38 Canadian Brigade Group Conducts Exercise Sure-Shot at Camp Ripley

LITTLE FALLS, MN, UNITED STATES

03.20.2024

Story by Sgt. Jorden Newbanks 

Camp Ripley Training Center

Canadian 38 Brigade Group Completes Annual Exercise Sure-Shot at Camp Ripley

Little Falls, Minn.: The Canadian 38 Brigade Group completed their annual infantry foundations training exercise, Exercise Sure-Shot, at Camp Ripley Training Center in Little Falls, Minnesota, during the opening weeks of March 2024.

"We do it on a yearly cycle where our training cycle starts in September and ends in mid-May. So, we take this time in March to redo our foundation training after we've had some opportunity to collect some training throughout the year together," said Lieutenant Colonel Jim Davis, the Commanding Officer for the Lake Superior Scottish Regiment (LSSR) based out of Thunder Bay, Ontario. "The exercise consists of essentially personal weapons handling drills and personal weapon tests. We have our firing movements, so a little bit of individual training to make sure everyone's getting hands-on with the weapon systems and then some collective training."

Each Soldier completes their individual battle tasks and standards throughout the first week at Camp Ripley and then takes the second week to apply what they've re-learned as a group. This includes training with the primary Canadian weapon systems, like the C7 rifle and the C9 light machine gun, as well as chemical, biological, radioactive, and nuclear defense training, medical evacuation drills, indoor shoot house training, and even rappel training.

"Being able to use Camp Ripley's more advanced ranges and target systems is one of my favorite parts of this exercise," said Corporal David Borton with the LSSR. "It becomes a far more realistic training event, especially in our section and platoon live-fire training, that you don't get when you're shooting at paper or static targets that are non-reactive. Camp Ripley also provides connections to units in Minnesota, like the aviation units. They're willing to cross-train and help us execute the drills and training we want to complete."

"It's also interesting to see the differences in doctrine and training that we have compared to our American counterparts," said Master Corporal Andre Biscardi with the LSSR. They take their jobs very seriously and are very professional. We're both open to learning from each other, and it's good to see."

Organized primarily by the LSSR, the 38 Brigade has been training at Camp Ripley for Exercise Sure-Shot since 1977 because of its close proximity to the unit and the easy access to the installation's ranges and recourses provided by the Minnesota National Guard. The 38 Brigade is the widest spread brigade in Canada, and this exercise brings troops together from units spanning from Saskatchewan, Manitoban, to Ontario.

"Many of the Soldiers here come from different parts of the Brigade across a large geographical area of Canada, and this foundation training is going to bring them together to accomplish a common task," said Chief Warrant Officer Jon O'Connor, the Regimental Sergeant Major of the LSSR. Camp Ripley stands as a central location for Soldiers across the brigade and also the 3rd Division in the western part of Canada."

"The thing that stands out to me, exercise-wise, is that we always find something new on this base to either book or to look at doing for the next time we train here because the facility is so magnificent and large in comparison to what is close and sometimes available in Canada," said O'Connor. “Over the years of training here, Camp Ripley has consistently put itself out there to provide a good product to its customers."

“I'm grateful for the flexibility that is provided by Camp Ripley and by the other units who are willing to come together and train together because it's giving our soldiers and operations staff outstanding experiences in joint-training and collaboration,” said Davis.

The LSSR continues to bring in troops from across and outside the 38 Brigade to Exercise Sure-Shot, including Basic Military Qualification candidates and Canadian Sailors from ships like His Majesty’s Canadian Ship Griffon. The training experiences at Camp Ripley are brought back to their home units, and the partnership between the Canadian Armed Forces and the Minnesota National Guard continues to grow with each exercise.

"I am super grateful for the opportunity given by the Lake Superior Scottish regiment," said Private Conner Nagy, a Rifleman with the Royal Winnipeg Rifles. "Having access to all of the ranges and facilities like the gyms and dining facility is really great! Another big highlight from this is doing that live-fire shoot house. It's really immersive shooting live indoors and having that feedback from the weapon and hearing it indoors just puts you in the zone. So, having this opportunity extended to the rifleman in my unit is great. We got a lot of extra training and great experiences, and we'll be returning to our unit just with that extra little bit that'll help us all improve and move forward."

• Date Taken: 03.20.2024
• Date Posted: 04.10.2024 12:51
• Story ID: 468249
• Location: LITTLE FALLS, MN, US