In November 2021, 2 Combat Engineer Regiment participated in Exercise BOLD QUEST 21.2, an international exercise supported by the Canadian Land Warfare Centre designed to demonstrate and assess U.S. and coalition interoperability. The exercise continued to assess friendly force trackers (FFT) for both ground manoeuvre forces, as well as joint fires and air elements. The technologies that were tested are designed to allow friendly forces to increase lethality in an operational environment while simultaneously decreasing the risk of friendly fire. There were six partner nations this year: Canada, Finland, France, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden.
For the exercise, 2 CER sent one section of Engineers to integrate with the U.S. Marine’s Mobility Assault Company, 2d Combat Engineer Battalion, to test FFTs in a simulated hostile urban environment. Simultaneously, joint fires and air assets were conducting simulated strikes in the area of operation, using the FFT data to discern friendly from enemy locations. 2 CER members were able to integrate with the Marine Corps effectively, learning Marine Corps standard operating procedures as well as teaching them ours in an urban setting. Data and after-action review points were collected throughout the exercise, in order to assess the effectiveness of the technologies tested. This information will help the developers of the technology to further improve their FFTs to operate in a combat environment.
Photos:
Bold Quest 1 – Spr Noah Burry (2 CER) and Lance Cpl Alex Roley (US Marines 2 CEB) relocate a simulated casualty during the final training event of Exercise Bold Quest 21.2 at Muscatatuck Urban Training Center, Ind., Nov. 16, 2021.
Bold Quest 2 – Cpl Dan Sallafranque (2 CER) holds security during the final training event of Exercise Bold Quest 21.2 at Muscatatuck Urban Training Center, Ind., Nov. 16, 2021.
Bold Quest 3 – Cpl Julie-Ann Cail (2 CER) and Lance Cpl Alex Roley run through tactical concealment during the final training event of Exercise Bold Quest 21.2 at Muscatatuck Urban Training Center, Ind., Nov. 16, 2021.
Bold Quest 4 – MCpl Eric Poulin (2 CER), Spr Allison Richards (2 CER) and US Marines rehearse clearing and securing a building during Exercise Bold Quest 21.2 at Muscatatuck Urban Training Center, Ind., Nov. 6, 2021.
Bold Quest 5 – Sgt Blake (2 CER) folds an American flag after the final training event of Exercise Bold Quest 21.2 at Muscatatuck Urban Training Center, Ind., Nov. 16, 2021.
Lt Charter A.D.
Bold Quest 6 – Lt Charter (2 CER) presents 1st Lt Liam Burke (US Marines 2 CEB) with a 2 CER bailey bridge panel on behalf of 2 CER.