encre_vol21_no3_anglais

TRAINING
TECUMSEH Gunfighters
By Lt(N) Vance Gough, PAO, HMCS TECUMSEH
Maybe it was a coincidence that Calgary had just celebrated
the centennial of the Calgary Stampede. The “Greatest
Outdoor Show on Earth” features how the West once was,
and how it has evolved. Most businesses in the city get into the act
by adding old western facades like swinging saloon doors, bales of
hay and hitchin’ posts to their storefronts. The city gets into the spirit
and when you go to the bank it feels like you are going to the OK
Corral. Naval Reservists in Calgary are used to this. They volunteer
to work at the military displays at the Stampede through OP CON-
NECTION and share what they do in the Reserves with millions of
visitors each year.
With Stampede over, what do Calgary-based Naval Reservists do to
keep this western spirit alive? They learn how to gunfight, of course.
From July 29 to August 3, twelve sailors of HMCS TECUMSEH
took part in advanced weapons training in a Basic Gunfighter
Course at the Kipp Range, near Lethbridge. They were instructed
by members of the RCN Operational Shooting Training Cell (RCN
OSTC), which is composed of both Regular and Reserve Force
sailors of all ranks.
LS Brann McGrath does a shoulder check to scan for potential targets during the Gunfighter
Course at the Kipp Range in Southern Alberta on August 2, 2012.
(Photo by Lt(N) Vance Gough.)
18 LINK Vol. 21, No. 3, November 2012
A/SLt Desmond MacMillan does the quickdraw as part of the Gunfighter Course conducted by
the RCN Operational Shooting Training Cell for HMCS TECUMSEH at the Kipp Range in
Southern Alberta on August 2, 2012.
(Photo by Lt(N) Vance Gough.)
The RCN OSTC trains and draws procedures from agencies within
DND, the RCMP, the OPP, and with local Police Tactical Units.
They also train internationally with the US Navy and the US Marine
Corps. The Cell recently returned from training at the US Marine
Corps Base in Quantico, Virginia, and was able to share lessons
learned with Calgary’s Naval Reserve sailors.
Led by LCdr Kristof Langland, the RCN OSTC taught members of
HMCS TECUMSEH how to survive gunfights and become better
operational marksmen. Using both Sig Sauer P225 pistols and C7
rifles over the five-day course, sailors learned holstering, quick draw
techniques, firing while moving positions, reloading and how to
engage with multiple targets. The course dramatically improved the
marksmanship skills of the participants and prepared them for
potential operational taskings.
Courses like this are both interesting and relevant. They help Naval
Reservists to remember why they joined the Canadian Forces.
Being a better sailor includes being capable with small arms. As
HMCS TECUMSEH Training Officer Lt(N) Andy Paschke said,
“Operational settings are not like traditional range shoots. This
course helps prepare us to survive live fire situations.”