A3

By SHAWN BERRY
berry.shawn@dailygleaner.com

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Canadian Forces Base Gagetown is playing a key role as Canada's army steps up efforts to train soldiers for leadership positions as the military goes through the highest level of attrition in three decades.

"We are fundamentally tackling the kind of challenges that we haven't seen in years," said Col. Steve Bowes, commander of the Combat Training Centre.

He didn't put figures on the level of senior attrition.

"We're going through a one-in-30-year generational cycle when it comes to leadership," Bowes said.

"The Canadian Forces that we see today, largely in terms of leadership, came in in the late '70s and '80s, and because of that demographic punch, disproportionate numbers are exiting the army."

The Senate standing committee on national security and defence visited the base Thursday. Military officers told the four Liberal senators - committee chairman Colin Kenny, Tommy Banks, Joseph Day and Grant Mitchell - that the military is adapting to the challenge.

The senators got a tour of the Army Learning Support Centre and a first-hand look at how the military is using high-tech methods to improve teaching methods, cut down on learning time and improve students' success rates by developing and customizing its own computer simulations.

Day said the tour was informative for committee members.

"There's no question that there's a demographic challenge here," he said.

"It's the same challenge that other sectors, including private business, are facing."

He was interested in how the military is tackling that with its efforts through the Army Learning Support Centre.

"They're making it interesting, they're getting better results and they're saving money and time.

"They're demonstrating to us that they are aware of the hurdles they face and are being innovative in meeting that challenge," Day said.

Bowes said the training is bearing fruit. It's shortening the amount of time students need to spend in the field, reducing the tempo of training and allowing students to experience some of the hands-on learning.

Bowes pointed to a course for armoured car personnel. It had one of the highest failure rates in the army before simulators were used.

"When they actually jumped into the field, they felt that they had already done it," Bowes said.

"We didn't perhaps fully appreciate just how profound an impact this would have. That particular course "¦ went to a 100 per cent success rate two serials in a row."

He said the military is focusing on the way the next generation of leaders will learn.

"That generation looks at things differently and we need to develop our courseware in ways that they understand," he said.

Young people remember 90 per cent of what they do and 10 per cent of what they hear, he said.

Maj. Michael Standish, who oversees the learning centre, said performing a task in a simulator also reduces the number of times a task needs to be physically carried out to be understood.

"It's often quicker too in the field when a soldier has seen it first," he said.

Bowes said it's a misconception that the attrition is due to the military's involvement in Afghanistan. In reality, he said, it's a function of the fact the army expanded then retracted in the early '90s and is now seeing a demographic shift and a large number of experienced members are retiring as the military is growing again.