24 HOURS WITH 5e RÉGIMENT D'ARTILLERIE LÉGÈRE DU CANADA

The 5e Régiment d'artillerie légère du Canada (5 RALC) is the unit in charge of fire support for the 5 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group. Two of the five batteries of the 5 RALC are equipped with M777, 155 mm guns, while the others are dedicated to surveillance and target acquisition, observation and command-support. In total, nearly 460 soldiers are engaged in this regiment.

When you enter the building of the 5 RALC, you come across a small esplanade, which is the place of the parade on Tuesday morning as well as the place of the physical training or the distribution of medals and awards. All around, we find the different batteries: each one has its QM, its transport structures, its own amo and, of course, its command. Nearly 60 soldiers make up each of the five batteries: artillery (X & R batteries), surveillance and target acquisition (Q battery), observation (V battery) and command and support (CS battery). Each new recruit to the 5 RALC is necessarily sent to one of the 5 batteries. Thereafter, the soldier can evolve within this battery or in one of the others, depending on qualifications, experience and opportunities.

When we enter the heart of the building, we come across the "Chapel": this is the nerve centre of the unit, where the M777s and their cages are stored (each M777 has its own dedicated cage, to which only the commander of the room has the key: there are the moving parts of the weapon, but also the accessories or the cleaning kit), but also the armoured vehicles (including tactical armoured patrol vehicles) and various equipment. A hangar dedicated to the repair facilities of the guns is installed at the back of the main building.

LEGACY

After the Second World War, the Canadian Forces began a major reduction in personnel. The artillery was particularly targeted: in the midst of the Cold War, in order to compensate for the lack of Francophones in the artillery, the 5e Régiment d'artillerie légère du Canada was created in 1968. Initially equipped with C1 and L5 105 mm guns, the regiment became mechanized in 1986 with the arrival of new equipment from the United States: 155 mm M109 A3 guns and M113 armoured vehicles (in various variants). Thereafter, French-made

LG1 Mark II guns equipped the regiment, until the arrival of M777 howitzers, which the 5 RALC used in Afghanistan and which are still in place in 2023.

The regiment was deployed on numerous occasions, mainly in peacekeeping missions: five times in Cyprus as part of the Blue Helmets presence, in Bosnia in 1995, in Haiti in 1996-97, but also in Canada (notably during the October 1970 crisis, in support of security for the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, during the 1990 Oka crisis or after the ice storm in January 1998).

But Afghanistan will mark the first combat missions of the unit since its creation. Several contingents were sent into combat, including B Troop of X Battery, which provided fire support with explosive shells during combat in Kandahar on 22 August 2007. The 5 RALC sent additional units the following years, in 2009 and 2010. Since then, the regiment's soldiers have been deployed, notably in Latvia, as part of Operation REASSURANCE.

Adjudant | Warrant Officer Michael Tremblay-Lavoie

Sergent-major des troupes, Batterie R | Troop Sergeant Major, R Battery 36 ans | 36 years old mais également de tâches administratives de sa batterie et de «extérieur, de la brigade», ainsi que de la discipline des troupes. Tout cela en plus de l’entraînement physique. Celui qui s’est engagé pour protéger son pays et partir en missions est aujourd’hui «pas mal rendu» à ce qu’il voulait faire : «il me reste 6 ans», avec vraisemblablement un déploiement dans le courant 2024. Et un objectif final : devenir QM de batterie.

Lorsqu’il s’engage dans les FAC en 2004, Michael Tremblay-Lavoie connaît déjà cette communauté particulière. Son père est un ancien pompier militaire, ce qui participe à l’envie du jeune homme, originaire de la région du Saguenay, de rejoindre l’armée. Aujourd’hui, il est marié et père de deux enfants.

Quel est votre parcours?

Après son entrée dans les FAC, Michael Tremblay-Lavoie passe quatre ans à Petawawa. Dès 2007, il est déployé en Afghanistan. En 2008, il est muté à Valcartier à la batterie R du 5 RALC ; unité avec laquelle il repart en Afghanistan en 2009. Ensuite vont suivre plusieurs années de cours et missions domestiques jusqu’en 2019, au moment où il va être muté à l’École de leadership et de recrues des Forces canadiennes, et ce pendant 3 ans. Là-bas, il est commandant de section, de peloton et commandant des opérations division, avant de revenir à Valcartier, en 2022.

Le plus important pour vous ?

Après presque 20 ans dans les FAC, l’Adjudant a engrangé une impressionnante expérience. Et c’est selon lui l’une des choses essentielles dans son travail aujourd’hui : «le travail d’équipe, et montrer aux jeunes […] leur apprendre les bases de l’artillerie».

Car la formation passe avant toute chose par les compétences : c’est le plus «important dans notre métier».

Quel est votre quotidien ?

Chaque journée est particulièrement chargée pour l’Adj Michael Tremblay-Lavoie. Il est en charge de gérer les troupes des deux M777,

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When he joined the CAF in 2004, Michael Tremblay-Lavoie was already familiar with this particular community. His father is a former military firefighter, which contributed to the desire of the young man, originally from the Saguenay region, to join the army. Today, he is married and has two children.

What is your background?

After joining the CAF, Michael Tremblay-Lavoie spent four years in Petawawa. In 2007, he is deployed in Afghanistan. In 2008, he was transferred to Valcartier, to R Battery of 5 RALC; unit with which he returned to Afghanistan in 2009. Several years of domestic courses and missions will follow until 2019, when he will be transferred to the Canadian Forces Leadership and Recruit School for 3 years. There, he will be a section commander, platoon commander and divisional operations commander before returning to Valcartier in 2022.

What's most important to you?

After almost 20 years in the CAF, the Warrant Officer has gained impressive experience. And that's one of the most important things about his job today: "teamwork, and teaching young people... teaching them the basics of artillery. Because training is above all about skills: it is the most "important thing in our job".

What is your daily routine?

Each day is particularly busy for Warrant Officer Michael Tremblay-Lavoie. He is in charge of managing the troops of the two M777s, but also of administrative tasks of his battery and "outside, of the brigade", as well as the discipline of the troop. All this in addition to the physical training. The one who signed up to protect his country and go on missions is now "quite close" to what he wanted to do: "I have 6 years left", with a likely deployment in 2024. And a final goal: to become a battery QM.

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ISSN 0705­0992

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