km mountain bike ride, thatliterally was uphill both ways, taught us that.It also gave us a sense of accomplishmentand pride having risen to the challenge.

The next four days were each filledwith their own challenges and adventures.Wind surfing, sailing, and kayaking took usback out onto the water where we able totry things out that otherwise we would neverbe able to do. I found these days the mostrewarding, as I was able to try out activitiesfor the first time and see a greatimprovement in my abilities by the end ofthe day. The last day at the centre took uson a 15 km hike up to Dragon’s Cave on thesouth side of the island. It was a hard climbup goat trails and scree slides that often hadyou climbing up on all fours. Despite thefog and rain, the view from the top was wellworth the effort.

Adventure training turned out to bejust that, an adventure. Both of us were ableto experience and develop new skills, as wellas meet new friends. It was hard comingback to Drvar, as we both felt that ouradventure had just begun. I guess that alladventures come to an end, but we willalways be able to look back and re-live thatweek on Brac and smile.

A Week ofAdventure

By: Pte Rob Blanch


TBB’s (Teddy Bear Boats) have a specialmission this night.

The men and women of the 1 PPCLIBattle Group know that Muslims do not cel-ebrate Christmas - for very obvious reasons.On New Year’s Eve, Bosniacs put up a tree,decorate it, and Sinter Claus brings treatsand toys to good kids.

But in the villages, not all can cel-ebrate. There are two orphanages. One inKljuc and the other in Vhrpolje, and thereare single parent families, who do not al-ways look forward to New Year’s Night.

For several weeks, donationspoured in, and the soldiers gave up most -or all - of the treats they received fromhome. Some bought toys; others broughtwarm clothes and handmade mittens. Oneyoung engineer brought a box of treats anda sweater his mom made for a little girl.

Soccer balls came fromschool kids in Kelowna, and warmcoats from Edmonton. The party inVhrpolje got too big for that village,so it moved to Sanski Most. The con-voy and the Teddy Bear Boats arrived.There were treats and laughter. Therewas drink, juices for the kids, and softdrinks for the adults. Single dads andmoms saw a day that was a littlebrighter for their children.

The twenty odd soldierswent away with so much more. Theyoung trooper who gave a talkingElmo to a Muslim boy - born Christ-mas day a year earlier and the father,who spent Christmas and New Year’son duty, helped make 30 children veryhappy. The single soldiers played withchildren, not really that much youngerthan themselves.

They wear black hats, butthere’s not a black heart among them.

CIMIC

It’s New Year’s Eve. Our friendsand family back home prepare to bring inthe New Year….later. Soldiers from the 1PPCLI Battle Group have planned a spe-cial New Year’s night. There will be drinkand laughter and many treats.

The kids in the local community donot fear the Coyote armoured personnelcarrier. The troops load the boats and sallyforth each day. The kids know there is al-ways a treat, a smile, or a teddy bear. The

Black Hats not BlackHearts

By: Sgt Charles Powell


Armoured CorpsReservists

By: Cpl Russell Klassen

Corps is a very interesting experience. Youget the chance, though not very often, ofworking with some interesting people andkit. Coming from a Reserve Armored Recceunit equipped with Iltis as the main vehicleto using the Coyote and the LAV III vehicleswas one of those chances.

The people in Recce Squadron area diverse group of people. They come fromall parts of Canada, from Newfoundland toBritish Columbia. Some of them are quietand unassuming, others are loud, and thenthere are the few who are completely crazy.You know who you are!

Not that I am the only Reservist inthe Squadron, there are a total of seven ofus on the tour. They come from threedifferent Regiments, The British ColumbiaRegiment, King’s Own Calgary Regimentand the Fort Garry Horse. Before you eventry, I’ve heard all the different uses of theinitials FGH, thank you.

We have a wide range of jobsincluding Coyote drivers, SurveillanceOperators, Liaison Officer driver, RadioOperators, and a combat store man with theSquadron Quarter Master Staff. After threeand half months in country and five monthswork-up training, I think that we havebecome a part of the Squadron. I know formyself I’ll be going home with some goodmemories of the people that I worked with.

My duties are fairly simple. Usually

three days of the week I’m driving theLiaison Officer to either Sanski Most orBosnski Petrovac and Kljuc. A day ofdriving consists of travelling to the location,and then sitting with the vehicle, putting upan intense and harrowing battle withboredom. I must admit that the cappuccinois quite good here and I’m hoping to findsome back home.

When I’m not driving, I’m pullinga duty shift in the Command Post (CP).Those days can also be interesting. Younever know who is going to lose a gasket.Let me tell you, there have been some goodtirades in the CP. I’m not going to sayanymore about that.

Enough about me, the rest of theSquadron has been very busy on thisdeployment, with Operation Harvests tohelping out the British in their Area ofOperations (AO). The month of Januaryhas been particularly busy. January 17,Recce Squadron, along with 10 Platoon, DCoy and the Engineers, shutdown SanskiMost with vehicle checkpoints for a periodof four hours. This was in response to recentcriminal activity, causing a risk to the safeand secure environment of the area.Civilian motorists were understanding forthe most part, with only a few showingdispleasure. The feeling was that the peopleof the area were tired of certain criminalelements and their activities in the area.Local Police supported us; although, theyhad no prior notification of the operation.

Recce Squadron has also begun ahand over with 10 Platoon, D Company. 10Platoon will take over the responsibility ofpatrolling the Kljuc, Bosanski Petrovac andSanski Most Opstinas. Recce will becomemore of a Battle Group asset and begin morefar reaching tasks throughout the BattleGroup AO and even within MultinationalBrigade (North West).


Being a Reservist in the Armored


By: MCpl Ken Shiells

Recce Squadron ata Glance

The month of December has come andgone and January is well upon us. Christmasand New Year’s are distant memory. As usualDecember was a busy month for the Squadronand January has shaped up to more of the same.

The soldiers of LdSH (RC) RecceSquadron kept busy with Christmas and NewYear’s celebrations in Camp Zgon, OperationBroadsword in Prijedor, Operation Snare inSanski Most, and by providing support staff forCharlie Company’s live fire combat teamattacks. Most recently, Recce Squadron also

supported and watched the CanadianContingent Show tour.

December saw the departure of threetroopers and a WSE MCpl to promotions. Inreturn, we rang in the New Year with new CplsSolveberg, Harding, and Gray, and substantiatedMCpl Chenier. Also lost from the Squadronranks was Sgt Rick Smith as he departed forhis 6B Course in Gagetown. Sgt Phil Fridaycame from Edmonton to fill the rather largevoid left by Sgt Smith. Sgt Friday has SomeBig PANTS… I mean shoes to fill. Having threeprevious tours to the Balkans, his transitionshould come quickly.

Other operations took the Squadronnorth into the British Area of Operations (AO)to assist in Operation Broadsword, supportingthe 1 Royal Scots Battle Group. Staging out ofBanja Luka Metal Factory, the Squadronconducted

Three troop checks out the Dutch Leopard 2s


vehicle and foot patrols in the area of Prijedor.The Squadron also had a number of

repair recovery requests due to the weather! Animpromptu on-site vehicle recoverydemonstration by both the Squadron SergeantMajor and the Officer Commanding proved thatCoyotes and LAVs could both get stuck at thesame time, on the same route, and in the samelocation. Fortunately, it just so happened C/S21, commanded by Lt Hogg McKenzie andcrew, was in the vicinity and quickly aided inthe late night, during the surprisingly quiet, andseldom talked about operation.

Second troop had the opportunity toconduct a small unit exchange with the LightDragoons of the British Army, in Banja-Luka.They compared the Coyote, with itssurveillance gear, to the British Scimitar.

The “dog and pony” troop convincedtheir counterparts that the Coyote’s steeringwheel is on the correct side. Both unitsexchanged driving techniques with each other’svehicle. Of course, outstanding driving skillswere demonstrated by Cpl Coe, Cpl Hornby,Tpr Oswald, and MCpl Carson in a trackedvehicle. They proved that upon return toCanada, they will all make excellent tank orArmoured Personnel Carrier drivers forAdministration Troop.

January held many new opportunitiesfor the Squadron. 2 Troop returned thehospitality offered by the Light Dragoons andconducted another exchange in Glamoc. Theexchange entailed Operation Harvest, vehiclecheckpoints, and the appropriate customs ofcoffee drinking in the local cafés. The Troopalso continued to patrol the Bos PetrovacOpstina. They completed their handover withD Company, 10 Platoon, and bid farewell tothe local market, Hotel 9 and their cappuccinos.

As for the busiest troops in theSquadron, Squadron Headquarters, with “Allthe work and none of the credit,” operationscontinue in C/S 2. Captain Darren “I wish I wasElvis” Bromley is much in need of an R&R or

HLTA. In fact, the troop has taken a poll onhow many times the Command Post will bechanged before April. As well, we have a smallcollection to get the Battle Captain some typeof holiday for our overall metal health. I thinkit’s at about 7 Euro. M C p lChenier has become a proud new father of ahealthy baby girl. The troop wishes his wifewell, and prays that baby Iris does not grow upto have her father’s ears or chin. The OperationsWarrant has tried to stop smoking, but not eventhe book, the patch, nor toothpicks couldprevent the Battle Captain’s rants from helpingany attempt to quit.

