Mr. Speaker, I recently had the opportunity to participate in a major military undertaking in my riding of Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo. Exercise Cougar Salvo 2005 was a week long training exercise for some 800 military personnel comprised of approximately 100 regular forces and 700 reserve forces in addition to civilian support staff. It was a huge success.
The varied landscapes of the Kamloops area made it an ideal location for the largest peacetime army reserve exercise in B.C.'s history.
None of this would be possible without the cooperation of the civilian employers of the reserve members. These small businesses and companies not only grant time away from regular employment, many top up the shortfall in salary for the members even when deployed overseas for lengthy periods of time.
I commend these organizations for their commitment to Canada. We stand on guard for thee would not be possible without their cooperation.