Major Leslie Fillmore,
Commanding officer,
26/27 CF Health Services Centres
September 3, members of 26 Canadian Forces Health Services Centre, joined by 1 Dental Unit Detachment, Greenwood; took part in a 3.5-kilometre weighted stretcher carry, an activity that may have caught the attention of personnel around 14 Wing Greenwood.
Leadership teams of 26 CFHS and 1 DU have recommitted to protected time for readiness activities, clinical competency maintenance and continuing professional education for both units’ military and civilian healthcare and dental providers. With the support of the 14 Wing Greenwood leadership and command teams, Thursday afternoon training periods got underway June 1. Readiness activities, including familiarization visits and engagement with supported units, such as 413 (Transport and Rescue) Squadron and the 14 Wing fire hall, provide healthcare personnel with a greater understanding of other’ equipment, capabilities and operating environments; helping all better anticipate medical requirements, integrate with operational partners and provide more effective support during training, emergencies and operations.
While a weighted stretcher carry on a Royal Canadian Air Force base may seem unusual, it reflects an important reality of military health and dental care. CFHS and 1 DU personnel are dual professionals: healthcare providers and military members. In addition to maintaining clinical skills, they must be prepared to operate in challenging environments and support military operations at home and abroad.
This stretcher-carry training event was designed to build fitness, teamwork and casualty evacuation skills. In an emergency, healthcare personnel may be required to move injured patients over significant distances, across difficult terrain or in conditions where vehicles and other resources are unavailable. The day’s rain was a “bonus,” as training under realistic conditions helps build the confidence and capability required to respond effectively when those situations arise (“you’re not training if it ain’t raining”).
Recent global events have highlighted the importance of military readiness and the need for CAF personnel to be prepared for a wide range of operational demands. Lessons observed from modern conflicts, including the challenges associated with casualty evacuation, reinforce the value of physically demanding and realistic training. The activity also supports 14 Wing Greenwood’s broader focus on readiness and resilience.
The units have planned for progressive training, gradually increasing activities in complexity through additional distance, load and operational challenges. The goal is simple: ensure Greenwood’s military healthcare unit personnel remain physically prepared, clinically capable and ready to support the Canadian Armed Forces whenever called upon.
For the members who participated, the training was about more than physical fitness. It provided an opportunity to strengthen teamwork, develop trust and reinforce the esprit-de-corps essential to military service. Despite the wet weather, participants completed the event with enthusiasm and a strong sense of accomplishment. They truly demonstrated the units’ new motto, “Care as One.”