Our Officer Commanding, Major ScottLong AKA “Dragon Slayer,” keeps his gauntlettightly fitted and an Iron Rule hangs over theCommand Post. Jay and silent Bob continuewith their unorthodox ways of radio procedure.

Cpl “I want to live in the gym” Storrycontinues to leave the troop and Squadronhanging on his impending engagementannouncement. Cpls Craig and Klassen… wellenough said about those two.

MacMillan’s Maniacs continue on theircreatine and protein enriched diets. They canbe found frequenting the Camp Maple Leaf gymarea, or playing a number of highly educationalgames within their weather haven.

Be it working out in the gym, makinga profit creating plaques for the Battle Group,patrolling our area of operations, conductingvehicle checkpoints, visiting local coffee shops,or stopping for lunch at some of the local area’sfinest eateries, 3 Troop sets the standard.

Administration Troop continues totrudge along. Captain McDonnell, their fearlessleader, keeps a tight reign on the boys. However,the Squadron Sergeant Major, Master WarrantOfficer Joseph Ramsay, and his crew Sgt Webb,Cpls Green and Hornby, are conducting many“Black Operations” in the white whale atundisclosed locations and delivering thepreachings of SFOR in the all powerful“Mostovi” magazines to all corners of the


Canton. There isn’t a café around that doesn’thave a large amount of reading material.

The Squadron Quartermaster Staff onits own is always busy ordering, tagging,returning or kit checking something. SquadronQuarter Master WO Hall leads this motley crewof rag tag misfits. MCpls Hatton and “PrettyBoy Poser” Leishman control the day- to-dayoperations, while Cpl Goodyear does all thework. Our Squadron clerk, Cpl AmberChurchill, keeps everyone’s daily paperworksnafus and leave passes in check.

The Squadron celebrated New Year’sin fine fashion. Many of the Squadron membersreturned from Christmas Holidays, and someparticipated in welcoming in a New Year, tryingto overcome jetlag (yours truly included). Themonth started with a bang with an explosion inSanski Most (no pun intended), which led intoOperation Snare and vehicle checkpoints.

On the operational side, the Squadronminus with attachments from 11 Field,Electronic Warfare, and the medics found thatwe could secure and close off the entire town ina fine and effective fashion.

January was a busy month as always.The Canadian Contingent Show, small unitexchanges, a handover with 10 Platoon, a visitfrom the Commanding Officer and RegimentSergeant Major from Edmonton, and otheroperations kept the Squadron well occupied aswe will remain until the big freedom bird takesus home in April.

Perseverance!




By: Pte Cole Petersen

Winter WarfareCourse

DeltaCompany

“Winter Warfare???” was probablythe thought running through all of our headsas we left Bihac on a snowless, 15° C. sunnyday.

Eight candidates and fourinstructors had loaded up toboggans anddeparted for Manjaca Range for a ten-dayWinter Warfare Course run in conjunctionwith a Mountainous and Difficult TerrainCadre of the Royal Scots. At this point itlooked as if the winter portion of the coursewould be done without the key ingredientof winter.

This did not, however, stop ourBritish hosts from running a challengingMountain Operations cadre; as the courseofficer, Captain Wight-Boycott, stressed inhis introduction the familiar maxim “themore you sweat in training, the less youbleed in battle.” Day One found British,Dutch, and in particular Canadian soldiersall sucking wind on an 8km run through thehills of Manjaca in combat boots.

As the platoon bashed on throughlessons in first aid, navigation and mountainoperations, the snow came down in a clearlyCanadian fashion, with just under one meterpiling up in three days. We now had perfectconditions to practice the frigid art of winterwarfare and all the Canadian gear wasbrought out, with MCpl Peel and SgtGardner introducing the British and Dutchto the 18 layers of the Canadian arcticensemble. It was easy to poke fun at ourodd “Mukluks” in the comfort of theclassroom. The pile of snow on the groundmade the ruck-marches that much harder


On January 17, 2003, D Companyassembled 65 personnel to conduct andparticipate in a number of ranges forourselves and some members of the BosnianFederation Army (5 Corps).

We arrived at Camp Vimy inGlamoc, where Recce Platoon is staying.After moving into the modular tentage,Recce had set up for us, the troops spiritswere raised when they found out that therewas an indoor sports facility. The first twodays were fairly slow, but the troops enjoyedthemselves playing badminton and ping-pong in the evenings.

On the third day, we began our drytraining to work up to section level live fire.5 Corps participated in the work up training.We watched how 5 Corps conducted theirattacks and they, in turn, watched how wedid our attacks, which was a learningexperience for both sides. This went on foranother three days.

On the final days of the range, weconducted an M72/ 84MM range, a 60mmmortar shoot in the direct fire role withbipod combined with C2 sight, and a C6shoot in the light role. The 60mm mortarshoot was particularly interesting as it wasthe first time anyone had shot the mortar inthis role except for the Senior NCOspresent. Unfortunately, we were not able touse conduct the M203 range due toconditions on the range.

We did, however, run a C7 range forthe CANCON show staff, which wasinteresting. All in all it was a goodexperience. January 25, the exercise ended,and we returned to Camp Courcelette,where we settled into routine once again.

By : Cpl Chris Skousbol

On The Range With5 Corps

and also gave the Captain a good way toaugment our usually rigorous PT sessionswith fully loaded toboggans.

Warm kit was piled on as the coursemoved outside and the temperaturedropped. Fortune smiled upon the platoonwhen the water crossing drills werecancelled on account of the river freezing

over. However, the toboggans were put touse as the sections practiced day and nightnavigation, snow defences, contact drills,and improvised shelters.

The excellence of Canadian winterkit was proven by the fact that it was usuallythe Canucks out at 4 a.m. refueling thestoves and lanterns. Hard lessons werelearned. For instance, Cpl Lucas managedto ignite his face with the Coleman, givingthe rest of the platoon a bit of comic relief.The course moved into the tactical phasewith recce patrols being launched in the -35° night, a platoon attack on an enemy hideand a final monster tab back to a hot mealand a warm bunk in camp.

With endex called the usual routineof course reports, post-exercise cleaning,and kit return was completed. All in all,the tough aspects of winter/mountainwarfare, combined with the adverse weatherprovided a challenging exercise foreveryone, a great chance to work withforeign contingents, and an opportunity tobreak the monotony of a long tour by getting


By: MCpl Ken Mullins

Life in the RRB

HeadquatersCompany

The Radio Rebroadcast (RRB)detachments are responsible for ensuringeffective communications throughout theCanadian Area of Operations (AO). Thereare two permanent sites in the AO. GosPeak, which is located near Drvar, andMount Gola, located near Bihac. Five personcrews man both sites. The crews consist ofthree signals operators and two infantrymen.Those crews stay there for the duration ofthe tour, coming down for HLTA and R&Rblocks.

RRB # 1, located on Mount Gola, iscomprised of MCpl Dave Olsen –detachment commander, Cpl DawnCampbell – 2I/C, Pte Adam Croome –signals operator, Cpl Mike Gibson –infantryman, Pte Chris Gofton –infantryman.

RRB #2 located on Gos Peak ismade up by Mcpl Ken Mullins – detachmentcommander, Cpl Jordan Rankin – 2I/C, CplAdam Scott – signal operator, Pte ColinMaynard – infantryman, Pte Edwin Torillo– infantryman.

The two sites differ from one anothernot only in location, but also in structuredesign and former use. RRB #1 is situatedon an old Yugoslav Air surveillance site withthe living and working quarters tunneled 100metres into the mountain. RRB #2 is placedon an old Yugoslav CommunicationsBunker. The complex is made up of several

Iso trailer put together and surrounded byHesco bastion to form the living andworking quarters.

Working in an RRB detachment hasits ups and downs. Being isolated meansthat the detachments must cook and cleanfor themselves. There are fully stockedkitchens for cooking, washer/dryer, smallworkout facilities and more.

All five members take turns doingradio watch. Each member has his or herown specific jobs, including detachmentcommander, 2I/C, transport representative,and ration representative. Re-supply forfood, water and POL occur every week orten days. When maintenanceproblems arise the crews initiate repairsthemselves. However, there is equipment onthe mountains that requires technicalexpertise to fix. This could take awhile ifthe road is impassable due to snow. Beingso high up, the sites are often clouded in,with visibility as low as 20 ft. This makes itdifficult for helicopters to fly in or forvehicles to travel the road.

Boredom is the worst down side tobeing in an RRB site. The small gymslocated on the sites are not only a way ofworking out, but also fighting boredom. Thecrews use the internet and phones to talkwith friends and family back in Canada.There are always visitors coming up to themountains for maintenance or re-supplypurposes, or just to visit and see themountain and its great view (weatherpermitting). Personnel can get down thehills into the camps when required or whenwe just need to see the outside world.

