Army In Town Again

My superiors gave me permission to restart cadets in late February.  The cadets & I were glad to be back in training.  We reviewed drill, dress, & deportment, and then moved on to new materials.

In early March, a selected number of army personnel arrived in Arctic Bay as part of the Arctic Operations Course (AOC), an annual training regiment that begins in Resolute Bay.  Soldiers are trained in Arctic survival, search-and-rescue, communications, planning, and conducting military operations in extreme cold environments.  The Canadian Rangers assist as instructors and guides.  Soldiers from allied countries also participate on occasion.  The course lasts six weeks.

Three non-commissioned members (NCMs) gave a presentation on the AOC to my cadets on March 11.  The presentation was held in my classroom.  Each NCM introduced themselves, explained their specialities, and why they were attending the course.  They also went over the ins and outs of the course, what they learned & experienced so far, and what was coming up.  They would be leaving Arctic Bay the next day on a land/sovereignty patrol and camping exercise with the local Canadian Rangers.  The NCMs answered several questions from the cadets.

The meeting moved on to a short first aid lesson about using rope to make a Figure-8 carrier and tourniquet.  The cadets & I were surprised to see a simple rope being strong enough to hold a human just by arranging it in two figure-8 patterns.  One cadet volunteered to be the “casualty” and we were able to lift him off the floor using the rope carrier.  The cadets spent a few minutes tying rope tourniquets on themselves. 

The NCMs gifted the cadet corps four boxes of Canadian Individual Meal Packages (IMPs).  They were given extra rations and decided to give some away.  IMPs are normally restricted to the armed forces and cadets have to make due with American Meals-Ready-to-Eat (MREs).  I think it’s a budget thing.  Personal experience has taught me that IMPs are better than MREs.  The menu selection is better and chocolate bars are included in the bags. 

The cadets & I thanked the NCMs for the presentation and wished them well on their land trip.

Skidoos for the Arctic Operations Course.

COVID-19 is now present in Arctic Bay.  The virus actually arrived in February, but I forgot to mention it in a previous post.  I guess it slipped my mind and I’ve grown tired of hearing about the disease.  (I’m sure we all have by this point).  I’m fully vaccinated so I should be good until I have to get another booster.  Sadly, the human race has failed in eradicating the virus and will now have to live with it.  We will have to treat it like the seasonal flu and get our yearly COVID-19 shots to stay protected.  Maybe one day it’ll be eradicated.     

And finally, Russia’s invasion in Ukraine is still causing much devastation and suffering.  Yes, Ukraine is losing ground and taking casualties, but Ukraine’s will & spirit has not broken.  The brave & noble soldiers and volunteers are fighting hard to beat back the Russian horde.  Even Ukrainian farmers have pitched in, helping the military tow abandoned/captured Russian vehicles to places where they can be repaired and repainted with Ukrainian colours.

I’m glad to see the long Russian military convoys heading towards Kyiv being repeatedly stalled, attacked, and forced to disperse.  I also find it hilarious reading news stories about Russian vehicles running out of gas & ammunition because the supply lines are disarray.  I hope these problems continue because I don’t want to see Kyiv and the whole country come under Russian occupation. 

As long as Canada, USA, Europe, and NATO continue supplying Ukraine with modern weapons & training, the tide will turn in Ukraine’s favour.  Establishing a no-fly zone over the country and transferring fighter jets to the Ukrainian air force would have been really helpful, but unfortunately, NATO is still hesitant on those fronts.  Thankfully, there are plenty of other weapons systems Ukraine can use in its fight for freedom & survival.