The finale of Garrison Day was a mock battle in a small field next to the garrison. The public were all issued hearing protection upon arrival, and then we lined up behind the red-and-white warning tape.

It was a bizarre experience to see a grassy field, bordered by a parking lot, a playground, and hundreds of spectators, suddenly be dotted by clouds of smoke, while the ground shook under our feet.

An Archer unit made things go boom, and handful of tanks and other armoured things drove across the field and through a deep ditch. An infantry unit defended the contested area.