Although it can be pretty boring andmonotonous, being a part of an RRBdetachment is a unique and unforgettableexperience.


Once on the mountain, we realized that itwas time to don more warm clothing. Sub-Lt Smithimmediately bundled up and kind of resembledKenny from South Park with her extra layers, but itwas a good idea, hence the wind gusts.

The range staff, under the guidance of CaptMeade and Sgt Zivkow, quickly got us sorted out inrelays and we began firing immediately. I didn’thave to worry: they had plenty of earplugs.

The aim of this range day was to qualifythose Headquarters Company personnel on the 9MMpistol, who did not previously qualify on it. Eventhough the temperature was cold and gusts of windwere prevalent, all those who participated passedthe PWT. Once the PWTs were complete we hadthe opportunity for advanced applications.

The advanced applications consisted of ascenario where you had to react to enemies openingfire on you plus an instinctive shooting application(whistles mean fire and cease fire.) These two seri-als were enjoyed by all especially “COMMANDOPAFFO.” After a scrumptious lunch (no haggis) anda clean up of the range, we all boarded our respec-tive vehicles for our long trip back to Camp MapleLeaf. All in all it was a good day, fun had by all, aRobbie Burns Day to remember, even with out thesingle malt scotch and haggis.

Coming from Nova Scotia (Latin for NewScotland for the ill informed) Robbie Burns Day(January 25) is always a night to look forward too.Although I cannot celebrate this day like I usuallydo (copious amounts of single malt scotch and hag-gis), I did take part in an activity in which I do en-joy: shooting.

January 25, members of HeadquartersCompany went to the weapons range at Gos Peak toqualify on the 9MM Browning Pistol. After sortingout my kit to take to the range (which weighed morethen my luggage for HLTA), I realized I did not haveearplugs. I asked a colleague if they had an extraset, but was told I didn’t have to worry since I amstone cold deaf any ways. Always the logical one Itell ya.

The hour and a half trip to the range wasuneventful and felt like being in a roller coaster withthe straight back seats in our BOXER vans. Theyshould sell them to chiropractors; these seats couldrepair any spinal injury.

Robbie Burns Dayat the RangeBy: Cpl Phil Anderson


us) attached to the show, the stage, lightingand sound systems were put together underthe watchful eyes of Lighting TechnicianSharlanne McStay and Sound TechnicianMike Palmer. Once the ATCO electricianshad quickly finished wiring up the show totheir generators, it was time for a light andsound check. The final touches and fine-tuning were done in time to the gentlecrooning and pleasant guitar work of RageAgainst The Machine.

For the next three nights, largecrowds gathered on the benches in front ofthe stage, eagerly awaiting the start of each

show. Comedian/Master of CeremoniesRob Evans started each show with obser-vations about camp life. Small things, liketoilet paper (a substitute for razor wire, per-haps?) and the two-beer limit did not escapehis notice. Michelle Berting, acontemporary singer (that means showtunes, 70’s music, I had to ask her what itmeant) began the musical portion of each

January 21, 2003, started as agloomy day with the sky full of clouds.However, just before lunch, a convoy fromCamp Black Bear, in Velika Kladusa (VK)brought with it a brilliant ray of light. No, itwas not a ship-ment of Swisschocolate andRed Bull. It wasmuch betterlooking thanthat! The Cana-dian ContingentS h o w( C A N C O N )was here to be-gin set-up fortheir threeshows. Afterp e r f o r m i n gthree successfulshows (butwith, I hear, arelatively quietaudience) inVelika-Kladusafor the National Support Element (NSE),the cast and crew were wondering what kindof reception they would receive here inZgon. It was our turn to show them some 1PPCLI Battle Group hospitality.

With the capable help of the set-upcrew (who I’m sure volunteered, just like Idid) and the Mobile Support Equipment Op-erators (MSE Ops, Truckers, to the rest of

EntertainmentExtrordinaire

Rolls Through Zgon

By: Cpl Greg Fleming


show with a few francophone songs and aSpanish tune. Even though there were rela-tively few that could understand the words,the beauty of the songs and her voice shonethrough any language barriers. Next, camethe feats of Anthony Oleksiuk. Card tricks,illusions, a little bit of mind reading, somefancy escape work all mixed in with a littlebit of watch stealing for good effect. Wewere hoping that Reflex (the dancers) wouldbe his assistants, but Anthony liked gettingpeople up on the stage to help out (Spr Graw

over Kate, though?). Anthony even man-aged to get some money out of the cashier,Cpl Rich Nelson, without signing for it.Now that’s magic.Michelle then came back for her second set,an arrangement of 70’s hits. Oh, and therewas Reflex. Kate, Rhonda, Lee, andNatasha. Their audience interaction (andglow sticks) as they and Michelle workedthe crowd was a sign of things to come.

After Michelle and Reflex came

Heather Smith, a Caper from Glace Bay,now living in Ontario and an Army brat her-self. With her hot Country (and all origi-nal) songs and crowd contact, she was al-ways well received. Oh, and there were thedancers again. The cowgirls were definitelya hit with this part of Canada’s Army in theWest. Heather’s “Fat Boy” was enthusias-tically received every night. Just in case anyof the guys were wondering, no, she is nottalking about us. It’s the bike. Sorry. Heatherhad also brought a few cds along with her

and the last of these were sold after the lastshow. If you did not manage to get one,check out heathersmith.org, her ownwebsite, for more info.

Mark Laforce was the headliner, andlast main act to entertain us. And entertainhe did. With the band solidly behind himon every tune, Mark played everything fromNeil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline” (whoknew Engineers could sing, kind of.) to TheTragically Hip’s “New Orleans is Sinking.”


Of course, Stompin’ Tom’s “Sudbury Sat-urday Night” could not be forgotten. Everynight, a few tunes were different. An amaz-ing feat really, considering that they hadonly a few days to prepare before flyingoverseas. Mark and the band finished offeach night with a tribute to “The King” with

Elvis’s latest hit, “A Little Less Conversa-tion (A Little More Action).”

The combined cast came back onstage for a Canadian medley to finish theshow. Anne Murray, Shania Twain andGordon Lightfoot were well represented,and so was Reflex. With a grand finale of“This Land is Your Land” and “AlbertaBound,” a few heartstrings were tugged inthe crowd as our thoughts were turned to-wards home. Not many of course, not many

at all (big, tough army guys and gals), butdefinitely a few.

How the cast stayed up every nightfor the meet-and-greet in the Junior Rank’s,The Soldiers Rest, and then got up to go ona tour of the local area in a LAV III, I don’tquite know, but it was very appreciated. Justto talk with some fresh faces from homewas very welcome. It gave the soldiers herea chance to gain a new perspective to whatwe are doing. Rhonda Roberts, of Reflex,said that, for her, “talking to the soldiers”was the best part of the trip. Doug Johnson,the superb steel guitar player, said “It’s ourway of contributing.” This sentiment wasechoed by MCpl F.G. Keeley (1 PPCLI). Hethought that “the show was excellent. Thisis their way of contributing to the country.”Spr D.L. Fleet (11 Fd Sqd) felt it was “asuper show” and Spr J.F. Graw (11Fd Sqd)agreed that it was the “best show ever.”Heather Smith said, “You’ve got a greatgroup of guys.” (Maybe she was talkingabout Johnny!)

Overall, the CANCON show forRotation 11, Op Palladium was a resound-ing success. With the EntertainmentExtrordinaire troop put together by KarisNagy, of Pro File Productions, a little bit ofCanada came to Zgon. At this point in ourtour, more than halfway, it was near perfecttiming. It will be awhile before we here atCamp Maple Leaf forget green glow sticks,cowgirls, the 70’s and Stompin’ Tom. Andthat’s a good thing.

A special thank you to PSP for or-ganizing the visit.


But you might be....

McGillas in the Mist


During the month of January 3, 11 FieldSquadron, 5 Troop, was heavily involved in the re-pair and re-skinning of three maintenance sprungshelters located in camp Maple Leaf, Zgon. Thisproject was very challenging as it in-volved both field engineer sectionsand the Heavy Equipment Section.This amounted to about 25 sapperswho were required during all phasesof the facelift. Due to the unique na-ture of the task, a lot of seldom usedengineer skills were employed suchas working on elevated platforms,concrete drilling and anchoringmetal legs to the concrete floor.

This project was brokendown into three phases. Phase oneinvolved the removal the old skins.This old skin was a significant pieceof the history of the MaintenancePlatoon at Camp Maple Leaf aspainted on the skins where the nomi-nal rolls of the maintenance platoonmembers dated back to Rotation 3.These skins were carefully packagedand returned to Canada to CFBBorden, home of the Electrical Me-chanical Engineering School.

During phase two, we hadto collapse the aluminum frame andthen reset the structure frame, so itwas square on the existing concretepad and set at the proper dimensions.For phase three we then start the re-skinning procedure with the newskins. Once the skins were in place,the shelter was heated to allow theskin to warm making it more duc-tile and thus the stretching easier.

The final portion of phase three was to re-anchorthe frame to concrete floor pad.

