Trident Fury 2020
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• CANADIAN MILITARY’S TRUSTED NEWS SOURCE • NEED Volume 65 Number 48 | December 7, 2020 MORE SPACE? STILL TAKING DONATIONS! newspaper.comnewwsspapaper.com 2020 NDWCC MARPAC NEWSEWWS CFBCFCFB Esquimalt,EsEsqqu Victoria, B.C. NOW OPEN! 4402 Westshore Parkway, Victoria DONATE NOW THRU E-PLEDGE (778) 817-1293 • eliteselfstorage.ca TRIDENT FURY 2020 MS Cole Wood, from the Mine Countermeasures Diving Team, checks equipment in the Containerized Diving System Workshop on board HMCS Whitehorse during Exercise Trident Fury 2020. Beautiful smiles We proudly serve the start here! Island Owned and Operated Canadian Forces Community since 1984. As a military family we understand your cleaning needs during ongoing VIEW OUR FLYER Capital Park service, deployment and relocation. www.mollymaid.ca Dental IN THIS PAPER WEEKLY! 250-590-8566 CapitalParkDental.com (250) 744-3427 check out our newly renovated esquimalt store Français aussi ! Suite 110, 525 Superior St, Victoria [email protected] 2 • LOOKOUT CANADIAN MILITARY’S TRUSTED NEWS SOURCE • CELEBRATING 76 YEARS PROVIDING RCN NEWS December 7, 2020 Force Preservation and Generation IN A PANDEMIC SLt K.B. McHale-Hall Dalhousie University in Halifax, N.S., for medical essential activities to be conducted, and the potential MARPAC Public Affairs school, LCdr Drake jokingly remarks of the common- for members to spend the quarantine period in their alities. “I don’t have any shoes named after me yet, but homes should set household requirements be met. “People first, mission always.” there’s still time.” The strict protocol of a full quarantine eliminates all Amidst a global pandemic, this core philosophy of His career began in the Naval Reserves serving as interactions with others. the Canadian Armed Forces is as important now as it a Logistics Officer while studying to become a phy- LCdr Drake emphasizes the importance that mem- has ever been. The objective to preserve Force health sician. Since completing his residency in Calgary, bers follow their assigned quarantine protocol. while continuing Force generation lies at the forefront AB, he has served in a variety of roles, from deploy- “We’re putting a lot of trust in the sailors. Where we of the minds, and ultimately in the hands, of military ments with the Canadian Army in Europe and the can, we want to allow for a quarantine that still gives Royal Canadian Navy at sea in Asterix, to more clinical leadership and medical professionals. members the opportunity to spend time at home and settings as Base Surgeon and now Fleet Surgeon. Several warships and hundreds of sailors are currently with their families, if possible, prior to sailing. With the In March, about a week before the Base introduced at sea off the coast of British Columbia participat- increase in prevalence on Vancouver Island lately we COVID-19 protocols, he started his current position; ing in Exercise Trident Fury, all while the province are forced to consider full quarantine as the primary his responsibilities are extensive. protocol. We’re going through the tabletop exercises has experienced a resurgence in COVID-19 cases “My main role is advising Command Staff in the and issued restrictions to certain activities. The capa- now to determine what triggers specifically indicate the Fleet, lately on the topic of COVID-19, as well as being requirement for full quarantine. We’re recalculating risk bility to exercise the fleet under these conditions can the senior medical authority on this coast for all of the be accredited to the efforts of many, including Fleet on a daily basis. The Commodore and I are very hopeful operational clinicians.” British Columbians will continue to heed the advice of Surgeon Lieutenant-Commander Mitchell Drake. To meet the unique challenges facing military opera- LCdr Drake shares the same position former Medical Dr. Henry and that we’ll see a significant reduction in tions, they are using tools specifically developed for the our prevalence on the Island such that we can limit the Officer now Provincial Health Officer, Dr. Bonnie Canadian Armed Forces and now more recently for Henry once held during her time in the Forces. In light length of quarantine and its impact on our sailors and the navy. their families.” of the current pandemic, he now finds himself liais- “We’ve leveraged our scientists at Defence Research Prior to Exercise Trident Fury, with less than ing with her and her staff regularly. Both east coast- Development Canada, who have developed excellent two weeks separating their departures, mem- ers with hometowns in PEI, and having attended modeling tools and maps. We use these and other risk bers of HMCS Calgary and HMCS Regina con- calculators they’ve developed to determine the likeli- ducted seven and 10-day quarantine periods respec- hood of bringing a case of COVID-19 on board a ship tively, and were required to pass two rounds of or into a unit, based on the prevalence of infection in COVID-19 testing prior to embarkation, to combat the the relevant community, the length and type of quar- antine, combined