Ex Vigilant Guardian

[foerestedwarrior]

but nobody can foretell every problem.

Is that what you are paid to do though? I though that the officers that make the big bucks know everything....or has my dew years in taught me nothing ;D

 

[Loachman]

Oh yeah?

You know that contract to build LSVWs so many years ago? Same guys got the contract for our crystal balls, soon to appear in CADPAT in a multi-million-dollar upgrade programme.

This is just my hobby, now, as I'm a Happy A-Class Guy With Pension, so I only know everything fourteen days per month.

Which may be why I found out today that we're supposed to call Combat Teams Combat Teams, Battle Groups Battle Groups, and Brigade Groups Brigade Groups again before I even knew that we weren't.

I often think that it's not worthwhile trying to keep up with all of the changes, because if one just waits a little longer...

I use plain language and few abbreviations/TLAs these days, and I ask "What the hell's that and what did it used to be called?" a lot.

 

[Forgotten_Hero]

How does the sleep going to look like? I sincerely hope that there will be a distinct lack of it, so that I and others get used to it and learn to better function without it.

 

[jerrythunder]

yeah, i would also like to see soem lack of sleep for the experience and training. i've heared some crazy stories of people seeing things like purple rabbits and pirates in the bush when they were  doing recce and deprived of sleep :-\

 

[Highland Laddie]

Must have been great to work with them. I'd imagine that you learned lots of things from them and vice versa.

Just out of curiosity, doesn't Canada allow the Germmans to train in the praires?

The Germans used to train year round at CFB Shilo, MB, similar to what the Brits due in Alberta. The Germans pulled out around 2000 - 2001 if I remember right.

You are right in regards to the cross-training you can get from other country's troops. We had a US National Guard Combined Arms Platoon in our Coy on Ex Charging Bison 06 in Winnipeg, and there was tons of cross-training between the troops. Most of our patrols and ops involved combined CDN & US elements. They learned from us, and we learned from them. The training value of that is priceless.

 

[civvy3840]

It must be a really good experience to have that opportunity. Makes me want my birthday to come faster so I can get the process under way.

Jerrythunder, my science teacher last semester said that on his BMQ people were putting money into trees because they thought they were pop machines, so I'm sure this summer you will be halucinating more than enough!

On exercises like this one who plays the enemy force? A one of the RCR battalions from the base were it takes place? Or does the OPFOR vary from year to year?

 

[foerestedwarrior]

It must be a really good experience to have that opportunity. Makes me want my birthday to come faster so I can get the process under way.

Jerrythunder, my science teacher last semester said that on his BMQ people were putting money into trees because they thought they were pop machines, so I'm sure this summer you will be halucinating more than enough!

On exercises like this one who plays the enemy force? A one of the RCR battalions from the base were it takes place? Or does the OPFOR vary from year to year?

The last CAC I was on, it was mostly elements of 3 RCR.

 

[civvy3840]

Just a random question. Why did they change the name of the exercise from Stalwart Guardian, to Vigilant Guardian? Is there some tradition that says you can only use the same name three times? Or do the exercises focus on different types of training?

A little off topic but forestedwarrior, how is the Grey and Simcoe Foresters with paperwork? My birthday is under a week, however I can't hand in my forms until mid-July/early August, and the next available position for a  BMQ is in october. Just trying to figure out wether or not I should hand them in sooner or later, and I've read the horror stories of units losing people's files, etc...

 

[Loachman]

Stalwart Guardian was a series of three war-fighting exercises. Vigilant Guardian is a series of three stability exercises, with the overall scenario and activities designed to reflect Afghanistan.

New focus, new name.

 

[Forgotten_Hero]

yeah, i would also like to see soem lack of sleep for the experience and training. i've heared some crazy stories of people seeing things like purple rabbits and pirates in the bush when they were  doing recce and deprived of sleep

Indeed. Its lots of fun when everyone's sleep deprived for the first time, they put on their MNVGs and say that theres a batallion of troops approaching their position, because they dont know better. However, most of the hallucination stories like the whole trees/pop machine ones are exaggerations I figure. You're not BMQ qualified yet huh? You'll be missing all the great mosquitos in Petewawa in the end of july, unfortunately...

