Commanding general visits troops and validates training exercise across the Canadian border

Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Brent Powell | Brig. Gen. Jonathan McColumn, commanding general of the 103rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) takes a look at a Canadian Army vehicle during a visit to Canadian Forces Base Valcartier June 26. McColumn visited the base to observe, validate and discuss the training that his Soldiers have undergone over the past four months as they transported Canadian Army vehicles and equipment across Canada from Canadian Forces Base Valcartier, Quebec to CFB Wainwright, Alberta. The transportation exercise was a small but valuable portion of exercise Nationwide Move 15, which is an annual Army Reserve approved functional training exercise designed to provide Reserve Component transportation units with valuable, realistic training by conducting real-world operations in support of Continental United States activities. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Brent C. Powell, 210th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment)  

VALCARTIER, QC, CANADA

06.26.2015

Story by Sgt. 1st Class Brent Powell 

210th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

VALCARTIER, Canada – On March 16, 2015, a group of Army Reserve Soldiers made history here by crossing the border into Canada to perform long-haul transportation operations in conjunction with the Canadian army as part of exercise Nationwide Move 15.

Now, just over three-months later the exercise is drawing to a close and Brig. Gen. Jonathan J. McColumn, commanding general of the 103rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary), recently took the opportunity to visit with some of the Soldiers involved with the mission, as well as some of the Canadian Army commanders who helped facilitate the movement of approximately $72.5 million worth of vehicles and equipment more than 2,500 miles across the country.

“The primary purpose of this trip was for me to validate, verify and actually take a look at the real training that exercise Maple Caravan provided the Soldiers,” said McColumn. “I have a responsibility to ensure that my organization is ready for battle and the Soldiers can perform their duties anywhere, at anytime.”

McColumn began his visit by meeting with and inspecting a Canadian Army honor guard from the 5 Service Battalion. His Soldiers had worked shoulder to shoulder with Canadian troops from the 5 Service Battalion and five Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group for several months to plan, coordinate and execute the joint multi-national, multi-component exercise.

After being greeted by the honor guard, McColumn toured some of the Canadian Army facilities and began meeting with various Canadian Army commanders to discuss what went well with the mission and what could be done differently in the future.

McColumn also seized the opportunity to talk to a group of Illinois National Guard Soldiers from the 1744th Transportation Company, 1144th Transportation Battalion, who just completed the 2,500-mile trip from CFB Wainwright to CFB Valcartier.

After thanking the troops for their hard work and successful mission completion, he gave the troops some advice for the future.

“Always be the best you can be, and do your best in all that you do,” he said. “Number two is not good enough, strive to be the best. You may have to work a little longer and you may have to sacrifice a little longer, but never give up. If you fail don’t worry, failure does not have to be fatal. I’ve failed many times, but I’m still wearing a star. The difference is I got back up and got back into the race and kept going. If you remember those things you will do well.”

McColumn also met with Brig. Gen. Stephane Lafaut, commander of the 2nd Division, Canadian Forces and enjoyed a reception luncheon with some of the Canadian Army service members..

“My visit here has gone very well,” said McColumn. “The Canadian military members that I met with, all the way up to Brig. Gen. Lafaut, have expressed their sincere gratitude for our role in providing transportation support to them. They told me our Soldiers displayed extraordinary professionalism while executing their mission here. They treated our Soldiers with dignity and respect and provided good sustainment support throughout.”

The day after meeting with the Canadian forces, McColumn visited the U.S./Canada border crossing where he observed the last U.S. vehicles of the mission cross the border back into the United States.

The three-month long mission, the first of its kind, ultimately involved more than 70 U.S. vehicles, 12 convoys and approximately 260 Army Reserve and National Guard Soldiers who traveled a total combined distance of more than 165,000 miles.

“Everything had to do with timeliness and execution, and I think it went extremely well,” said McColumn. “Now, we just have to figure out how to continue to build upon that rapport and forge our future relationships.”

• Date Taken: 06.26.2015
• Date Posted: 06.29.2015 16:37
• Story ID: 168532
• Location: VALCARTIER, QC, CA