Mother Nature did her best to disrupt theproject by throwing very cold temperature, -20 de-grees C, and several feet of snow. Safety was para-mount, as this task required the sappers to work atheights and from elevated platforms. Safety brief-ings on the proper use of the safety harnesses, handsignals to communicate with the elevated equipmentand what to watch for while working on the groundwith overhead equipment working at the same time.

Photo: Tensioning the spreader bar.

11 Field Squadron

Sprung Shelter

By: Capt Rob Knapik


demolition was complete, 1 Troop (underthe expert guidance of Cpl Drummond onloan from TFE) began the construction ofthe sill plates and framing. In as little asthree days, the complete framing andexterior sheeting was complete. Under ad-verse conditions that ranged from freezingrain to heavy snowfall, the troops carriedon in true sapper fashion with the project,all the while maintaining a 24-hour securitypicket on site. With the addition of a smalllocally employed team of carpenters, theproject is on track for the mid-Februarydeadline.

The project has gained a high vis-ibility in the local area and neighbors andstudents can be seen almost daily visitingthe site to which the sappers are more thanhappy to distribute ‘Izzy dolls,’ candies andthe famous Croki chips. The school con-struction has also gained media attentionand is regularly discussed on the local ra-

dio stationswith high re-gard for SFOR.

All inter-ested partieshave offeredsupport rangingfrom roastedlamb to gravelfill to improvethe road. All inall, this projecthas provided thesappers with anexcellent oppor-tunity to partici-pate in a trooplevel task andinteract with thelocal popula-tion.

By: Lt Dan Shaver

Poljana SchoolProject

Early on the morning of January 13,1 Troop “The Combat Rats” packed theirbags and departed for Velika-Kladusa toperform a CIMIC task, known as the PoljanaSchool Project. The aim of this construc-tion project was to completely rebuild aschool, which for various reasons had be-come unusable. The school itself is com-prised of a mix of grades one and two stu-dents that number approximately 21.

The project began early inDecember when local volunteers demol-ished the existing structure in preparationfor the new school to be built. Once the


When the fire alarm sounded, I was notsure what it was or even if I was hearing itcorrectly. I sleep with earplugs, due to all thesnoring in the weather heaven. When I finallyawoke, I rose out of bed and put on my clothes.I was thinking to myself that only CSM Haineswould give us a fire alarm at 0300 on a Sundaymorning. Why, because he only had one weekleft in theatre before redeploying back toEdmonton and was giving us some last minute‘training.’ Well, I assumed wrong. As I wasrunning (well, walking fast) out of the building,with Cpl Manzara, he suddenly stopped andyelled to me that the fire alarm was real.

Immediately, we sprinted to the firehall, since both of us are volunteer fire fighters.The fire department responded at approximatelythe same time as we reached the hall. Therewere people already suited up in their bunkergear, (the yellow sexy suites with redsuspenders) and on their way to Red 1 and Red2.

Red 1 being a green F-350 Ford truckwith a built in water pump and hoses. It containsa hydraulic ram, Jaws of Life, and SCBA’s (selfcontained breathing apparatuses). Red 2 is aLSVW with a trailer containing the FOX waterpump. The cargo area is where the firefightersride to the emergency scene. The trailer is usedas a secondary source for putting out the fire.It comes with all of the extra hoses and fittingsthat are required to attach to any of the firehydrants, within the confines of the camp orthe local communities.

We are now off and running to put outthe fire in the area of ACTO switchboard. Atfirst, the fire was contained to a modular tent,but in no time, it had leaped to the switchboard.

There were little explosions going off

within the fire itself (DCO, the camp was notbeing shelled).

Then all of a sudden, we noticed thatthe power lines above us were on fire. Red 2was directly beneath these lines, so we had tomove the truck forward in order to get out ofdanger in case the lines broke and fell. Next,we hooked up all of the hoses to the fire hydrantand ran the lines out to Red 1 and 2, so wecould start putting the fire out. Once we gotall hoses attached, it took only minutes to getthe fire extinguished.

The soldiers in the BA’s (breathingapparatus) were doing the lion share of thework. At times, they were actually in the fireknocking holes in the ceiling of the ISO. Thisenabled them to spray water onto the roof inorder to prevent hot embers from escaping andcreating fires in other locations.

Simultaneously, personnel werebehind the scenes changing hoses, replacingempty oxygen bottles and manning FOX 2. Itwas due to all this behind-the-scene activitythat problems did not arise.

When all was finally said and done,the fire was completely out at 0530 hrs. It wasironic because we were fighting somethingextremely hot, but all of us were soaked to thegills. Despite this, the morale was very highas we stood around and provided security onthe sight. We stayed there until the Fire Chieffrom Velika Kladusa arrived to start hisinvestigation.

It was during this time that we stoodback and realized just what had taken place inthe camp that night.

During the fire, the height the flamesand the amount of smoke were truly incredible.We also learned that modular tent A-Framesmelt just like snow on a hot plate.

All the training that Emilio St-Coeurput us through made the work we did instinctiveand ensured no one was injured. It makes thetime we spend in the evening training allworthwhile.

Fire In Zgon

By: Cpl Cory Surgeson


belts on they would surely have perished.We are in a period of extreme weather

changes, witness the severe cold followed byhigh winds, warm weather and then heavy rain,followed by significant snowfalls. These typesof weather conditions can and will continuethroughout the remainder of our tour, do notASSUME otherwise. Slippery, icy, slick, wetroads, frequent poor visibility, roads made evennarrower by blowing snow, poor plowing andsnow ruts will be NORMAL conditions. Poorlymaintained roads and guardrails and horrificdriving habits will magnify the dangers posedby weather.

NOW is the time for everyone to givethemselves a good wake up call. NEVER leaveyour camp without knowing the road conditions.NEVER assume that the road is bare andNEVER assume that anyone on the road is asafe driver. YOU, driver, co-driver, crew com-mander, must ensure that YOU take every pre-caution to ensure that the risk of DEATH orINJURY by vehicle accident is reduced to nil.To do otherwise is to invite tragedy and disas-ter. We have completed 80% of our tour, DONOT/DO NOT allow yourself or anyone elseto become a statistic because of negligence.

We are highly trained military profes-sionals. There is no need to be intimidated bythe roads, the drivers or the weather. Just dowhat you have been TRAINED to do and youwill be good to go. Remember, every day aboveground is a good day, unless you are beingshelled.

This article is not about a new unlimitedalcohol policy; we are still restricted to twobeers per day. If I had titled this article “DCO’sSafety Message,” it would most likely not havegotten a second glance. However, now that youhave read this far, keep reading, it may saveyour life!

I have already spoken about SAFETYand the absolute necessity for all of us to know,implement, and enforce SAFETY proceduresand regulations. Carelessness that is the prod-uct of our old enemy COMPLACENCY waitsin every shadow and lurks in every corner wait-ing to turn you into a victim. We have sufferedour first accident in which personnel were seri-ously injured; two of our comrades are in hos-pital today lucky to be alive and waiting to re-turn to CANADA for rehabilitation and recov-ery.

We have already identified that thegreatest THREAT to any of us at this time, inthis theater is death or injury by vehicleaccident, so it comes as no surprise that thesetwo members sustained their injuries in avehicle accident. Driving on a sunny day onwhat was APPARENTLY a bare, dry road thevehicle involved in the accident, entered asegment of the road that was shaded by trees.Vegetation, trees and ground formations shadeextensive areas of the roadway in this AO;drivers are frequently moving from sunny toshaded areas along their routes. In this case,the vehicle rounded a corner and hit a patch ofblack ice and the vehicle skidded off the road(there was no guard rail, but that is typical inmany areas) and flipped end over end 50 metersdown the steep embankment. The UNANTICI-PATED black ice formed in the shadowsbecause that segment of the road had not beenexposed to the drying effects of the sun. Fromall accounts, the passengers in the Iltis are luckyto be alive and if they had not had their seat

New UnlimitedAlcohol Policy


The 1 PPCLI BG welcomed the Cancon Show to Camp Maple Leaf



Edition 5March 2003



Admn CoyCpl Carter

11 Fd SqnSpr MacMurchy

B SqnCpl Nielson

D CoyCpl Raivio

C CoyCpl Lee

HQ CoyCpl Rooney


By Sgt Jeff Smith

Firefightingcompetition a

success

Administration Company

On February 27, volunteer firefighterteams from Bihac, Drvar, Velika-Kladusaand Zgon gathered on the gym floor inCamp Maple Leaf to compete against oneanother for the coveted “Golden Fire ChiefHelmut” trophy.

The teams were comprised of threeof the fastest volunteer firefighters eachcamp could field in a race against time to

perform vari-ous tasks afirefighter canexpect to findin an emer-gency situa-tion.

T h echallenge be-gins with the“unsuspect-ing” firefighterlying on a cotand time startsticking uponhearing theshrill BEEP!BEEP! BEEP!of a smokealarm. Bounding off the cot into a heavypair of rubberized boots is the first step allmust accomplish before donning the fire re-sistant bunker gear, thick gauge pants firstfollowed by a heavily insulated jacket, thehead and neck flash guard comes next andthen the portable breathing apparatus (strapon tank, belt assembly and mask) followedat last by a safety helmet and a pair of heavyduty leather gloves.

