I'll turn it over to General Nixon in a second to give a more comprehensive answer.
I learned very early in my career the value of the Canadian Rangers. I was a lieutenant in 1987 on an exercise. The battle captain for our unit that was involved was a gentleman named Walt Natynczyk, who went on to do bigger and better things. We spent about three weeks up on Baffin Island working with Ranger patrols. I realized that I and the group of soldiers I had with me would have had difficulty surviving in that environment if we hadn't listened to and learned from our Rangers.
It's a huge contribution to what we do. They enable us to survive—to shoot, move, and communicate. It means we can go anywhere and dominate in the Arctic, on a ground basis, year-round, and be able to survive.
To bring it forward to the role they play in communities, I saw in my travels the positive role image. Young Rangers wanted to be just like their elders in a community. By and large, the health of the community was a reflection of just how healthy the Ranger patrol element was.
It's a great program, and one that we truly do rely on. I have challenged people who've sought to denigrate the importance of the Rangers in the north. It's off base. It's a very important part of what we do.
Mike.