So today is day 2 after Active Edge, and let me tell you all what fun it was!

2 Saturdays ago my troops and myself arrive at the airport to be flown to wonderful Wainwright Alberta for this combined arms exercise. We arrive at 2200 at the airport (why not fly us out sooner? no one knows) and a 2 hr bus ride to the training site. We then promptly get lost trying to find our biovac site due to the bus driver not having a map or radio. So 0330 we finially get to bed and get up at 0600 for the exercise.

Day 1: I'm not trained so I'm used for sentry, my troops do not get any food since service battalion was having troubles transporting it out to the troops. It rains.

day 2: Sentry again, watched how HQ works (trying to be a good sponge and soak it all up) Troops finially get food for dinner. No food for almost 2 days, joy. It rains.

day 3: Sentry again, but this time with 4 others under my command. Life actually starts to be fun. Got to see direct fire of our artillery on a target, very very cool. It's still raining.

Day 4: I'm removed of my command and sent to HQ to be a liason officer, job is finished within 15 minutes. Stopped raining bugs are now out.

Day 5: Riding along with HQ as the attacks are going on, not learning much. Bored and bugs are now getting to me.

Day 6: Watched 2 attacks done by our combined arms, was cool, actually got to see our Lav III's and Lepoard tanks in action

Day 7: we do live fire support of the RGR (Royal Gurkah Rifles) which is one of the largest honours our regiment has ever had. We then leave the field and get ready to head home. This is where my real beef starts: my troops were kept waiting 4 hrs before being allowed to goto the waiting area for the bus, during this time they could have had a shower and had a hot meal. But someone at the vehicle turn in point didn't want to let them go. I was pretty pissed. We travelled 4 hrs on public transportation stinking to high heaven and starving. Oh there was also a mix up with the weapons that we brought over, first we had a charter flight which made transporting the weapons easy, we just through them into the cargo hold. But we couldn't do that on a civi flight. Eventually I found out that there was a solution already decided upon but no one told me. Joy.

I love the army.

Active Edge, the 9 day exercise for the Canadian Army Reserves is coming up quickly, and I'm one of the unit organizers for it. Pretty much my job is keeping track of who's going, and that they get the info they need. This is the first time I worked in the orderly room and first time I ever helped out organizing these things and I've noticed something. It's very very frustrating. We always wondered why the orderlies were so grumpy and scatterbrained and now I know. Originally I had over 30 people wanting to go, and in the past month I had about 4 drop out. Now in the last week I had 8 people drop out 4 join and 1 drop out of that 4. The exercise commences in 2 days and I'm waiting for even more people to drop out or want to join in! Don't they realize we have to buy the plane tickets, get the meals sorted out, inform our higher command who's going to be there? Ugh. Oh I'll try to get some pictures online, should be cool. -Leon

Seems like I'm lost in space... Last two months I've been sitting around due to a crushed foot (nothing broken but a big bad bruise called a foot). Now I'm actually able to hobble around and hopefully soon I can start to work out again. Luckily I have work until the middle of September but after that I'm going to be out of a job (this summer was training for the reserves which would have opened up alot of jobs for me, such as peacekeeping!). Considering going to school, but that costs quite a bit and I'm quite sick of being a starving student. I'm thinking about getting a job in a trade and start up an apprenticeship, more money that way it seems. Damn computer industry being what it is. I've been told I'll have a year wait until I can get into the electrical entry program at college (any college, they are all full). Anyone know of any trade that doesn't have such a huge waitlist? Or a trade that I can just walk into? hmmm... Thats the end of my ramblings! -Leon

I expected a good smear campain against Bush and the war but wow. I don't think I've ever been happier or prouder than at this moment for being Canadian and having a government that stood up to the American Gov't by refusing to go into the war in Iraq (but in almost everything else we're the Americans bitch, of which I'm ashamed). I've written this log 5 times now, and deleted it every time. Too much emotion, not enough direction. I think all I can say is that western civilization is morally corrupt, greedy, and honourless. I really think we deserve what we get. Inaction is just as bad as action. -Leon

Well journal entry #2, week 3 of my injury week 2 of being at a desk. It's slow not much going on since everyone in my regiment is on course, or about to go on course. Foot is now smaller and I'm hoping with a bit of luck that I will be able to walk again by the weekend, well limp at least. Checked out the local college about taking an apprentice electricians course, going to call them after work today and set up an appointment. I'm a bit tired of having no work as a computer tech, or if I do get work it's for minimum wage. At least as an electrician your job can't get outsourced. 4 years as an apprentice though, however still getting paid more than a comp tech here in Victoria BC. Plus added benifit of employment. Hopefully... Till next entry...

well my first journal entry... Last friday I was sent back from my training in Shilo Manitoba for rolling a c3 howitzer (big ass cannon) over my foot. My foot is currently twice the size it normally is. It's been this way for 3 weeks now (took the army 1.5 weeks to send me back). I'm now doing office work for my regiment until my training period is over. Hmmmmm I'll add more later I think. -L