Although the best time to dress wasjust over a minute and a half, time seems topass slower than cold syrup when trying tofasten a dozen fasteners and threading theair supply connection by feel rather than bysight.

The competition then takes on a morephysical challenge beginning with rollinga 3-inch fire hose that is 15 metres long,then carrying it back to the opposite gymwall with a “sense of purpose,” then drop-ping the hose in favour of a 12-foot long


aluminum ladder, crossing back to the otherside of the gym to place the ladder on theground before climbing up and down 8rungs of an erected ladder three times.

With an ample air supply and hope-fully, unfogged mask, competi-tors then take on the task of con-vincing an inflated HLVW tireto move backwards two feet byusing a 10 kg sledge hammer,this while standing on top of it.After successfully beating thetire backwards without fallingoff, the firefighter now looksforward to pulling a rope con-nected to 40 kg weight across 10metres.

Next up is another pur-poseful walk while toting a 20kg pail of dry chemical fire re-tardant in each hand across thegym floor to the last task, a rather large andimmobile victim (inanimate dummy) whosehead resembles a rolled fire hose, carefullypicking up the dummy under its shouldersand then dragging it backwards across the

gym floor to a safety matt;which, signals then endand stops the clock tick-ing.After the scorekeeper tal-

lies 5-second time penal-ties for such things as nottouching a wall or fasten-ing a strap, the officialtime is announced.At the end of the compe-

tition, Col Atkinson ex-pressed his appreciation toall members of the volun-teer firefighter brigades in

TFBH and thanked the teams on theirskillful performance during the fire fighterchallenge. Congratulations to the fastestteam with an average time of 4 minutes 38seconds was awarded to Emilio St-Coeur,

the Zgon Fire Chief, and his team members:MCpl Rodger Miller, MCpl Erin Carson andCpl Robert Kubiak. Well done to all!


“Silverman Helps”(the Army) By: Capt Matt Aggus

February 21, C Company, 1 PPCLIperformed inspections of homes in andaround Glamoc as part of OperationKerberos, aimed at stemming the flow ofillegal arms into Bosnia and Herzegovina.The Operation was common enough, but forone uncommon visitor. Peter Silverman, areporter from CityTV, Toronto,

accompanied 1 Section, 7 Platoon as theycanvassed homes. An accomplishedhumanitarian and former soldier, Peterfilmed interviews with both soldiers andlocals in order to present a clear picture oflife in Bosnia. Although the CanadianMilitary has had a rocky relationship withthe media at times, Peter’s visit drewattention to the importance of the media asa conduit for the military’s relationship withthe citizens it protects.

Peter is not only a reporter, but aphilanthropist and former soldier. A Captainin the British Para Engineers (’57-’62), heserved in the Middle and Far East. At 71years of age, Peter jumped with thePathfinders as part of his para refreshercourse just last year. As an advocate forveterans, he was a member of the AdvisoryBoard for the Canadian Juno D-Day Projectwhich initiated the creation of a memorialfor the Canadians who landed in France on


D-Day 1994. Peter’s list of academicachievements is equally impressive: Heholds a PhD of History from the Universityof Toronto. A journalist since 1974, he hascovered a variety of subjects ranging frompolicing and terrorism to military andstrategic affairs. Peter joined CityTV in1981 and is perhaps best known asOmbudsman for “Silverman Helps.”

Although some soldiers can besuspicious of reporters at times, the mediaacts as a vital link between Canadians andtheir Armed Forces. Peter interviewed 1Section Commander Sgt Tracy Sapera and2IC MCpl Rick Tourigny about their rolein Bosnia as well as the impact ofpeacekeeping on their families. He alsospoke to 1 Section’s Language assistant, anda few of the residents of Glamoc about theproblems in Bosnia and Herzegovina and

the positive impact of CanadianPeacekeepers. Peter’s interviews will beincluded in the CityTV website in aboutthree weeks and will provide Canadianswith a clearer look at the day-to-day life ofa peacekeeper and the situation in the BosniaHerzegovina.

Peter’s visit provided a usefulopportunity to inform a large number ofCanadians of what actually goes on in theformer Yugoslavia, important informationwhen determining Canada’s future in theBalkans. Further, his experience in themilitary will allow him to better present thepoint of view of the average soldier. Theopportunity for soldiers to speak to thepublic, especially through someone with abackground such as Peter’s, definitely aidedin improving the military’s relationship withCanadians.


11 Field Squadron

By: Lt Dan Shaver

Combat diverslearn new

tricks from“old salts”

On January 28 to 31, SFORs onlymilitary dive team conducted continuationtraining instructed by the elite NavyClearance Divers from Fleet Diving Unit

Atlantic. The training conducted by PO2‘Knoby’ Walsh and LS ‘Y-vez’ Clementtook place in Gradac, Croatia and wasrequired in order to upgrade the existingModerately Contaminated Water (MCW)dive equipment of 11 Field Squadron’s six-man dive team.

What is a Combat Diver you ask?The role of a Combat Diver is to extendCombat Engineer operations into the water.This means that Combat Divers can conducta variety of tasks including; explosivebreaching of underwater obstacles, beachlanding recces, beach assaults, underwaterobstacle construction, underwater disposalof unexploded ordinance (UXOs) andmines, underwater repairs of bridges/ferries,etc, etc. Combat Diving is a secondary roleavailable only to Combat Engineers as manyof the prerequisite training deals withdemolitions and engineer tools. Selection


for the dive course is based on an intensivetwo week, unit run preliminary followed bythe actual dive course which is a further 10weeks of demanding training at CTCGagetown. Combat Divers use a variety ofsystems including; the traditional neoprenewetsuit, nylon dry-suits, Light WeightSurface Supplied Diving System and MCWvulcanized rubber dry-suits with (AGA) fullface mask.

Given the contamination of manywaterways, in certain cases a ‘closed’ divingsystem (meaning that divers do notphysically come in contact with water)comprised of a resistant, vulcanized rubber

dry-suit will full face mask isrequired. This systemensures the safety of the diverfrom contact with a numberof potentially harmfulsubstances such as pathogensand toxins. The trainingupgraded 11 FieldSquadron’s stab(stabilization) jacket for usewith the newer closed circuitsystem. This system,affectionately referred to asthe ‘Borg’ system, can weightup to 218 lbs in the standbydiver configuration. The fourdays of instruction coveredEP’s (emergency procedures)in open water andfamiliarization with the newsystem through repetitivediving.

So far this tour, 11Field Squadron’s CombatDivers have conductednumerous dives in support ofCanadian and American Task

Forces. Tasks have ranged from the recceof bridge abutments for mines to routinecurrency dives (as divers must completeminimum of one dive cycle every 90 days)to the aforementioned training. For moreinformation regarding Combat Diving andhow Combat Divers can support you,consult your friendly neighborhood CombatDiver.

Bubbles Up!


Equipment Section, 5 Troop, uponarrival in theater in early September realizedthe upcoming tasks of keeping both MountGola and Gos Peak Radio Rebroadcast(RRB) sites roads open a challenge. As well,pending on the accumulation of snow theBattle Group had to be able to movethroughout the area of operations tocomplete all given tasks and we had to assistin the roads being open. With experiencedoperators on the ground, as well as somewho never experienced the wrath of GosPeak and Mt Gola, the Heavy EquipmentSection was looking forward to thechallenge.

The tools at the hands of theoperators consisted of three sander/plowcombinations, two Zettylmeir Loaders (ZL)with plow/ snowblower/ bucket, W24 front-

end loader, Case 590 backhoe, Championgrader.

Originally, our task was not to plowthe Gos Peak or the Mt Gola road to theRRB sites. This task was contracted to alocal civilian contractor for each RRB. OurSection task was to complete SNIC (snowand ice control) recces a day prior and theday of the convoy to ensure the contractorwas keeping the road open and vital supplieswere brought to the top. Keeping the BattleGroup routes open and provide SNICsupport to the HLTA and R&R bus wereour primary tasks.

Keeping the road open from thebeginning was not a major undertaking untilthe snow hit. The snow started late inDecember and has continued onto thepresent. For the most part the Main SupplyRoutes (MSRs) were cleared by localcivilian contractors. However, if there wasa problem with mobility for the SFORvehicles, Equipment Section was called outto assist in the clearance of the roads. Onseveral occasions Mother Nature has decideto unleash its fury on the Bosniancountryside and bring lots of snow. Itresulted in closures of roads and restrictedvehicle movement; this led to our sectionbeing involved in more SNIC Operations.

