Canadian Forces Base Shilo (or CFB Shilo) is an Operations and Training base of the Canadian Armed Forces located 35 km East of Brandon, Manitoba. During the 1990s, Canadian Forces Base Shilo was also designated as an Area Support Unit, which acts as a local base of operations for south-west Manitoba in times of Military and Civil Emergency. The Canadian Forces (CF) (Fr: Forces canadiennes (FC)) are the combined branches of the military of Canada. ... Brandon, known as the Wheat City, is a city in southwestern Manitoba, Canada. ... A Canadian Forces Base or CFB (fr. ...

History and demographics

CFB Shilo has been a training facility for the Armed Forces since 1910, and saw an increase in its use as a training facility following the outbreak of World War I. The principle purpose of this base is for training in Artillery and Munitions, activities audibly recognized, though not begrudged, by generations of nearby residents. The existence of the base has enhanced the economic stability of the surrounding area through contracted employment with the Department of National Defence, and provision of off-base services to staff and trainees. CFB Shilo provides employment for approximately 1,400 military personnel, as well as an additional estimated 450 civilian personnel. World War I was primarily a European conflict with many facets: immense human sacrifice, stalemate trench warfare, and the use of new, devastating weapons - tanks, aircraft, machineguns, and poison gas. ... Historically, artillery refers to any engine used for the discharge of projectiles during war. ... Materiel (from the French for material) is the equipment and supplies in Military and commercial supply chain management. ... The Department of National Defence, frequently referred to by its acronym DND, is the department within the government of Canada with responsibility for Canadas military, the Canadian Armed Forces. ...

Geographic/geological significance

The landscape in this area is particularly well suited to these operations. The rolling hills are well suited to hidden target firing drills. Soil compositions of loose sand/gravel aggregates are also ideal for Artillery and Munitions training. The lack of surface bedrock outcropping greatly reduces the chances of hazardous ricochets during live-fire exercises and also assists in the safe retrieval and secure disposal of both detonated and un-detonated ordnance. Look up Aggregate in Wiktionary, the free dictionary The term aggregate may refer to— inert material, most commonly stone of sand- and gravel_sized particles. ... A ricochet is a rebound, bounce or skip off of a surface, particularly in the case of a projectile. ... Ordnance is a general term for a quantity of military equipment, usually specifying the ammunition for artillery, bombs, or other large weapons. ...

Associated units

CFB Shilo is the home of the 1st Regiment, Royal Canadian Horse Artillery (1RCHA), the 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (2PPCLI)—both battalions of the 1 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group—as well as being the Home Station of the Royal Canadian Artillery. Cap Badge Princess Patricias Canadian Light Infantry is one of the most decorated regiments in the Canadian Armed Forces. ... UBIQUE (Everywhere) and QUO FAS ET GLORIA DUCUNT (Whither Right And Glory Lead) History The Royal Canadian Artillery regiment is older than Canada itself. ...

In addition, CFB Shilo lodges training units such as the Western Area Training Centre Detachment Shilo and the Communications Reserve School.

It also serves as a base for some support units of Land Force Western Area, including 731 Signals Squadron. Land Force Western Area is responsible for all Canadian army operations and administration in western Canada from the northern Lakehead region of Ontario to the Pacific Ocean. ...

External connections/partnerships

In addition to providing training for the Canadian Military, CFB Shilo also hosts military personnel from other NATO Member Nations who undergo rigorous training at this facility. The past has also seen CFB Shilo used to train RCMP Officers and employees of the Manitoba Department of Corrections. The flag of NATO NATO 2002 Summit in Prague The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), sometimes called North Atlantic Alliance, Atlantic Alliance or the Western Alliance, is an international organisation for defence collaboration established in 1949, in support of the North Atlantic Treaty signed in Washington, D.C., on April... The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP or Mounties; French, Gendarmerie royale du Canada, GRC) is both the federal police force and the national police of Canada. ...

Fiduciary concerns

Since the late 1970s, CFB Shilo has been the subject of much political debate regarding the possibility of ceasing operations due primarily due to the costs associated with operating and maintaining the base. These political arguments arise regardless of which political party forms the respective Federal and Provincial governments. At this point, the issue has been debated for approximately 25 years and there are still no definitive decisions as to the continuation or cessation of operations.

External links

• Department of National Defense - CFB Shilo
• Example of political pressures facing CFB Shilo