Algonquin GIS program upgrades military skills

By Antoinette Okai-Koi

okai0001@algonquincollege.com

Corporal Chris Carter stood in front of a mirror, fixed his beret and straightened his green army uniform, he stepped back to admire a man of discipline and integrity, a prime example of a military man.

Carter, a geography and geometrics third year major at the university of Ottawa is part of the National Reserves.

“I like how it’s built around teamwork and organization. We practice everything with our team. It is so well-oiled that you can run on that, so that if you were in Afghanistan you would run so smoothly,” said Carter.

Algonquin College currently boasts the two-year program Geographic Information System that trains employees of the national defense and Canadian forces with a diploma upon completion.

“Some of our students are out of high school, going into their first military experience,” said Mike Ballard, GIS coordinator. “Some have served in forces for many years, gone to Afghanistan once or twice as inventory and frontline men.”

These full-time soldiers have an agreement with the government paying for their post-secondary education with a five-year enrollment of their services in the armed forces. “GIS is a Canadian invention by Roger Tomlinson from Dows Lake. You can work for five years in Geomatics which includes mapping and analysis,” said Ballard. “Canada is well known globally for their involvement with NATO (North Atlantic Trade Organization) call up Canadian soldiers to help.”

Ballard is happy that the qualifications upon graduation are relatable skills out of the DND, especially for those nearing retirement.

“The DND sees that the diploma is important, and people respect Algonquin,” said Ballard about the demand of the college’s program in the armed forces.

 “Our goal is to provide maneuver tactics for friendly forces and deny that to the enemy,” said Carter. “We build bridges and obstacles. We lay mines and take out mine fields. We do a lot of work with explosives.”

Carter’s father is a retired navy officer who worked on submarines and he is one of the reasons that Carter joined the reserves. Being in the military part-time it is only demanded of him to go to Borden, Ont. for one night a week and one weekend a month for military training.

“I have learned teamwork, discipline and organization. I may end up doing that, joining the regular force,” said Carter, a member of unit 3CR-combat engineer regiment.