4 * THE SUBURBAN, WEDNESDAY, JULY 21, 2010 By Kevin Woodhouse The Suburban
A real team player
L'Archer of the legendary Van Doos returns from Afghanistan tour
For Corporal Yannick L'Archer of Ste. Hyacinthe, the promises of adventure and facing new challenges were the reason for him joining the Canadian Armed Forces eight years ago. Working with a good team was another factor in his decision to sign up. The 25 year old is also a firefighter when he is not working in his home town for the 6th Battalion of the Royal 22nd Regiment, the legendary Van Doos whose role is to serve as the local infantry unit for Quebec City. The Van Doos were formed at the beginning of World War l. The regiment saw heavy fighting during the Second World War with campaigns in Italy, the Netherlands and the north of Germany. The regiment continues to serve overseas and like many others in his unit, L'Archer has done a tour of duty in Afghanistan when he left last Oct. 28 for a seven-month tour. L'Archer worked with military police training Afghan police officers and soldiers by patrolling with them in various dangerous area neighbourhoods. L'Archer was based in Kandahar at Camp KPRT with 250 fellow soldiers www.popdesign.ca W E SUPPORT
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from across the country. He liked the camaraderie of meeting new people and noted that no soldier "sees it the same way as everyone experiences it differently. Some found it harder than others." One of the reasons the reserve soldier volunteered to serve Canada overseas was that "it is one thing to train and another to live it first hand as in the infantry, it is very real and alive." And while it was a completely different contrast from the training centre to the streets of Kandahar, L'Archer's experience was "a lot more appreciated thanks to all of the training we had done beforehand. The eight years of training really paid off." Another very real fact was facing the average temperature in Kandahar during L'Archer's tour, which was 50 C. "Your pack and gear are fairly heavy so you learn to drink water every chance you get," the corporal said. "If you're not properly hydrated, you can faint. Especially when you're on patrol and you are high on adrenaline." The very humble L'Archer told The Suburban that he is staying with the Van Doos because "I want to be with the army to help the province if ever there is a natural disaster or catastrophe." nThank You, Thank You, Thank You
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