CAPTAIN CRAIG SKELSEY: I’m Captain Craig Skelsey, from Toronto, Ontario. I’m an Artillery Officer with the Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery School in Gagetown, New Brunswick. Artillery Officers are technical and tactical experts in the art of war. As part of the combat arms in the Canadian Army, Artillery Officers provide the Infantry and Armoured Corps with on-time, on-target firepower using modern equipment, like the powerful M-777 Howitzer that can deliver precise and effective artillery fire out to 40 kilometres.
CAPTAIN CRAIG SKELSEY: The greatest advantage that artillery has is you’re able to strike the enemy where conventional tanks and infantry can’t do that. It also lets us provide effects such as smoke illumination, just to cause different effects on the battlefield, and that allows us to do things like mark targets for other friendly forces, it allows us to screen friendly forces, blind enemy troops — all things like that.
On a day-to-day basis, Artillery Officers command troops, conduct training and run courses. On exercise or in theatre, they are often found on the gunline leading and directing the soldiers firing powerful and accurate conventional and satellite-guided projectiles downrange, or in Forward Observation parties with ground troops in search of the enemy. They also collect and interpret digital information from unmanned
aircraft, microphones and high-tech radar.
CAPTAIN CRAIG SKELSEY: With the surveillance equipment we have, we’re able to provide more of a shield-and-sensor role, where we can detect the enemy, keep observation on the enemy, things like that, and in addition, we have our air defence which has the ability to monitor the airspace that’s friendly and enemy, and provide the overall air picture.
Artillery Officers don’t just call in the guns; they also call in fixed-wing and helicopter support when needed to win the battle.
CAPTAIN CRAIG SKELSEY: The people on the other end are relying on you to provide that fire downrange. So there’s an incredible amount of importance behind that. And then, just knowing that you’re achieving that effect and you’re doing it safely is a good feeling.
CAPTAIN CRAIG SKELSEY: When you’re able to provide that much firepower onto any given location or target, knowing that you would not want to be on the other end of that… the thing that is most amusing about that is the reaction of the infantry and the armour. When they see that you are able to do that, and they don’t get to see all the behind-the-curtain activity, they just know that when they look at you and they ask for fire and now, all of a sudden, there’s artillery raining down where they need it — they think it’s somewhat magic.
After completing their training, Artillery Officers are posted to one of the five Artillery Regiments in Canada. Reservists return to their home units to continue building their skills. New Artillery Officers are immediately placed in a leadership position as a troop commander, in charge of 30 soldiers.
CAPTAIN CRAIG SKELSEY: And that involves you being put in charge of a troop of guns, which can be anywhere from 2 to 3 guns, and you work in a battery construct, and essentially you’re in charge of the administration and the running of that troop. You’re put in a position where a lot of people with more experience than you need to rely on your leadership and your command decisions. So what that means is that you need to be the one to set the example at all times. It may be raining and you may be in the worst conditions that you can imagine, but you need to be the one that puts on the happy face, and the one that keeps pushing forward in order to achieve
the mission.
CAPTAIN CRAIG SKELSEY: I’d say it’s exceeded my expectations. When I joined the Artillery, I had no idea the power that an M-777 would be able to provide — nor the understanding or the ability of what would happen when you call for fire from a battery of M-777s, or drop a bomb from a jet. There’s definitely been some moments that have been incredibly exciting, such as the first time that I was able to successfully call in an airstrike in training, and there’s definitely highlights like that throughout my experience.