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13 surreal photos from the Canadian Army on Instagram

I used to live in a building where I'd see an army dude in the elevator every few months, wearing full camouflage head to toe. He was always quite polished and clean shaven, and I imagined he was a high ranking military guy.

I used to live in a building where I'd see an army dude in the elevator every few months, wearing full camouflage head to toe. He was always quite polished and clean shaven, and I imagined he was a high ranking military guy. I often wondered where the heck he worked and assumed he was on his way to the Jericho Garrison. Besides stories from my grandfather who was in WWII, the dude was my only connection to the military, and I imagine I got closer than most have been to the military in our city, simply by standing next to him.

I don't remember how I came across the Canadian Army's Instagram account at @armeecdnarmy, but I recall it being a moment similar to the first time I came across elevator army guy... but easier as I didn't have to start a conversation asking "So, what's up with the camo?". The account took me way outside the city and into a world that we rarely ever see, yet we as a country are involved in. Some posts appear to be from actual combat missions, and lots of it is training and looks at bizarre guns and operations which are fascinating. This isn't stuff we "don't see every day", it's stuff that we'll likely never see in real life.

Below are a bunch of images from their IG account. Follow it if you want to get a broader view of what people in our city, and country, are up to in helping to keep us safe.

#ExSTRIDENTTRACER17 is the 5th Canadian Division’s largest Army reserve training exercise that takes place August 18-27 at 5th Canadian Division Support Base #Gagetown and will involve soldiers from units located throughout Atlantic Canada together with members of the United States @nationalguard. #YouHaveARole #MightyMaroonMachine. #ExSTRIDENTTRACER17 est le plus important exercice d’entraînement de la réserve Armée de la 5e Division du Canada. Cet exercice se déroulera du 18 au 27 août 2017 à la Base de soutien de la 5e Division du Canada #Gagetown et impliquera des militaires des unités des provinces atlantiques du Canada et des militaires de la @nationalguard des États-Unis. #VousAvezUnRôle #PuissanteMachineMarron. #Army #canada #exercise #training #military #Usarmy #CanadianArmy #ArméeCanadienne #Armée #StrongProudReady #FortsFiersPrêts #soldiers #soldats

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Members of Royal Canadian Armoured Corps School (RCACS) practice their shooting skills from a Leopard II tank at firing point 4 in the training areas at 5th Canadian Division Support Group (5 CDSG) Gagetown, in Oromocto, New Brunswick, May 4, 2017. Photo: Cpl Geneviève Lapointe Tactics School, 5th Canadian Division Support Group Gagetown Des membres de l’École du Corps blindé royal canadien (ECBRC) à bord d’un char d’assaut Leopard II pratiquent leurs habiletés au tir au polygone de tir 4 dans les secteurs d’entraînement du Groupe de soutien de la 5e Division du Canada (GS 5 Div CA) Gagetown, à Oromocto, au Nouveau Brunswick, le 4 mai 2017. Photo : Cpl Geneviève Lapointe, École de la tactique, Groupe de soutien de la 5e Division du Canada Gagetown #Tank #CanadianArmy #Army #Gagetown #FortsFiersPrêts #StrongProudReady #RoyalCanadian #ArmouredCorps #School #training #char #LeopardII #ArméeCanadienne #NewBrunswick #NouveauBrunswick #Canada

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This tank video has a soundtrack.

#Army101 #Armée101 #CanadianArmy #ArméeCanadienne #ldsh #12rbc #tanks #armour #WorldOfTanks #blindés #heavyweapons #bigguns #équipmentlourd #armeslourdes #boom The Leopard 2 Main Battle Tank Nope, this isn't World of Tanks. The Leopard 2 weighs over 57,000kg with an average effective range of 280km. This beast is armed with a L44 120-mm smooth bore main gun, 16 76-mm multi-barrel grenade dischargers and two C6 7.62mm general purpose machine guns with the ability to be outfitted with special modifications such as mine rollers, a mine plow or a dozer blade. Used in Afghanistan, and in armoured units throughout the Canadian Army, this tank is one solid piece of kit. Le char de combat principal Leopard 2 Non, ce n’est par le jeu World of Tanks. C'est un vrai de vrai. Le Leopard 2 pèse plus de 57 000 kg, et il a une portée efficace moyenne de 280 km. Ce monstre est armé d’un canon principal à âme lisse L44 de 120 mm, de 16 lance-grenades multitubes de 76 mm et de 2 mitrailleuses polyvalentes C6 de 7,62 mm qui peuvent être équipés de modifications spéciales comme des rouleaux de déminage, une charrue de déminage ou une lame de bouteur. Utilisé en Afghanistan et au sein d’unités blindées à l’échelle de l’Armée canadienne, ce char est toute une pièce d’équipement.

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Yesterday’s #GuessThis photo featured a C16 Close Area Suppression Weapon (CASW) during Exercise #MAPLERESOLVE 14. In this photo, a CASW is deployed in a defensive position in the Garrison Wainwright training area on 26 May 2014. Photo by: Cpl D. Salisbury, Canadian Forces Base Wainwright, Alberta. #WellEquipped#WellTrained #StrongProudReady // La photo #CKOI d’hier illustrait une arme d’interdiction de zone rapprochée (AIZR) C16 durant l’exercice #MAPLERESOLVE 14. L’AIZR est déployée dans une position défensive au secteur d’entraînement de la Garnison Wainwright le 26 mai 2014. Photo par le Cpl D. Salisbury, Base des Forces canadiennes Wainwright, Alberta. #BienÉquipé #BienEntraîné #FortsFiersPrêts

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Canadian Armed Forces members from C-Company, 3rd Battalion Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, (3PPCLI) fire a 84MM recoilless rifle (Carl Gustav) in a defensive position during Exercise SABRE STRIKE in Poland on June 7, 2017 as part of Operation REASSURANCE. Photo by: MCpl Brandon O'Connell, Image Tech, 3rd Cdn Div PA WA2017-0025-25 Des membres des Forces armées canadiennes de la compagnie C du 3e Bataillon, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (3PPCLI), en position défensive, font feu à l’aide d’un canon sans recul de 84 mm (Carl Gustav) au cours de l’exercice SABRE STRIKE, en Pologne, le 7 juin 2017, dans le cadre de l’opération REASSURANCE. #Infantry #CarlGustav #84MMRecoillessRifle #OpREASSURANCE #OpREASSURANCE #3PPCLI #Poland Ex #SABRESTRIKE #StrongProudReady #FortsFiersPrêts #Army #Canada #CanadianArmy #ArméeCanadienne #Armée

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#ArmyReserve units from Montreal and Ontario are providing support to citizens in Pierrefonds, Quebec that are affected by flooding. A total of approximately 2600 CAF personnel have been deployed to support Quebec citizens. #OpLENTUS #QuebecFloods // Des réservistes de l'Armée canadiennes provenant de divers unités de Montreal et de l'Ontario soutiennent les citoyens du Pierrefonds, Québec touchées par les inondations. En tout, environ 2 600 membres du personnel des FAC ont été déployés pour soutenir les citoyens du Québec. #OpLENTUS #InondationsQuebec2017 #RéservedelArmée Photo: Cpl Djalma Vuong-De Ramos #StrongProudReady #FortsFiersPrêts #CanadianArmy #Armeecanadienne #CanadianArmedForces #Forcesarmeescanadiennes #army #armee #military #militaire #quebec #floods #inondation #CAF #FAC

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