with testing strategies. I do a lot of increasing risk. those calculations in order to advise on risk. While the Members have also completed self-assessments and virus is circulating in our community, we’re not going been screened for personal risk factors prior to embar- to get to a place where the risk is zero when embarking kation. Once on board ship, masks are worn for a ship or cohorting a large group, but we need to miti- a minimum of four days, relaxing the use of non- gate the risk to a reasonable level given the task they’re medical masks after four days, at the Commanding going out to do.” Officer’s discretion. Once a ship is underway, the He remains up-to-date on the latest evidence to minimum requirements for a member to join a determine transmission risks, to develop protocols ship is seven days full quarantine and a negative for ships at sea should they have suspicious cases of COVID-19 test. respiratory illness present to the deployed medical In total, amidst the surge in prevalence in the prov- team, or to determine how to overcome an outbreak ince, an estimated 1,400 tests were administered in scenario. But his primary goal is preventing such sce- the two weeks leading up to the exercise. narios through risk mitigation strategies, including pre- “We don’t have intrinsic testing capabilities here in embarkation protocols and testing. Esquimalt in our clinic yet. All of the testing that’s Units are following one of three pre-embarkation happened ashore has relied on Island Health and quarantine protocols prior to sailing: CAF and BC their lab staff at Victoria General Hospital. Despite Public Health guidance with travel and group restric- the pre-existing workloads they face, they’ve been tions added; a modified quarantine; or a full quarantine. eager, exceptionally helpful and flexible in support- Modified quarantines and full quarantines typically ing us,” says LCdr Drake. “It’s been an interesting time. last seven to 14 days, occur in a member’s home or Scientists, clinicians and Commanders have had to col- military provided accommodations, and come with spe- laborate closely in ways I’ve previously never seen in cific restrictions. Modified quarantines allow specific my career.” LCdr Mitchell Drake. Photo by Capt Irene Doucette December 7, 2020 CANADIAN MILITARY’S TRUSTED NEWS SOURCE • CELEBRATING 76 YEARS PROVIDING RCN NEWS LOOKOUT • 3 Mitigating Environmental Impact This information will further enhance the scientific community’s understanding of marine mammal species in offshore areas during the winter months, which will during Trident Fury also assist MARPAC with future exercise planning. Avoidance of specific military activities in sensitive and protected marine habitats SLt K.B. McHale-Hall readiness, while mitigating our environ- incorporated it into the Environmental is always incorporated in exercise plan- MARPAC Public Affairs mental marine footprint.” Impact Assessment guidance for the task ning, including that of TF20. Protected Aircraft and ships participating in TF20 group exercise.” areas, such as critical habitat, are identified The waters surrounding Vancouver are guided by detailed environmental The well-being of marine species is to all participating units and appear on Island are home to more than the usual exercise direction. central to the plans and actions of the vessel navigation systems as an Additional inhabitants this December. “FSE worked closely and extensively navy during TF20. Prior to sailing, all par- Military Layer. This includes the geospa- Exercise Trident Fury (TF20) is with exercise planners to help shape ticipating units attended a marine species tial boundaries of all legally protected underway off the coast of Vancouver and guide the task group exercise,” said awareness training session. Adapting to areas within the maritime operating area, Island. It is a task group of Canadian Tracy Cornforth MARPAC Formation the current pandemic, this training was and specific military procedures or activi- and American maritime assets training to Environment Officer. “The environmental delivered virtually via MS Teams. Training ties that are restricted in each area. operate together. They are also training to impact assessment included a description included how to report marine mam- “FSE works closely with Canadian Fleet work respectfully within Canada’s marine of key activities, potential effects, and mal observations, and reinforced existing Pacific planners and senior leadership to environment. strict mitigation measures to be employed. marine mammal mitigation procedures. ensure we are considering all ongoing The environmental responsibility for Environmental mitigation measures are This will be the first time the military activities within the Pacific Region. There the Pacific Fleet falls under Maritime incorporated for a range of exercise activi- uses the Canadian Coast Guard Marine is a significant coordinated government Forces Pacific Formation Safety and ties including vessel movement, aircraft Mammal Desk to report marine mammal effort to protect marine species, such as Environment (FSE).