Keeping the RRB sites roads openproved to be a challenge all on its own. At6932 ft, winds up to 140 km/hr, whiteoutconditions, drifts up to 25 ft, the civiliancontractor could not keep up with thedemands of the road clearance for Gos Peak.He was ill prepared with his choice ofequipment and could not achieve the desiredresults. Over time, the Equipment Sectiontook over the Gos Peak road. The D-6 andan operator were positioned at the top ofthe mountain on a permanent basis. Thisallowed the operator to clear snow from the

By: MCpl Peter Smit

Roads to RRBkept open by

Engineers


top down, for it was the way to go. The ZLand all its attachments were left in CampDrvar to assist from the bottom up. Thisproved to be an expedient way to clear theroad. When we first took over it was a majorundertaking and we had some work makingthe road to the desired standard. Conditionsalong the mountain road variedconsiderably. The bottom half, amongst thetree line, could be sunny and clear, with the

top, above the tree line in blowing snow andwhiteout conditions. Now that the road hasbeen cleared to the perfect standard, it isjust a matter of keeping the road clear ofsnow. Mt Gola presents the same conditionsbut has the shelter of the trees to the top.Through continuous SNIC and constantrecce surveillance, the routes have been keptat a presentation fashion.

For all of Equipment Sectionthroughout the whole SNIC experience ithas been very rewarding and challengingknowing that back in Garrison we wouldnot have the same type of exposure with theSNIC as in theater. The Section has gainedvaluable experience through all this and willbenefit with future tasks. Driving a piece ofHeavy Equipment and operating is adifferent thing and all personnel arerealizing this.

CHIMO !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


By: MCpl C. Evans

Nearing the endin Maintenance

AdministrationCompany

The time came and went for thesprung shelter refit down here in Mainte-nance Platoon. Things were a little diceyfor the engineers as snow and more snowcame to Zgon. 11 Field Squadron prevailed

and the taskwas com-pleted, aheadof schedule Imight add,which was anice face-lift

for Maintenance. Now the task at hand is tomove all the shops back into their propershelters and to carry on with the daily workload keeping all the BG equipment on theroad and service-able.

Throughall this refitting,HLTA’s, R&R’sand all the othertasks that cameour way, maintenance has still managed tokeep a very low Vehicle Off Road (VOR)rate and kept our equipment going day af-ter day. We in maintenance want to thankall the operators and transport reps that get

the equipment in to us in a timely mannerso we could keep them going.

Maintenance has reflected upon ourreturn to Canada and the upcoming tasks,so we have started to do platoon runs onWednesday afternoons to get us back in theswing of things. I am positive that more willhappen to make sure we have a subtle re-integration back to Canada and our fami-lies.

Like everyone, who goes to bingo onSunday night we would like to acknowledgeand thank the callers MWO McKay and WOCurrier (who stood in while the MWO wason HLTA) and Cpl Bedard who sells thecards. Let me not forget MCpl Brush youjumped in to sell the cards while Cpl Bedardwas on her leave. We would also like topoint out that MCpl Gaiger even though hehad a BINGO, sat for about 8 more num-bers before yelling BINGO, which proveshe could yell when he has to. Although he

was not alone inthis difficulttask, as the gameperplexed MCpl(B12) MacLeodyou followed ina similar pattern.

Way to go fellows.We all look forward to saying

“GOOD BYE” to Bosnia and especiallyZGON. Getting back to a life where thereis a no beer limit, round door-knobs, a walk-ing out anytime you want policy, realground beef, showers with non stinky wa-ter and of course our loved ones. Be safe,happy and enjoy your leave.ARTE ET MARTE


By: Cpl JM Tracz

Famous lastwords

DeltaCompany

Write the final article for DeltaCompany….why would I get such a task.Oh yeah, I remember now. As I entered thekitchen in Bihac the 2 I/C, Capt Desrochers,“Cpl Tracz I need you to write the finalarticle for Delta Company.” “Sir, is that anorder or a request?” “Well you wrote thebest article we had so far and I’d reallyappreciate it if you could do it again.”Flattery will get you an article. I’ve hadthree weeks to prepare an article and now Ihave a few short hours to get pen to paperand start it, I mean finish it.

I know you’re all chopping at the bitto know what’s been going on at CampCourcelette (Bihac). Don’t deny it, all thetalk through out the Area of Operations. Youwant to know the skinny on what DeltaCompany (D Coy) has been up to. Well letme tell you, a whole lotta gate guard,patrolling, and QRF (Quick Reaction Force).

The week of January 19 to 26 we alldeployed to Glamoc for a live-fire exercise.Advance party left January 17 in a two-packet convoy. They went down to secureaccommodations, and prepare for theweeklong activities. The main body left onJanuary 19. Again in convoy with 5 Corp(Bosnian Soldiers) traveling to Glamoc.Having worked with the guys from DeltaCompany for the last 4 plus months it’s great

to be thought of as one of the guys.However, when it comes to driving 5 hoursunlike the men, a woman needs to use thefacilities. And the side of the road is notconsidered “the facilities.” Point to notefor the next road move, Lt. Reekie.

We arrived in Glamoc aroundsuppertime. Enough time to organizevehicles, unload kit, and prepare for the nextday’s activities. Glamoc is a small camplocated in the southern part of the Area ofOperations (AO). Master Seaman TheresaTraverse, UMS Glamoc, provided the tourof the camp for the medics. The camp isself enclosed, accommodations for allpersons under one roof, showers,computers, gaming room, a great workoutarea, and of course “The Greenhouse,”Glamoc’s little taste of home.

The next day D Coy started theirexercise Cpl Steve Zreick and Cpl JenniferTracz provided medical coverage. The firstday out, we took out the Bison Ambulance.With the lack of snow and warmtemperatures, we quickly changed that to abox Ambulance. When I say warmtemperatures I’m talking primarily sittingin the front of the Ambulance watching theguys do their thing. The boys may notagree, as I watched the wind pick up andthem scurrying across the open fieldspracticing dry section attacks. The first fewdays the guys practiced pairs, group, andsection attacks. Moving from dry fire tolive fire. The guys worked very hard thatweek and left Glamoc feeling very tired, butwith a sense of personal satisfaction for ajob well done.

During that week, we were given theopportunity to go to Zgon and see theCancon Show, a show put on by amateurCanadian artists, meant to improve themorale of our troops. I heard good things


about the show. Hats off to those artistswho go out there nightly against probablyone of the hardest crowds they’ve ever hadto face.

The month of February is racingalong and the countdown has begun. Thecountdown to what you ask. Youknow…going home. Everyone is doing it.

Calendars haphazardly placed throughoutthe camp reminding everyone how manydays are left. How true is that graph shownto us at the beginning of the tour. I feel likeI’m on a ski slope with a snowboardpointing downward and no lessons. Workmust go on, and again Bihac is a focal pointwithin the AO with upcoming operations.Of course, Bihac wouldn’t be completewithout a few renovations going on. To datewe have renovated, well…everything.

The mechanics are having their shopredone. Cornering MCpl Rob Moser, I/CMaintenance, I asked what exactly is beingdone to your work environment. Workenvironment?!! Yeah what are they puttingin to make your work station more userfriendly? Oh well, user friendly a high techexhaust extraction system, lighting, heat,

electrical outlets, ceiling fans, and shop airlines. Transforming the little Bihac shopinto a state of the art mechanics dream.

Roto 12 will appreciate all thesacrifices made by their predecessors. Butdon’t stop there, more renovations are justdown the way. The gym is being overhauledyet again. To many the timing couldn’t beanymore off. The gym is a focal pointthroughout the day to relieve stress and workup a good sweat. It, too, is having heating,


outlets, and lighting put in. If you thoughtthat was the end, no, no, no. One more stopon the renovation bus.

The kitchen, yeah the main reasonto stop in Bihac has had a major shut down.And the fine dining has been moved to the“flying” kitchen. MCpl Bill Cameron, PtePercy (don’t touch my lids) Bechard, andtheir staff have moved outside to work.Renovations involve changing the kitcheninto a state of the art culinary delight. Thekitchen will go from serving 50 to 60 peopleup to 150 to 200, which is good consideringthere are 120 troops on the camp. Some ofthe changes include new sinks, dishwasher,ovens, fire system, coffee machines, icemachine, and fridge. All renovations arepredicted to be done by mid-March. Just intime to go home and for Roto 12 to arrive.

As you can see, many changes areoccurring in Bihac. All the while, the troopsare continuing to do their fair share ofmounted and foot patrols, gate guard duties,and Operation Harvest. Overall as the tourgears down for the handover the troops arestill in high spirits and enjoying theirremaining time here in Bosnia. The finaldismissal parade for Delta Company willbe April 2 in Edmonton. The ReserveCompany of this tour will then enjoy somewell-deserved leave and rejoin their homeunits. The Regular Force members willcontinue to work until the dismissal paradethe April 11 and get their share of leave.They will then rejoin their respective unitsand prepare for the summer leave block.Remember play safe, keep your stick on theice, don’t take candy from strangers, andwe are here for a good time not a long time.

See you back in Canada.

ZgonHockey

Supremacy

February 28, eight soldiers fromCamp Maple Leaf, Zgon were tasked totravel to Sarajevo to defeat Camp ButmirSarajevo and Camp Black Bear, Velika-Kladusa (VK) in a ball hockey tournament.Unfortunately, the team from Banja Lukawas unable to attend due to priorcommitments.

