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Canadians showcase deployment capabilities

Released: Feb. 13, 2003

By Senior Airman Sergio Aguirre
366th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

MOUNTAIN HOME AIR FORCE BASE, Idaho (ACCNS) -- Thirty-seven members of the Royal Canadian Air Force's 42nd Radar Squadron and the Canadian Army's Air Detachment came here recently to demonstrate their ability to deploy as part of an annual exercise with Mountain Home's 726th Air Control Squadron.

The 42nd RS is based in Cold Lake, Alberta, Canada, which is home to Maple Flag, an annual exercise much like Red Flag in the United States.

The RCAF is a small force compared to its United States counterpart, with about 50,000 members compared to the U.S. Air Force's nearly 350,000 active-duty airmen.

"We are like a big family," said Canadian Maj. Marc Truswell, 42nd RS commander. "We are all professionals and deploying is less stressful due to us knowing that we all know our jobs. That allows us to focus on what must be done rather than worrying about errors."

Squadron members average more than 13 years in their career field. Some have more than 25 years of experience.

"We always look forward to working with the U.S. Air Force every year. Being able to trade ideas is invaluable to the progression of the squadron's efficiency. We are not a very big squadron so we must maximize every resource available and being able to train with the best Air Force in the world is an awesome experience," Major Truswell said.

Soldiers from the Canadian Army Air Detachment, who accompanied the 42nd RS from Canada, are trained on low-level surface-to-air missile systems. These systems offer many of the same characteristics of the SAM threats U.S. pilots face in the rocky deserts of the Middle East.

"It's a little different to deploy with our air force," said Canadian Army Sgt. Tom Simmons, a 21-year veteran. "We are finding that with our training here, we will be able to provide army commanders a complete air picture."

This joint deployment exercise of Canadian air and army forces simulated air control operations between the two branches and provided a more efficient fighting force.

"We are learning how to work and fight together as a cohesive unit," said Sergeant Simmons. "This is a great opportunity for us to learn how we operate and to exercise with the U.S. Air Force so we are prepared to fight side-by-side with American forces if the time comes."