Reservist soldiers from across southwestern Ontario will travel back home on Sunday after participating in a large-scale training exercise called "Arrowhead Guardian 24" in Port Huron, Michigan.
Members of 31 Canadian Brigade Group, 1st Hussars, 31 Signal Regiment, 4th Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment, and 31 Service Battalion travelled stateside to Camp Graying last week.
Lieutenant-Colonel Jay Hancock, commanding officer of the Windsor Regiment, said the exercise involved 900 reservists and more than 200 vehicles.
"We actually do this type of training every year but I would say on the scale of having 900 reservists participate from across southwestern Ontario and travel into Michigan, it's probably the first time since 2014 that we've done this scale of exercise," he said.
The training involves a simulated combat environment, focused on readiness and soldier skills in order to prepare for deployment both in Canada and abroad.
"The training that we're doing here is really just confirming all of our skills and all of our basic activities that we do as whether infantry soldiers, or armored soldiers, or signalers, or medical and health professionals," Hancock said. "It's really our first opportunity for us to come together and conduct training at this level."
He said the participants range from high school and post-secondary students to full-time workers who want to serve.
Hancock said their final simulated attack will take place Saturday morning and participants will start travelling home on Sunday.
"We try our best to make sure that we're not overwhelming the roads and we have timed releases of when the vehicles will be shipped or if we're driving our vehicles back across the border but we will be starting that on Sunday morning," he said.
Hancock said those interested in joining can contact their local reservist recruiting centre.
"The nice thing as to why I joined is that it was so different from my day job that it allowed me to have a different experience that wasn't office-based," he said.
The Canadian Army Reserve (ARes) assists the Army in domestic operations when called upon in matters such as natural disasters. In international operations, the role of the ARes is to augment, sustain, and support deployed regular force members.