Stalwart Guardian was a series of three war-fighting exercises. Vigilant Guardian is a series of three stability exercises, with the overall scenario and activities designed to reflect Afghanistan.

New focus, new name.

I'll miss Blueland. It was a nice place. 

 

[Love793]

Stalwart Guardian was a series of three war-fighting exercises. Vigilant Guardian is a series of three stability exercises, with the overall scenario and activities designed to reflect Afghanistan.

New focus, new name.

The VG series of exs are based on the CATS scenarios, which resemble Haiti a lot more than Afghanistan.

 

[civvy3840]

I was just on the VG site, and you know the beginning? Where you can choose flash, or html, and it shows that little video clip. Towards the end of the video clip it says simunition.

Why would they put this in it if they know they're not gonna use it? It doesn't make sense. (Tom me anyway)

 

[Loachman]

I just turned around and asked - no, no simunition.

 

[civvy3840]

Sorry, I don't think you understood what I was saying...I wasn't doubting what you said, it just didn't make sense to me to put it on the website if their not gonna use it. If someone didn't know that they weren't going to use it, and saw this they might be led to believe that they are using it this year.

 

[Loachman]

I've no idea who looks after the website, but the Area ammo guy sits at my four o'clock for 1.5 metres. Confirming the accuracy of the website was something that I could do easily.

 

[JBP]

I can't help but get more excited for this ex as time goes by...

Call me a geek, but this is the kinda $hit I joined up for, I'm taking a week's vacation just from work to be able to go on this! People at work are like... "You're doing WWWWHHHAAAATTT with you're vacation!"...

Last CAC I was a newly minted Pte and still wet behind the ears basically, not saying I know much more now, but at least I've played the game once so far and now I can enjoy it a little more. The things I learned last year the hard way I can put to use this year the easy way.

That is I think part of the training value in these excercises also, for Reservists anyway, just actually being deployed and immersed for 10 full days gives me a wealth of training. I can only hope that 1/2 the other Reservists I run into are just as pumped about it also and want to kick some ass! There are enough of them only there for the money who piss and moan about being a soldier...

Cheers and I wish you all luck!

 

[career_radio-checker]

I can't help but get more excited for this ex as time goes by...

*Sigh*

Maybe for you but for the signal's world it is a lot different:

Things combat arms have to look forward to and the things Sig Ops have to look forward to in EX VG 06

Combat arms ---- a pretty clear plan of action laid out to you in the EX VG 06 website;
Sig Op ---- absolutely no mention of the Signals branch in the EX VG 06 website.


Combat Arms ---- setting up your own basic accommodations;
Sig Op ---- Setting up the CP, defenses, the ablution tents, mess tents, the officers tent and everyone else’s tent except your own. And then when you get a chance to do your own, you find your kit in the middle of a poison ivy patch. Did I mention Mother Nature took the liberty to pee rain all over it for the past 4 hours?


Combat Arms --- good leadership under the Sgts and MCpls;
Sig Op --- getting yelled at by a MCpl for not working hard enough while he walks around with a walking stick like a crusty old RSM.


Combat Arms ---- use of the C6, C9, C7, and sometimes C8;
Sig Op ---- issued but never use your C7 riffle.


Combat Arms ---- Rambo amounts of blanc ammo;
Sig Op ---- one mag of blanc ammo which you will pass off to some infantry guy to expend at the end of the exercise.


Combat Arms ----- sleeping out under the stars with comrades on the hard ground;
Sig Op ---- sleeping out under the stars with comrades on the hard ground because some officer stole your cot.


Combat Arms ---- helicopter rides;
Sig Op ---- watching others get helicopter rides while you're in the CP repeating "radio check" a thousand times.


Combat Arms ---- fighting in both wooded and urban areas;
Sig Op ---- fighting the cursed TCCCS system in both wooded and urban areas.


Combat Arms ---- a "GO! GO! GO!" mentality for 6 days straight;
Sig Op ---- a "Where's my coffee, sig" mentality for 6 days straight.


Combat Arms ---- sleepless nights which ultimately lead to fun stories of hallucination;
Sig Op ---- sleepless nights because some officer stole your cot. The hallucinations are not fun because, in your case, they are real.


