Washington Guard combat engineers arrive in Canada for international training exercise

Photo By Sgt. Ryan Scott | First Lt. Robert Newton, a platoon leader with the 204th Engineer Company and Spc. Ben Davis, a combat engineer with the 204th, discuss how to proceed up the river. Newton was the acting boat commander of a Canadian bridge boat pontoon that was ferrying two Canadian military police vehicles up the Columbia River here Aug. 20. The vehicles were being relocated to support the primary training event of exercise Kootenay Castor 2012, a 36-hour field training exercise. Kootenay Castor is a two week combined training exercise for combat engineers from the Washington Army National Guard and the Canadian Army.  

TRAIL, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA

08.13.2012

Story by Pfc. Ryan Scott 

122nd Theater Public Affairs Support Element

TRAIL, British Columbia - Soldiers from the Washington National Guard’s 204th Engineer Company arrived at the Royal Canadian Army armory here Saturday for the first day of the combined training exercise Kootenay Castor 2012.

The American combat engineers joined their counterparts from across Canada for a two week training exercise consisting of maritime, demolitions, and other tactical operations, as well as a “best sapper” competition.

“This is a great opportunity for the soldiers,” said Sgt. 1st Class Kevin Anderson, a native of Onalaska, Wash., and platoon sergeant for the 204th Engineer Company. “They’re looking forward to the combined training are excited to be here.”

The soldiers were separated from their respective home units and split into combined platoons. The soldiers will sleep, eat and train with their foreign counterparts for the remainder of the exercise.

“The idea was to build camaraderie amongst the troops to get a better understanding of how we both operate,” said Anderson.

“It’s a way of maximizing our capabilities while fostering camaraderie between the two units and the two countries,” said Canadian Army Cpt. Jason Kalincak, operations officer with the 39th Combat Engineer Regiment.

The soldiers will be spending the next two weeks learning and sharing the tricks of their trade through in-depth training, friendly competition and a 24-hour field training exercise.

“We’re very good at our way of doing things and when we work just as ourselves, we fall into a routine,” said Kalincak. “It gives a different perspective on tackling the same set of problems.”

• Date Taken: 08.13.2012
• Date Posted: 08.23.2012 00:23
• Story ID: 93661
• Location: TRAIL, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CA