Soldiers embark on U.K. training op

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This article was published 14/02/2023 (962 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

CFB Shilo — Members of the 2 Battalion Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry have left for the United Kingdom as part of an ongoing operation to train Ukrainians who are fighting for their country.

This is Corp. Tibor Tihanyi’s first deployment, and it will be the longest he has been away from his family, but prior absences for training across Canada, about three months at a time, have prepared him and his wife for the separation.

“By this point, we’ve kind of gotten into a routine,” Tihanyi said, explaining the day of departure can seem “surreal” and it’s usually about a week when he starts to miss his family more and more. “You just get through, day by day. Focus on work. Stay in touch with family.”

Joining Tihanyi at the Kapyong Barracks departure point to say goodbye on Monday was his wife McKenna and his two daughters, 15-month-old Arbela and two-month-old Balletta. McKenna said the couple has a little trick for this lengthier separation.

“Usually he’s gone for three months at a time, at least twice a year,” she said. “This is just like, ‘Oh, we’re just doing that twice.’”

McKenna said those who have spouses serving overseas have strong supports that include programs offered through the Military Family Resource Centre. She’s also fortunate that she’s from Manitoba and her parents live nearby, she said.

Tihanyi was among 60 soldiers of 2PPCLI who departed for the United Kingdom yesterday, part of a contingent of 100 soldiers from CFB Shilo that will serve as the next rotation of Operation Unifier. They’re relieving members of 3PPCLI from CFB Edmonton. The remainder of the Shilo group is expected to leave next week.

Warrant Officer Shelldon Hawman will serve in a support role for one of two training teams. Under Operation Unifier, their task is to train Ukrainian volunteers in frontline combat so they can defend their country against Russian aggression.

“This is essentially their basic training for infantry,” Hawman said of the Ukrainian trainees. “Then they’ll be trained up within the 33-day period, and then sent back to Ukraine to start working within the units”

According to National Defence, Operation Unifier has ran since 2015. Last year, it was expanded and extended until March 2025. Since the start of the operation, the Canadian Armed Forces has trained more than 35,000 Ukrainian military and security personnel in battlefield tactics and advanced military skills.

Over the years, several hundred Shilo-based soldiers, primarily from 2PPCLI, have trained Ukrainian forces. Prior to the start of the Russian invasion last February, that training was done in Ukraine. However, with the Russian invasion, Canadians had to withdraw from Ukraine and training was relocated to the U.K.

There are currently about 225 CFB soldiers deployed overseas, consisting of this group of 100 in the U.K., another 120 to 130 stationed in Latvia as part of ongoing Operation Reassurance in support of NATO’s presence in Eastern and Central Europe, and about five who are in the Middle East as part of ongoing Operation Impact.

» ihitchen@brandonsun.com