Combat Arms ---- hard rations which will sometimes have to be eaten hard because there isn't enough time to cook them;
Sig Op ----- hard rations which were cooked two hours ago.
Note: because of the shift schedules, Sig Ops are most likely the last ones to eat so always expect to eat Ham Steak and Mustard sauce for Breakfast, Beef Stew for lunch and Salmon for supper. And every time, the condiments will have been stolen from your bag.


I’ve given up on being gung-ho about this ex. There is so much bs and redundancy that takes place at the HQ that any good idea I’ve had (like printing off Reports and Returns before the ex, handing out basic instructions with the radios which I made, revised and more efficient way of setting up modular tents) has been coldly received. So I’ve volunteered to be a Radio Re-Broadcast link somewhere in the woods. It will be just me, a buddy, our truck, and copious amounts of reading material. Let the good times roll. 8)

 

[Loachman]

So if being a Sig Op is so much fun, then - why are you one?

Not all Cbt Arms types will get hel rides this year (not that all did any year) - I've only got half as many to play with this year and creative juggling only goes so far.

I've tried to get as many non-Cbt Arms (including the GDs and PRETC who have less fun than you) guys up for famil trips in the past as possible, but still only managed to accommodate a relative handful. Sorry I missed you.

 

[portcullisguy]

Just a random question. Why did they change the name of the exercise from Stalwart Guardian, to Vigilant Guardian? Is there some tradition that says you can only use the same name three times? Or do the exercises focus on different types of training?

A little off topic but forestedwarrior, how is the Grey and Simcoe Foresters with paperwork? My birthday is under a week, however I can't hand in my forms until mid-July/early August, and the next available position for a  BMQ is in october. Just trying to figure out wether or not I should hand them in sooner or later, and I've read the horror stories of units losing people's files, etc...

To expand on what Loachman said, VG06 is the first of three "three-block war" Ex's, and SG05 was the last of three cold-war style ops (with a little OBUA mixed in).  IIRC, in SG03 we played the defenders (the live fire was in a company defensive trench system, I believe), in SG04 we did transitional ops, going from defensive into some offensive... blockings and raids were the soup du jour, and last year's SG05 saw us in offensive ops, with a helo-insertion to a bridge attack, and an attack on a Russian-style trench system.

I must admit, last year was fun, although I had heard horror stories from the silver-backs about 1000m advance to contacts in past CAC's, and was worried about offensive ops on my poor knees.  But it was great, I ended up in the WPNS DET, beasting a C6 (my #2 did an awesome job beasting the tripod and ammo, and yes we brought the tripod everywhere, and thank god).  I had to break in a brand new C6 with blanks, and let me tell you, the C6 is a bit more finicky when it's brand-new, not that blanks ever fired well with the "pig" anyway...

I am getting married this year, and can't go to VG06.  I am way out of shape anyway, after not doing anything remotely army since Feb, as I am on ED&T.  Shame, because VG06 seems to be a lot more relevant to whats happening right now, this moment.

A word to junior leaders and motivated troopies coming off course this summer:  Take this years Ex seriously. You might learn something that could save your life, should you decide to apply for Afghanistan. Even if you don't learn anything new, practice what you know and do your drills right.  We all need to pursue self improvement.

 

[Sig_Des]

It all depends....as a Sig Op who was also at SG 05, I enjoyed my time.

Yes a lot of it was Radio shifts in the back of an LS in a CP....Crappy, but it's our job, and one that is of some particular importance, especially in an excersize that large.

But, you get what you put into it. I was attached to 3 Armoured Recce Regt HQ. I could have just worked my shifts, slept, provide some security for the CP on Stand-to for the entire time.

But I made it a point to go the extra mile. I went on patrols. I took part in defensive actions, and I made it a goal to scrounge for the RSM and HQ staff anything I could that they needed. When Sqn HQ's had problems with their rad trucks, I tried to set them up as much as possible, with kit, or with programming.

My reward, I got to do a famil and an insert. I got to take part in some cool patrols. I got take care of. I had an awesome time.

Now VG 06, there isn't much tactical training value as far as Sig Ops, but they still play an important part. Now, if you go out of your way, and show yourself to be switched on, you may get a helo famil. You may get to do some green activities, you may get to do some OBUA.

Remember, you get what you put into it.