Thank you, Mr. Chair, and welcome to our witnesses. It's good to have DRDC here.
In our last study on readiness we actually visited DRDC in Downsview. A number of us on committee got to see some of the work that you're doing first-hand, both from the standpoint on equipment and on survivability of our troops.
We had Major Ray Wiss here at committee back in the spring. A lot of us are familiar with him because of his books, FOB Doc and Line in the Sand. He was one of the first to use ultrasound equipment in theatre at a forward operating base to help improve survivability. From my understanding when we toured Downsview, there is research happening on trying to bring in more diagnostic equipment even at the level where, instead of just having it at an FOB, a medic would be able to carry it into theatre and would be able to enhance the survivability of those who are wounded in action.
Now I know, Colonel Tremblay, that your areas of expertise as the director of science and technology personnel is in medical interventions, medical countermeasures, combat casuality management, diagnostic technologies, and casualty care.
I know that often we get tied up talking about PTSD and operational stress injuries. Part of the study, though, was also looking at how we deal with traumatic injuries.
Can you talk about the research that you're doing that may have also occurred in theatre? Can you also talk about what we're doing here in Canada to ensure that our soldiers who are wounded in action are getting the best possible care because of research and breakthroughs provided through DRDC?