Canadian military members are once again taking part in Ex-TAZ Runner in the Comox Valley.
The exercise sees members of the Royal Canadian Air Force, Canadian Army, and Royal Canadian Navy focusing on Counter-Improvised Explosive devices, with the training happening at 19 Wing Comox.
Major Edward Jensen says they do this exercise because it’s an important trade with a lot of skill.
“Once you learn how to do the basics, you have to keep re-applying them and keep practicing and training or you essentially forget what you’re doing, and how to do it properly,” said Jensen.
“We do this here because we can bring people from across the elements to come and train together. Generally, people are stuck on their own bases, doing their own thing, and it’s nice to have everyone on the same page, doing the same tasks so we can see how each other work and how we can cross-train.”
He says today focused on a tools range, where they practiced some techniques to be familiar with the tools and new equipment when doing exercise scenarios.
This includes access techniques, which is about getting into closed containers and vehicles to try and see or access inside of things that might have a threat inside of them.
Today’s targets included disabling pipebombs, pressure cookers and backpacks.
“Those are just some of the common items that are found around the world as an IED threat,” said Jensen.
“The explosive is contained within, and you can’t tell what’s inside a pipebomb or a pressure cooker, so it’s important before you can defeat something, you understand what is inside of it.”
Jensen says the tools fire water into the item, where through overpressurization, it will open the item and disrupt what is inside of it before it can function.
He adds while other exercises focus on intelligence, leadership, command and control, this exercise is the biggest one that focuses on the person downrange and what they are doing.
The exercise will run until February 20.