The three teams played a double roundrobin format on Saturday, which requireseach team to play the remaining two teamstwice with the top two teams from the roundrobin moving on to the final on Sundaymorning. Sarajevo played the role of thegracious host and although they lost all fourgames they played, they exhibited excellentsportsmanship. The two games playedbetween Zgon and VK were very fast pacedand exciting, with VK handing Zgon twodisappointing losses. (We all know VK hasnothing better to do than play ball hockey)This set the stage for the final on Sundaymorning between Zgon and VK.

Saturday evening the three teams gottogether for dinner at a restaurant on CampButmir, which allowed everyone theopportunity to get to know each otheroutside of the gym. Looking around thetable, the Sarajevo players were once again


the gracious hosts and were enjoying thecompany of fellow Canadians and hockeyplayers. In the players from Zgon andVKyou could see the weariness and stiffnessin their bodies as they all realized that theywould once again meet to play again in themorning. (Maybe the Sarajevo players werejust smarter and did not want to chase a ballaround for a fifth game.) I swear VK had asmug look that said, “No problem, we willbeat you again.” What they did not knowwas the character of the Zgon team wouldnot allow us to be defeated. If you look atthe list of players we had you will see therereally were some characters.

As Sunday morning rolled around theplayers from both teams looked more likethe survivors of a plane crash as they werewalking to the gym very slowly andpainfully. However, once the ball wasdropped the pain and stiffness disappeared.Even MCpl Lotocki who had earliercomplained he was too old for this wasflying around like a 16 yr old girl. VKrealized early on that Zgon was not the sameteam as the day before as we had steppedup the pace and taken away their set plays

from the previous day and they seemedunable to adjust.

The Canadian Commanding Officerin Sarajevo, LCol Girard was quoted assaying “ the final game was probably thefastest, hardest played game he had everseen,” with Zgon coming out victorious 11– 8. The only worry we had now waswhether VK would give us a ride home aswe shared their bus to Sarajevo. Afterthanking LCol Girard for hosting and CaptHovis for organizing the tournament, thetwo teams hobbled away to their waitingbus for the long journey home. The busride was very quiet no one had the energyto do much more.

The members of the WINNING ZgonTeam were MCpl Al Lotocki, MaintenancePlatoon, Cpl Lenny McGean, MaintenancePlatoon, Cpl Terry Cole, Signals Platoon,Cpl Corwin Wells, Signals Platoon, CplJason Carter, Transport Platoon, Cpl JasonHorne, Headquarters Transport, Cpl JackHennie, Admnistration Company, andSapper Chris Crant 11 Field Squadron.

All team members would like to thankTask Force Bosnia and HerzegovinaCommander Col Atkinson and Battle Group

Commanding OfficerLCol King for theirsupport of thisworthwhile event aswell as all theCompany OfficerC o m m a n d i n g s ,P l a t o o nCommanders, andPlatoon WarrantOfficers, who made itpossible for theirpersonnel to attend atshort notice.


It is an idea that has been developingfor many years and has now been recog-nized as a force multiplier for command. Itis a new approach dedicating the responsi-bility to reservists and providing them withsignificant training to interact with the lo-

cal community where they are deployed.The concept makes sense and appears to beworking well on ROTO 11 in Bosnia-Herzegovina because Reservists bring awealth of civilian experience to the table.

“Reservists are very capable of do-ing the job over there,” said Lieutenant-Colonel Grant McLean, CIMIC detachmentcommander for LFWA. “They have beenwell-trained and bring a lot of related expe-rience with them.”

The CIMIC team, currently in Bosnia,includes a public works manager, a civil-ian police officer, telecommunications tech-nologists, manager, business owners and afinancial planner. Civilian experience of thistype is well suited for the CIMIC role,which involves working with local authori-ties, non-governmental organizations

By: Capt Longhurst and Capt Giles

CIMIC

Civil MilitaryCo-operation


(NGO’s) and the Inter-national Community(IC) to assist in gather-ing and sharing of infor-mation as well as over-sight and guidance witha variety of infrastruc-ture and communityprojects.

“Among otherthings, our pre-tourtraining improved ournegotiation skills andgave us good back-ground knowledgeabout the NGOs we dealwith,” said CaptainGraham Longhurst, second-in-command forthe CIMIC team. “These skills and knowl-edge have proved invaluable in workingwith some of the challenges we face in theCanadian sector.”

“I think we’ve proved ourselves valu-able to local communities and our militarycolleagues,” said Sgt Chuck Powell, aCIMIC NCO based in Zgon. “By manag-ing requests for assistance, we make thingseasier for the rest of the battle group.”

Providing assistance in project man-agement, economic development, and com-munity relations, the CIMIC team usesfunding from agencies, such as the Cana-dian International Development Agency(CIDA). A current $200,000 CIDA granthas given the team the opportunity to com-plete 17 major projects during the six-monthdeployment.

Current projects include street signimprovements, two veterinarian clinics, anew roof for Red Cross House, electrifica-tion to reconstructed homes, water improve-ments, garbage containers and improve-ments to a multi-ethnic school for kinder-garten aged children.

“Members of the Battle Group haveresponded on several occasions to help lo-cal communities fight fires,” said CaptainLonghurst. “We don’t mind helping out, butwe also wish to establish permanent solu-tions to the problem.” The CIMIC LiaisonOfficer in Drvar has been encouragingmembers of the community to break downethnic and cultural barriers by trying to ne-gotiate a joint-use agreement for a fire truckthat currently resides with a local companyoperating in the municipality. “A big partof the job is helping communities to helpthemselves”, said Captain Longhurst.

Their performance so far is impres-sive, according to their CO in the field. “TheCIMIC (team) and the expertise they pro-vide is critical to every strand of the opera-tion here,” said LCol Craig King, CO of the1st Battalion, PPCLI Battle Group. “TheArmy can be very pleased with the productthat has been generated by LFWA.”

With another team of LFWA Reserv-ists scheduled to arrive in March, followedby LFCA in the fall, the Army Reserve willhave many more opportunities to demon-strate their CIMIC skills.


HeadqaurtersLeadership Module

#1 Run By PSPComplete Success

Like a lot of other soldiers, beingtaught a portion of a leadership course bycivilians seemed to be very unusual. Ourconcerns for the way that the PSP staffwould instruct was soon put aside, after theinitial brief from MWO Chase and LColKing. The professional manner that the staffinstructed made the classroom environmentand practical conducive to learning. Afterthe first day, the course didn’t look at thestaff as civilians rather as veryknowledgeable fitness experts.

The staff for the course was madeup of Rich McKie from Zgon a FS&R forCFPSA originally from Petawawawho wasn’t used to the upbeat andpositive attitudes of the the 1 PPCLIBattle Group. Steve Cymbalukfrom Velika-Kladusa, a formerPERI now a FS&R fitness instructorfor CFPSA working in Gagetown.There was also Pam Richardsonfrom Bihac and Sara Morris fromDrvar. This team of instructors allbrought their own special spin onphysical education. The candidatescame from all over the CanadianArea of Operations (AO), made up

of members from B Squardron LordStrathcona’s Horse (Royal Canadians),engineers from 1 Combat EngineerRegiment, reservists from Delta Company,an Electrical Mechanical Engineermechanic and Patricia’s from 1 PPCLI.

After the introductions the class wastested on our understanding of the coursepackage. We were later introduced tosomething else; step aerobics. It by far isnot the most manly physical fitness activity,but it shows you right away who is lackingin coordination and cardiovascular fitness.The five-day course was evenly broken upbetween classroom and gym time. On thefinal day of the course the candidates wereall given a class to instruct. Being the finalperformance objective they were expectedto conduct a proper class from the warm-up to the cool down and to fully understandeverything that they instructed from whichmuscle you were stretching to the checkingheart rates of their class. Module one leftthe now qualified candidates with some soremuscle, and better understanding of properexercise techniques that they will bring backto our home units and employ on PT.

By:Cpl Stephen Deveau


What has RecceSquadron been

up to?


That was the question I had to askmyself when asked to write this article. Ihave to admit, being the Squadron Clerkmeans I know more about everyone’sallowances, family life and who ticked themoff that day then I actually know about whatthey do on an average day here in Zgon.Like any trade Administration Clerks do notcompletely understand or evenacknowledge what other trades do in a dayunless you do your homework. So with thistask in hand I definitely had my work cutout for me. This is what I came up with.

Our leadership are all sporting newhair cuts, and I have been told this is thefirst time in history that anyone has seenthe back of our Second-in-Command CaptMcDonnell’s head, and for our OfficerCommanding Maj (RECON) Long wellwhat can y’all say! Squadron Headquarters(SHQ) not only have been busy witheveryday radio watch but were also helpingto provide aid such as, beds, blankets andclothes to many needy families thanks toMCpl Chenier and Cpl St Aubin. Alsoregarding more normal happenings, RecceSqn would like to congratulate MCplChenier and his wife on the safe arrivaltheir baby girl, Iris Bren.

