Ottawa – National Defence / Canadian Armed Forces-Over 350 Canadian Army soldiers will begin practicing their cold weather combat skills in a joint exercise at the Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center (JPMRC) in Fort Wainwright, Alaska from February 13 to 22, 2024.

Most of the Canadian training audience is from the 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (3 PPCLI), which is based in Edmonton, Alberta. They will join American counterparts from the 1st Infantry Brigade Combat Team of the 11th Airborne Division.

In addition to Canadian and American forces, troops from Mongolia and the Republic of Korea will be part of the training audience. Working shoulder to shoulder with these important partners is an opportunity for the Canadian Army to build inter-army relationships in the Indo-Pacific region. As an Arctic and Pacific nation, Canada greatly values the opportunity to work with Northern Indo-Pacific partners to prepare for defence and security issues that may increasingly affect both of these important regions.  

The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) will also deploy approximately 165 personnel from 1 Wing to participate with three CH-147 Chinook and six CH-146 Griffon helicopters. Approximately 100 other Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) personnel will support the exercise in other capacities, bringing the total CAF contribution to roughly 600 personnel.

Across all participating nations, the exercise will see over 8000 soldiers engage in offensive and defensive manoeuvres against a near-peer enemy force in a complex and fluid environment.

Exercise GLOBAL RESOLVE is an annual Canadian Army exercise that will alternate between the Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center in Alaska and the Joint Readiness Training Center in Louisianna. It will validate one of the Canadian Army’s light infantry battalions as the Global Response Task Force (GRTF), a high readiness force ready to deploy across a wide variety of potential missions. Each of Canadian Army’s light infantry battalions will cycle through as the GRTF, giving Canadian soldiers outstanding training and experience in diverse environments.

“Exercise GLOBAL RESOLVE 24 ensures the Canadian Army can conduct combat operations in challenging cold weather conditions and in the Arctic, but also serves as an opportunity to strengthen ties with crucial partners in the Indo-Pacific – especially our hosts: the 11th Airborne Division of the US Army Pacific. As we face an increasingly volatile security environment around the globe, I am incredibly proud to see our soldiers train together and sharpen their skills. The Arctic is experiencing growing competition, and the Canadian Army must remain ready to support the Government of Canada’s strategies in this important region.”

Lieutenant-General Jocelyn Paul, Commander, Canadian Army

“The training conducted at the Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center alongside our American allies and Indo-Pacific partners, shows the Canadian Army’s commitment to maintain individual and collective proficiency in Arctic and Cold Weather operations. Thanks to the relationship that exists between the Canadian Manoeuvre Training Centre and the Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center, US, Canadian, and Indo-Pacific partner nation soldiers will prove their combat readiness shoulder-to-shoulder during the same exercise.”

Major-General Roch Pelletier, Commander, Canadian Army Doctrine and Training Centre

“3^rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Light Infantry has conducted intense training these past four months leading up to Ex GLOBAL RESOLVE 24. Challenging, high-level training like this demonstrates the capability of a light infantry unit and better prepares us to operate in various environments around the globe. This training will ensure we are ready to take on the Global Response Task Force mantle this summer.”

Lieutenant Colonel Ben Schmidt, Commanding Officer, 3^rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry

Quick Facts

1. In total, roughly 10,000 participants and support personnel are involved in JPMRC 24-02, in addition to many other personnel across Alaska working to make this exercise a success.

1. The RCAF personnel deployed from 1 Wing are from 450 Tactical Helicopter Squadron in Petawawa, Ontario, and 408 Tactical Helicopter Squadron in Edmonton, Alberta. They will support land forces by executing reconnaissance, firepower, and tactical mobility tasks including the transport of personnel and materiel over challenging terrain.

1. Both the 11^th Airborne Division and the 3 PPCLI are using this exercise as an opportunity to validate forces in extreme cold weather conditions. 

1. The GRTF is a Very High Readiness Light Infantry Battalion that is capable of rapid, global, strategic force projection in lower-intensity conflict, force projection and response in the Arctic, or to operate as part of a larger allied force in major operations. 

1. The Canadian Manoeuvre Training Centre has contributed Observer Controller Trainers (OCTs) to Exercise GLOBAL RESOLVE to enable the validation of 3 PPCLI. This ensures that the Canadian Army is always ready to deploy, even at short notice, to support operations around the globe. 

1. Canadian OCTs are working alongside American OCTs throughout the exercise. These experienced soldiers supervise the training audience from the exercise sidelines to provide feedback and mentorship for maximum training value. As the Canadian Army’s Centre of Excellence for collective training, CMTC can export OCTs to the point of need whether it is in Wainwright, Alberta, or Fort Wainwright, Alaska.

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  Alaska, canada, training, u.s.