Article By: Captain Aaron Birosh, ENCAP Detachment Commander 2025
Approximately 30 Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members took part in this year's Exercise SUPER GARUDA SHIELD 2025 (Ex SGS25), conducted under Operation HORIZON in the Indo-Pacific from 24 Aug – 04 Sep 2025. This was Canada’s largest participation in the exercise, joining 6,500 troops from 12 partner nations. While Ex SGS25 featured diverse training elements, the largest Canadian group was sent to perform engineering tasks 3 weeks before the start of the exercise. 22 CAF members were sent to complete these engineering tasks which composed of 17 Canadian Military Engineers and 5 Heavy Equipment Operators who stood out as a central component of Canada’s involvement, demonstrating technical skill, adaptability, and a strong commitment to community-focused outcomes on an international stage.
These Canadian Military Engineers took a crucial role in the Engineer Civic Action Project (ENCAP), a multinational initiative led by the Tentara Nasional Indonestia (TNI) and co-hosted by the United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM). This exercise emphasized cooperation and interoperability among participating forces. This included 3 projects consisting of a local elementary school renovation, a community centre renovation, and the creation of a gravel road.
Sekolah Dasar Peracak 2 (SDP2). 14 Canadian Military Engineers were part of the Vertical Construction team which completed renovation on this Elementary School, located in the Peracak region. Alongside their American and Indonesian counterparts, they completed significant infrastructure developments including roofing, electrical installation, tiling, siding, plumbing, painting, laying concrete, interlocking bricks, etc. The team members stayed right beside the worksite, integrating themselves in the local community throughout the duration of the project.
Gedung Pemerintah Government Community Centre. The Vertical Construction team also took part in completing renovations on a separate project site in the same community. They fully renovated the local community centre, completing roofing, flooring, siding, electrical and plumbing. They also providing the building with running water by drilling a well, then connecting the building to a newly constructed water tower.
Baturaja Road Improvement. 4 Canadian Military Engineers along with 5 Heavy Equipment Operators made up the Horizontal Construction team which constructed a 2.6 km gravel road in the Baturaja Combat Training Center (BCTC). The road was meant to improve the existing infrastructure in the area to facilitate troop movement out of the Baturaja Airborne Drop Zone during a joint paratrooper operation later into Ex SGS25.
Both teams faced many challenges throughout the exercise including extreme heat, heavy rainfall, resource shortages and different trade practices. This fostered resilience, innovation, and improved interoperability between partner nations while strengthening Canada’s reputation as a trusted and capable partner in the Indo-Pacific region. Their efforts also left behind a meaningful mark on the local community with the road being utilized to access farmers fields and multiple facility improvements that will be used for years to come.