The Squadron Quartermaster shop(SQMS) has been busy reorganizingeverything from ammunition to vehicles, inpreparation for the hand over for Roto 12.They have also been busy helping SHQ withthe preparation and execution of operations,gun camps, and small unit exchanges.Administration Troop has filled in the voidwhen soldiers are needed in the other troops,mostly to fill positions left vacant fromHLTA and R&R. We were also very busyworking along side SHQ and the SQMS inpreparing for the small arms gun camp.

1 Troop conducted an early morningvehicle checkpoint (VCP) North of SanskiMost, much to the locals’ surprise. Theyhave also been busy with continuationtraining, small unit exchanges andconducted a VIP escort to Banja Luka forthe Minister’s Monitoring Committee forChange. 2 Troop got to spend a few daysin Glamoc conducting VCP’s ensuring asafe and secure environment along side CCompany. As for 3 Troop, they haven’tbeen spending as much time in the gym asnormal, since they have been busy workingalong side the Americans in Velika-Kladusaconducting reconnaissance around thenorthern area of the AO and the normaleveryday taskings of patrolling and VCPs.

Well time is drawing nearer to theend. Along with the preparation for thehandover, the Troop TV rooms were takendown and converted to bed spaces to makeroom for new arrivals. The preparation ofvehicles will commence soon, but theseemingly endless paperwork has alreadybegun. Such as UAB forms, pay, claims,medical appointments, leave arrangementsall the same things that bring back memoriesof August. Nonetheless the morale remainshigh and we’re ready to go home!

Adios Zgon

By: Cpl Amber Churchill


About a month ago, I was handed amessage from the Squadron Second-in-Command Captain McDonnell, stating“write an article for the Palladium Post andmake it funny!” So as I diligently startedtwo-finger typing I slowly came to the re-alization that its damn near impossible fora soldier to clean up his act and expect toretain the humour. If, for example, you re-move all the four letter words from the sol-diers’ vocabulary - myself included- thenour range of adjectives would be limited to“nice,” “good,” “bad,” and the three pri-mary colours. Even though I will be care-ful, let’s agree that “soldier humour” canrarely be applied while politely sipping gin-ger ale and nibbling cucumber sandwichesat the Christian Ladies annual picnic. Icome by it naturally though as my Fatheris known as a “creative swearer.” Peoplehave said they recoil from his communica-tions as if reacting to the anti-Christ or theMarquis de Sade. Others say they handlehis letters with tongs! Where does thatleave me? No worries, I done been diversi-fied!

Life in Recce Squadron has been verybusy recently due to the many operationsthe Squadron was lucky enough to attend.With leave kicking in, it was difficult tofill enough holes in the Coyotes to performthe tasks. However, due to the Squadron’sability to materialize Crewman out of thinair, we somehow managed to make thingswork. The recent operations with other con-tingents in their Area of Operation soundlyimpressed upon them that although theymay need us because of their lack of peo-

ple due to R+R, we certainly didn’t make itan issue, at least not a big one.

One of the more entertaining mo-ments came when during a patrol nearPrijedor, Maj Long got his Coyote stuck.Shortly afterwards, SSM Ramsay gets hisLAV stuck! No matter how many times thegunners (the author being one of the two)said, “I wouldn’t go there if I were you ” itapparently went unheard until after the loudsplash. It was a long night, but thanks tothe diligent efforts of Lt McKenzie “ whocame to our rescue” and the crew of all threevehicles, we skilfully managed to extractourselves, while the vehicles commandersenjoyed coffee with some locals. Also, hatsoff to Cpl Hornby for volunteering to stayin the LAV, preventing muddy boots dam-aging DND property. Anyway, that’s howI saw it even though I had mud in my eyes.Besides, who’s writing the article?

The gun camp planned for February4 did not go according to schedule as theweather refused to cooperate. Because theroad to the range was at higher elevations,it was near impossible to keep it cleared ofdrifting snow. However, it was not due tothe lack of trying. The Strat motto being“PERSEVERANCE” meant we could notgive up trying! At least, that is what Ithought it meant until I looked it up in theWebb’s dictionary. It was plausible that itcould have also meant:A) Ground DictatesB) Horses are people tooC) Snow Plow DependentD) When all is lost, our refusal to starefacts in the face will see us through.

Whatever the proper Latin translationit’s safe to say, we will probably end updoing it in March sometime. The RANGETO FAR was not without funny momentsthough as we managed to get some of the

Soldier HumourBy: Sgt Webb


team up the hill to target the range courtesyof Cpl Parks and his magical BV 206. Itwas a joyous moment when we planted ourcountry’s Figure 11 on the summit. We alsonoticed with some disappointment that wewere deceived, since there was not a singleTim Horton’s in sight! Therefore, we hadto make the Tim Bits out of snow. Of course,this cooled our coffee every time we dipped.As we descended back to the target truckwe noticed that our tracks were already drift-ing over, which did not give us a warm andfuzzy.

Since we had plenty of waiting time,the Squadron planned for further eventuali-ties such as being snowed in at the rangewith no way out. The ration plan was lookedat closely, since we only had 24 hours ofrats per person. Therefore, with a unanimousdecision the revised ration plan called forcannibalism. We discussed who would beon the chopping block first and decided onCpl BOULRICE and Tpr CURRIE, sincetheir names sounded delicious. In addition,no meal would be complete without a fineglass of WO POIRIER or a good SgtMONTROSE. Of course, Cpl PETERSand Cpl JOHNSON were last on the menu,if you get my drift. Additionally the heat-ing plan was discussed. As we would even-tually run out of fuel for the heaters, we werehappy to have brought along our MajLONG and Sgt JOHNS. Our CplDOWNEY and MCpl SCHALL wouldcome in handy too. OK enough of that.

As you are aware, it is sometimes hardto maintain a sense of humour when facedwith being away from home and family forlong periods of time. Sometimes you maythink, such as Cpl Auld or myself, what thehell am I doing here? Especially for the

fourth time? Oh yeah, the money! Hee Hee.Anyway, while I was on my 6A in my homeProvince of New Brunswick, I decided tovisit the area where I grew up. Seeing someold friends for the first time in 17 years wasexciting as well as surprising. I could notbelieve so many were still alive due to thetraditionally high number of hunting acci-dents. Anyhow, I came to realize throughvarious conversations that many actuallyenvied me for traveling the world and see-ing interesting things, whether good or bad.The following poem seems fitting in regardsto people back home, not including ourATCO friends.

As we roll towards the end, it is al-ways nice to reflect back to the people metand the friends made. There were so manygood times; I could barely count them allon one hand! (Cynical remark) The Squad-ron will soon be getting ready for the turnover to the next group coming in April. Thevehicles should be in top-notch shape withhelp from the Maintainers who have per-formed very well during the tour. MCplsPellerin, Cam, and Woods did an outstand-ing job of ensuring the Yotees were goodto go. As we are required to have vehiclesthat run and shoot, maintenance is alwaysnumber one priority with us. If it don’t work,then we become Infantry with C-8’s because25mm cannons are not very portable.

All views expressed, may or may notbe fiction. All similarities to people eitherliving or dead are entirely coincidental. Allplaces whether existing or not is entirelycoincidental. All coincidents are coinciden-tal. All persons with a sense of humourabove the rank of Sgt, who also write PERs,Priceless.


By Sgt Webb

FREEDOM Do you civilian folk sometimes have a dream?

Is your soul ever filled with the frustrated scream,“Oh God, turn me loose, like some men I know,To wander the earth and help freedom to grow?

I wonder.Do you factory workers, as you stand on the line,

Ever think of what’s out there in this world of mine,Where horizons are wider, where friendship is pure,

Where my job is different from yours, I am sure. I wonder.

Do you long – range truckers, toiling over the hills, Ever think beyond schedules and “wake me up” pills,

Of unions and log books and payments on trucks, Can you say to the Boss Man, “Hey Buddy, this sucks?”

I wonder. Do you bankers and brokers, accountants and such,

Ever feel that the suit and the tie is too much,Ever think about space that’s not bound by walls,

Of a night on the Prairies when the lonely wolf calls? I wonder.

Do you other captives, wherever you are, Ever stand out at night and look up to the Stars,Will you stick to the dull life, the irregular pay,

Or will someday you wake up and just walk away? I wonder.

I am of the wild bunch, I’m one of the free,My life as a Soldier guarantees it for me, I’ll never be settled, for sure never Rich, But I swear that I envy no Son-of-a-b….

No wonder!




Editor: Major Dan Drew, Deputy Commanding OfficerDeputy Editor: Lieutenant (Navy) Petra SmithLayout: Cpl Mark Aussenegg

MCpl Rob LairdTechnical Support: Mr.Donald Patton, ATCO

The Battle Group newsletter is published with thepermission of LCol C. King for all the members of the 1PPCLI Battle Group. Articles appearing in the“Palladium Post” reflects the opinions of the writer andnot of the Canadian Forces.

Thank you to all those who contributed photos andarticles.

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