Area Support Unit Chilliwack Area Support Unit Chilliwack ( ASU Chilliwack ) is a Canadian Forces facility located in Chilliwack , British Columbia . Located in the upper valley of the Fraser River , approximately east of Vancouver , it is the only Land Force Command facility in the province . It provides essential support and services for 200 Regular Force and 1800 Reserve Force personnel . Mission . The mission of ASU Chilliwack is to provide direct support for all its assigned dependencies by providing logistical support and maintenance . Badge . The unit badge depicts the Rocky Mountains and the Pacific Ocean , which form the east and west boundaries of the unit ’ s area of operations , respectively . This concept is further illustrated by the unit motto " Ad Mare Usque Mons " ( Latin ) , which translates to " From Sea to Mountain " . History . Military presence in the region is thought to have began with the Royal Engineers who established a camp at Sumas near Chilliwack Mountain in 1858 . From the camp , they conducted surveys and established boundary markers along the border to the south . Camp Chilliwack was opened on 15 February 1941 , as part of a government decision to establish a military training facility in the region . Initially , it served as a garrison for several army units that had been formed for terrestrial defence . In 1966 , Camp Chilliwack was renamed to Canadian Forces Base Chilliwack ( CFB Chilliwack ) as part of the Canadian Forces unification program . Along with the change in name , CFB Chilliwack assumed additional responsibilities , such as providing support to all of the CF units on the lower mainland and assuming responsibility for the Jericho Beach Garrsion in Vancouver . In 1970 , Canadian Forces Officer Candidate School was established at CFB Chilliwack and offered a tri - service Basic Officer Training Course . In 1994 , the 3rd Princess Patricia ’ s Canadian Light Infantry ( 3PPCLI ) moved from CFB Esquimalt on Vancouver Island to CFB Chilliwack . Due to budget cuts , CFB Chilliwack was closed in 1997 and new bases were found for the units located at the former CFB Chilliwack . The Canadian Forces Officer Candidate School was moved to St - Jean , Quebec , the Canadian Forces School of Military Engineering was moved to CFB Gagetown , New Brunswick , and 3PPCLI moved to CFB Edmonton , Alberta . Because of the closure of CFB Chilliwack , a need arose for a supporting formation to provide area - wide support for the Canadian Forces units remaining in mainland BC . In response to this need , 1 Area Support Group ( 1ASG ) was created in 1999 . On 4 February 1999 , ASU Chilliwack was formed and allocated as a unit within the 1ASG . Supported Units . ASU Chilliwack supports the following Canadian Forces units on the British Columbia Mainland : Training Areas . ASU Chilliwack has responsibility over several military training areas . These areas are often used by Regular Force units from 1 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group , Reserve Force units from Mainland British Columbia , some units training for deployment to Afghanistan , and as well as Cadets . ASU Chilliwack maintains ranges and training areas for use by it dependencies , as well as visiting units .