BATUS commander says future in Medicine Hat secure

By Medicine Hat News on February 14, 2025.

@MedicineHatNews

British Army Training Unit Suffield commander, Lt. Col. Paul Eaton, says he’s positive about the future of United Kingdom’s presence at the Canadian Forces Base northwest of Medicine Hat.

“At the moment BATUS is in a transitional period where we have moved away from previous training,” he told British Forces Radio during a brief interview this week.

“We are now looking at a different training delivery activity, which is quite good. The future is looking fairly good for us and we’ll see how it pans out over the next year.”

The British Ministry of Defence suspended large-scale battlegroup training at CFB Suffield in 2020 due to the pandemic, then recalled vehicles and a tank training fleet as it upgraded the Challenger II models but reduced its size and centralized training.

Eaton’s interview came at the Invictus Games, currently being staged in Vancouver, where British Armed Forces personnel stationed in Canada are helping stage the games created to aid injured military personnel.

“We’re visiting our troops that are providing support for the Invictus Games,” said Eaton. “To support such inspirational people, the answer was always going to be ‘yes’.”

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