I’ve been offered a six week detatchment with 4 Scots (Highlanders) while they’re on Ex MedMan in the British Army Training Unit (CFB) Suffield (linky) from my OTC. Should be away from 1st August to the 16th September, which not only gives me something awesome to do, but a couple of grand towards my fees next year!
Being sent away as a rifleman in an armoured section, so I’ll be cooped up in a Warrior for the four week exercise. Rumours are that it’s two weeks live exercise which has been described as the closest you’ll get to war without being there; there’ll be artillery, engineers and air support making some very loud ‘bangs’! After that is the two week TESEX phase, which is a massive game of laser-tag I’ve been led to believe. I’m sure it might be a little more tiring, though!
The green-kit stuff sounds amazing, and I’m working on my fitness right now to make sure I dont look stupid in the heat. I’ve been told to purchase shares in DEET, the mozzies and midges are something else. Which says a lot when it’s advice from a Highlander. Aside from the stuff above, the R & R and Adventure Training sounds immense. There’ll be a chance to go up into the Rockies for all sorts, and weather pending should get a chance to skydive!
The party side of things in the R & R involves many visits to Medicine Hat and possibly a few days in Calgary. Anyone got any advice for these places? Or anywhere else to go?
So I’m turbo-excited and studying like crazy to make sure I dont get a retake that jeapordises the whole exercise for me. Has anyone spent any time at BATUS? Anyone got any general advice/stories to share?
Hi, Army brat here, from Southern Alberta. I can’t tell you about Medicine Hat other than it’s a small prairie city. I’m sure they will be very welcoming to military personnel. Calgary is another story - what are you looking for? They have everything. The city is roughly a million people these days, and it was, for a long time, one of the largest military bases in Canada.
There is a bird grassland reserve in Suffield, but not much else for “tourist” activities as far as I know.
Here’s a mini tour of the area courtesy of Environment Canada. Link.
The British Army training link shows you the type of terrain to expect, it looks VERY fun.
If you get a chance, Drumheller is not too far north and there is the World renown Royal Tyrrell Museum and a striking change from prairie to badlands. I found it quite interesting.
Let me know if you get up as far as Edmonton to see the massive mall, I’ll buy you a pint or two. (If wifey grants me a day pass)
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I’d love to get to BATUS to photograph the UK vehicles there (if it has tracks, guns, and armour, I like it!).
Get over to the Rockies if you can - they’re very much worth seeing close up. (Banff is pretty touristy, but it’s only a couple of hours from Calgary and has beautiful scenery.)
I second Drumheller and the Royal Tyrell Museum - it’s awesome. And the mosquito repellent. Make sure you do take the opportunity to visit the Rockies - they are also awesome. I’m a flatlander, myself, and when I first saw them, I realized why everyone talks about them so much - they are not big, they are freakin’ huge. I’d avoid Banff if I were you and go straight to Kananaskis Country, if you’re going for the scenery and not the tourist trap stuff. The Peter Lougheed Park and the Upper Lakes region are absolutely beautiful.
You will be stopping in Calgary to let us buy you a beer, right?
I certainly hope I get a chance to go to Calgary, should have a good few days of R & R and it seems to be a popular spot for the Jocks to end up and that’s enough for me to want to go there! Promises of beer sweeten the prospect, too! It’d be worth a trip to meet some other dopers over a few cold ones. I’ll come back with more details as soon as I know what’s going on, it’s all very vague at the moment.
Bookkeeper, I’ll be snapping away like a…well…a photographer I guess. I’ve recently got a 4gb stick for my camera so the only limit will be my battery. From the sounds of things it’s going to be platoons attacking one after the other with no scenario so there’ll be plenty of time to observe and get some good photos/footage. I’ll make the suitable stuff available on the web for sure.
