New RMR Arctic Operations Advisor

Article written by Corporal Theodore Ion.

Westmount, Quebec – Rain, snow, or Arctic wind—RMR soldiers train to lead in all conditions. Between January and March 2025, Master-Corporal Savage pushed this engagement even further by completing two of the most intense cold-weather courses in the Canadian Army: Cold Weather Operations Leader (CWOL) and Arctic Operations Advisor (AOA).

CWOL, held at CFB Shilo, Manitoba, began with a winter solo survival phase—building shelters, making fires, setting snares, and signaling for rescue, all alone in subzero temperatures. After passing survival, candidates led field missions in deep snow and conducted through-ice survival simulations, learning how to react when a soldier breaks through ice into freezing water.

For AOA in Resolute Bay, Nunavut, candidates further honed their Arctic survival skills by building emergency shelters like igloos and snow caves, and then learning how to advise commanders on operations in the harshest Arctic environments. The course ended with a multi-day sovereignty patrol to a remote northern community.

Master-Corporal Savage is now officially qualified as an Arctic Operations Advisor.