Soldiers help reporters find range
With three overseas tours under his belt — two of those in Afghanistan — Sgt. Mark Lobkowicz is a seasoned soldier who could move into the regular forces and maintain his rank.
But the range officer for a media demonstration of the Canadian Army’s Fire Arms Training System (FATS) on Boxing Day prefers the life of a reserve soldier, where he can work on his new trade.
“Actually, I am training to be a tattoo artist,” said the softspoken sergeant as he revealed a magnificent winged creature on his forearm.
On the range he is all business, with an assortment of C7 automatic rifles, C6 machine guns and anti-armour weapons — all real but attached to a compressed air, video projection and laser light system which allows soldiers to practice marksmanship and decision-making under various simulated battle conditions.
“It is better than a dot on paper, which will still do at the range, but this is at the armoury and is available to all troops, reserves and regulars,” said Lt. Col. Chris Chodan, commander of the Loyal Edmonton Regiment, or Loyal Eddies.
Lobkowicz is particularly fond of the C6, a general purpose machine gun that needs a crew of three to operate, and can fire at up to 1,000 rounds per minute.
“Not that you would even do that, the barrel would get too hot. But you fire in short bursts, and it is very effective in laying down supporting fire,” he said. He was a machine-gunner on his first Afghanistan tour in 2006.
“You don’t move in the army without cover, and that is what this does. (The C6) was the backbone of the Canadian Army in Afghanistan.”
Training at FATS is required by all soldiers, and that includes leaders like Chodan.
“I am 47 and have to get out with the 19-year-olds in the field sometimes,” he said, adding he did a tour in Afghanistan, along with about half the army reserve troops in Canada.
Lobkowicz said FATS is a great way for new recruits to learn their basic skills. When they complete this training, they will usually all pass the required outdoor range tests using real bullets.
“There is a lot to learn, and most people haven’t fired a gun before, and aren’t comfortable at first,” he said.
And that includes print and television reporters who turned up for a taste of battle.
After firing at stationary targets — easiest done sitting or lying down rather than standing — the real action began as Lobkowicz plugged in some battle scenarios.
Enemy troops popping out of armoured cars and advancing under our withering fire didn’t do well. But what about the ones who snuck out of sight and circled around behind?
Just in time, Lobkowicz pulled back the screen viewpoint and swivelled it around to display our exposed flank. And he and Chodan jumped in to add some accurate firing and save our position from being overrun.
“We didn’t really see that kind of conventional assault in Afghanistan,” said Lobkowicz later.
A new system with a huge number of unconventional battle programs is coming soon. But aside from target practice, the real benefit of FATS will remain as a training tool for the commanders.
A section is eight to ten men, and the commander of even that small group does less firing and more thinking, said Lobkowicz. FATS lets him practice skills like navigation and co-ordination of artillery and even airstrikes.
“When your GPS goes out, what do you do? It is back to paper maps and protractors, and that takes practice.”