U.S.-Canadian artillery partner at YTC

Photo By Bryce Dubee | Soldiers from the 5th (British Columbia) Field Artillery Regiment, Royal Canadian army fire their 105 mm C3 howitzer during training here Oct. 14. The unit co-located at a firing point with troops from the U.S. Army’s Battery A, 2nd Battalion, 12th Field Artillery Regiment, which allowed for soldiers from both nations to learn about each others’ tactics and equipment.  

YAKIMA, WASHINGTON, UNITED STATES

10.14.2011

Story by Sgt. Bryce Dubee 

4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division

YAKIMA TRAINING CENTER, Wash. – Despite being stationed only a few hundred miles away, soldiers from at Joint Base Lewis-McChord and members of the Canadian army will most frequently encounter each other thousands of miles away on the battlefields of Afghanistan.

But that all changed for members of the U.S. Army’s 2nd Battalion, 12th Field Artillery Regiment who had the chance to train here alongside their allies to the north Oct. 14.

The 2nd Bn., 12th FAR, part of the 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, was participating in the brigade’s month-long exercise “Raider Fusion” when they learned that a unit of Canadian field artillery would be coming down from British Columbia to train at YTC, explained Maj. Deric Holbrook, the battalion executive officer.

“The Canadians are incredible allies, so we made contact with them,” he said, telling the Canadian unit, “You’re here, we’re here, let’s do some combined training for the benefit of our nations.”

A plan was made, and Capt. Khali Johnson, commander of Battery A, 2nd Bn. 12th FAR, was notified that a battery from the 5th (British Columbia) Field Artillery Regiment, Royal Canadian army would be joining them at their firing point.

“I looked at it as a great opportunity for some international training,” he said. “And a chance to demonstrate the power and capability of the U.S. artillery.”

Johnson added that he was interested in seeing how the roles and responsibilities of the Canadian officers and non-commissioned officers differed from their U.S. counterparts.

“It’s very different,” said Sgt. 1st Class Ommar Zavala, the battalion master gunner, as he watched the Canadian troops set up their gun position.

Noting differences in where certain pieces of equipment were placed on the gun line, and the use of voice commands rather than radio communication, Zavala said that he was most surprised that it was an officer from the advanced party, rather than an non-commissioned officer, calling out commands to position the guns.

The most noticeable difference however, was the types of artillery pieces being set up.

Part of the Canadian army’s Primary Reserves, similar to the U.S. Army Reserves, the 5th (BC) FAR uses a smaller, older-model, 105 mm Howitzer known as the C3, while 2nd Bn. 12th FAR fields the much larger and modern 155 mm M777.

The artillerymen - and a few women in the case of the Canadians – were eager to examine each other’s gun sites to see how their allies operated.

Even some of the smallest details drew admiration from the soldiers, with some of the U.S. troops wanting to be issued the small tents the Canadians used for storing their ammunition, while a few Canadian soldiers said their wished their uniforms had pockets on their left sleeves for holding pens like their U.S. counterparts.

Other soldiers examined each others’ individually assigned weapons – specifically the U.S. M4 carbine and M240B machine gun and the Canadian equivalents, the C7 assault rifle and C6 general-purpose machine gun.

The 5th (BC) FAR conducts two training rotations to YTC each year, but doesn’t often train with the U.S. soldiers, explained Lt. Andrew Jackson, the reconnaissance officer calling out commands during the Canadians’ setup.

“To my knowledge we have never co-located with a U.S. unit before,” said Jackson.

While training together might be a rare occurrence, fighting alongside one another in Afghanistan is more common.

Bombardier Dan Scott, who had the chance to pull the lanyard and fire one of 2nd Bn. 12th FAR’s M777s, said he worked with U.S. soldiers while deployed.

Meanwhile, Zavala explained that he deployed with a unit that actually fell in on and replaced a Canadian M777 unit in Afghanistan.

Since they employed the same weapon system in combat, he said both nations used the same crew drills and procedures on the guns, and only really differed in certain techniques and digital capabilities.

Jackson echoed a similar sentiment.

“The acronyms are different but the principles are the same,” he said. “Gunnery is gunnery.”

• Date Taken: 10.14.2011
• Date Posted: 10.17.2011 13:23
• Story ID: 78622
• Location: YAKIMA, WASHINGTON, US