Canadian Armed Forces to hold training exercise on P.E.I.

The Canadian Armed Forces are conducting an annual military exercise on P.E.I. this summer.

Exercise Ready Angle will take place June 1-7 and train 50 members of the military in the removal of Canadians and other individuals from threatening situations abroad and relocating them to safety.

The training will take place in and around Charlottetown and Summerside.

The exercise moves around the country, but P.E.I. gives the military a chance to train in an area where many members have never been, said Capt. Trevor Ackland, public affairs officer for Exercise Ready Angle.

Islanders might not notice an increase in military presence during the exercise, said Ackland.

He explained since the operation involves no weapons or ammunition, participants won't be armed, meaning Islanders might not see any signs of the exercise.

But residents of Charlottetown and Summerside might notice uniformed officers walking around, he said.

Real-world applications

The exercise is designed to practise non-combative evacuation procedures, something the Canadian Armed Forces have done at the request of Global Affairs Canada in the past. Lebanon in 2006 is a good example of the procedure at work, said Ackland.

"The government was no longer able to ensure the safety of people within its borders. We had a lot of Canadian citizens in Lebanon at the time. So we actually conducted one of these non-combatant evacuation operations where we set up at one of the airports," he said.

Canadians were then put on an aircraft and pulled out of the situation, said Ackland.

This kind of training is important as Global Affairs Canada and the Government of Canada want to be sure the military is prepared to react to situations when action is required to ensure the safety of Canadians abroad, Ackland said.

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