Army greens return to Work Point
Stephanie Burr
Staff writer
February 25, 2008
It’s been 10 years since army greens have filled Work Point’s halls, and instructor Sgt Gord Cutting says they’re glad to be back.
The army reservist recruits are staying at Work Point barracks during their basic training course.
“We’re really looking forward to spending some time working side by side with navy personnel,” says Sgt Cutting. “Even though we’re all military, we don’t often get the chance to work together and anytime we are in concert, even on a smaller scale, it allows us to form working relationships which benefit everyone.”
Usually reservist recruit training is held at Albert Head, but due to scheduling the facility was unavailable for this rotation.
“The Work Point facilities are more modern than those at Albert Head. There is current technology like Powerpoint installed in the classrooms, and the grounds offer more amenities,” he says.
The training takes places on weekends from January to May, with recruits coming from all over Vancouver Island. During their weekend stays, they sleep in the old Princess Patricia Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI) barracks in building 1092.
Their day begins at 5:30 am with inspections and physical training, followed by an afternoon of classes including weapons service, navigation and drill basics, more physical training and a study period.
“They don’t get to hit the sheets until eleven o’clock at night,” says Sgt Cutting. “It’s a long day made even longer by the fact that these recruits have other commitments. Being a reservist is a second, sometimes even a third job for them.”
The reservist training provides the recruits with the necessary instruction to be proficient as a reservist.
“After basic training, they may want to continue on during the summer months with more advanced training,” he says.
Sgt Cutting is one of two instructors that has returned from a tour in Afghanistan, and plans on using his experiences as a unique teaching tool.
“Bringing experience to the table as a teacher gives a certain kind of credibility to what you’re teaching,” he says. “Even using small anecdotes of when the methods have been applicable in real life drive the lessons home a little more effectively.”
Instructor MCpl Ken Himes, a medic with the reserves, brings over 20 years experience to the teaching table. He was posted to Work Point 27 years ago with the PPCLI, and says while some of the facility’s scenery may have changed, it still has the same character.
“The grounds are rich with great history and promises of future successes,” says MCpl Himes. “At one point there were over 600 people posted at Work Point and each of them emerged from its gates a better soldier. I myself lived there and can attest to the limitless possibilities Work Point has to offer.”
He, like Sgt Cutting, is excited to be working alongside navy personnel.
“There is of course a little rivalry between the two organizations,” says MCpl Himes. “But at the heart of it all we each embrace learning from each other.”
