Winnipeg soldiers help search and rescue efforts in Wainwright

Eleven military search and rescue technicians from Winnipeg were deployed to Wainwright, Alta., following the fire that killed four soldiers and injured 39 others during a live-fire training exercise Saturday.

It was the largest mobilization of SAR techs, elite primary-care paramedics in the Royal Canadian Air Force, in recent memory, a military spokesperson told the Free Press.

Every SAR tech available from 435 Transport and Rescue Squadron, located at 17 Wing Winnipeg — even those off duty — were sent to CFB Wainwright.

The technicians, who are trained to jump from aircraft into extreme environments, parachuted onto the scene from a CC-130H Hercules airplane to provide care for those injured in the fast-moving grass fire that had engulfed a training area.

None of the SAR techs was injured, said a statement from 1 Canadian Air Division, the operational headquarters of the air force, based in Winnipeg.

The tragedy reverberated through the Manitoba military community, where veterans, military families and political leaders expressed grief and support for the injured and condolences to the families of the dead members.

Justin Woodcock, a First Nations veteran who calls Manitoba home, spent weeks, sometimes months, training at CFB Wainwright while serving with Lord Strathcona’s Horse (Royal Canadians), an armoured regiment.

“Not once did I ever have to worry about, am I going to come home,” said Woodcock. “To think families are now going to have to worry about that moving forward. My heart breaks for them.”

He said the tragedy is a reminder that military service carries risks far from the battlefield.

Woodcock spent the weekend contacting former colleagues who are still in the military. He was relieved to learn they weren’t involved in the incident, but were instead lining up to donate blood.

“We might be far away, but we all wore the same uniform,” he said. “This is one big family.”

He said the physical and psychological effects of the fire could remain with survivors and first responders for years.

On Tuesday, Premier Wab Kinew acknowledged the SAR techs.

“We send you our support as you recover and process what is an unspeakable tragedy … which nobody should have to confront,” Kinew said.

Support services are available to the SAR techs “if they are having difficulty facing the reality of what they witnessed in Wainwright,” said the statement from 1 CAD.

The tragedy is also being felt in Brandon, a city that maintains a close relationship with CFB Shilo, which is a 30-minute drive to the east.

“We’re a military city,” said Mayor Jeff Fawcett, adding the disaster is unsettling because soldiers from CFB Shilo regularly train at Wainwright.

CFB Shilo is home to two units associated with the 1 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group: the 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, and the 1st Regiment, Royal Canadian Horse Artillery.

A Department of National Defence news release said 1 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group participated in the live fire exercises in Wainwright.

On Tuesday, a Department of National Defence spokesperson declined to say whether any of the injured soldiers were from CFB Shilo.

“Out of respect for the privacy of the affected members and their families, we are not providing details regarding the identities, units, or home locations of those injured at this time,” the spokesperson said.

The Shilo Military Family Resource Centre is offering counselling and other assistance to families and military members stationed there.

Fawcett said the tragedy is a reminder of the risks faced by soldiers at the CFB Shilo’s artillery base, which also operates live-fire ranges.

“You take that for granted because nothing happens,” he said.

kelly.riess@winnipegfreepress.com