Soldiers move equipment across Canada during Maple Caravan 15

Photo By Staff Sgt. Jon Soles | Pfc. Nicholas Fortin, of Brunswick, Maine, checks the oil in an M1915A5 truck before leaving Garrison Petawawa on a convoy to Kapuskasing, Ontario, on March 18. Fortin is with the 619th Transportation Company, 812th Transportation Battalion, 316th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary).  

OLD TOWN, ME, UNITED STATES

03.18.2015

Story by Sgt. Jon Soles 

210th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

ONTARIO, Canada - The joint American-Canadian exercise Maple Caravan 15 is a new addition to the U.S. Army Reserve's annual Nationwide Move exercise, contributing to the military readiness of both nations' armies through realistic training and cooperation.

Soldiers of the 619th Transportation Company, 812th Transportation Battalion, 316th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) are transporting Canadian Army vehicles and equipment more than 2,500 from Canadian Forces Base Valcartier, Quebec, to Garrison Wainwright, Alberta, in a trans-Canada convoy in support of the annual Canadian Army exercise Maple Resolve.

The logistic officer in charge of future operations for the 103rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary), which supports Maple Caravan 15 as part of the annual Nationwide Move exercise, said the mission is beneficial to both armies.

"The U.S. Army Reserve has a lot of transportation assets and this is just another way we can utilize those and help build the partnership with the Canadian Army," said Lt. Col. Daniel Lamb, a native of Des Moines, Iowa. "We are neighbors and it is important for us to work together as we have for years. This is just another way we leverage the success we have had in the past."

Nationwide Move 15 is on point to exceed the million miles traveled during Nationwide Move 14, Lamb said. A convoy of trucks from Dexter, Maine, crossed the border March 16 and have made stops at Canadian military bases on the way to Garrison Wainwright in Alberta. According to Lamb, the convoy provides real-world experience for the Soldiers.

"The drivers now get the same type of experience they would have in theater, such as long days and drives in convoys," Lamb said.

As the chief future mission planner for the 103rd ESC, Lamb said he would like Nationwide Move expanded every year to include the active Army component and more National Guard units, along with more vehicles and training days.

"The idea between Nationwide Move is to take Army units to move equipment to exercise event locations, rather than having it done commercially or self-moving," Lamb said. "When you self-move, it costs training days and when equipment is moved commercially, it costs money."

Mission challenges for exercise Maple Caravan include fuel management, vehicle maintenance, maintaining loads and observing Canadian highway rules and regulations. Canadian Army liaisons on the convoy are assisting the Soldiers on the mission. Canadian Army Master Warrant Officer Eric Strong of the Canadian Maneuver Training Center in Alberta said the exercise benefits Canadian troops and training.

"Maple Caravan is helping our Soldiers maintain high readiness at all times so they can deploy when Canada calls them," Strong said.

The junior enlisted American Soldiers have also found opportunities for training beyond what they can experience at their monthly battle assemblies.

"This is probably the best hands-on training we can get because we are doing exactly what we would do overseas with a friendly ally like Canada," said Spc. Allen Avery, a wheeled-vehicle mechanic from Milford, Maine, assigned to the 619th TC. "We are two different armies, but we have similar values and at the end of the day, it is one fight."

In addition to training, the American Soldiers have also had opportunities to meet some of the local Canadians. In the northern Ontario town of Kapuskasing, the Soldiers spent the night in the town hall because there was no Canadian military base nearby to support their logistical needs. The stop became a community event, with the town's mayor, Canadian Legion veterans and youth from the 1635 Royal Canadian Army Cadets (RCAC) welcoming the troops.

The Soldiers participating in Maple Caravan are gaining experience driving, loading and maintaining their vehicles, while also learning how to operate in another country. The mission also helps continue to forge a strong relationship between two close allies.

• Date Taken: 03.18.2015
• Date Posted: 03.20.2015 12:36
• Story ID: 157654
• Location: OLD TOWN, ME, US