National Defence committee Exactly. And that decreases inflammation and a host of other effects as well.
February 14th, 2008Committee meeting
Cdr R.P. Briggs
National Defence committee There have been some investigational studies, I believe. I don't think it's an approved indication yet in the United States, though.
February 14th, 2008Committee meeting
Cdr R.P. Briggs
National Defence committee I'll defer to Captain Courchesne.
February 14th, 2008Committee meeting
Cdr R.P. Briggs
National Defence committee I know, sir, that the number of uniformed specialists has been one issue. We've been trying to get that number increased, because we realize that we don't have enough specialists to meet the mission. I know that CMP as well as our Surgeon General are engaged in trying to get that
February 14th, 2008Committee meeting
Cdr R.P. Briggs
National Defence committee I did my postgraduate work in hyperbaric medicine, which involves not only clinical hyperbarics but submarine and undersea diving medicine.
February 14th, 2008Committee meeting
Cdr R.P. Briggs
National Defence committee There's a lessons learned process that we've developed through our operations folks, so I would say that on the operational piece, sir, we do much better than other aspects. Nobody does it better than the army, I'll be quite honest with you. They've had this process in effect for
February 14th, 2008Committee meeting
Cdr R.P. Briggs
National Defence committee Sir, since we've had the centralization of the Canadian Forces health services into one group, in effect, it's really allowed us to use all our assets; whether they're headquarters assets, training establishment assets, or army, navy, or air force assets really doesn't matter.
February 14th, 2008Committee meeting
Cdr R.P. Briggs
National Defence committee Very good.
February 14th, 2008Committee meeting
Cdr R.P. Briggs
National Defence committee You're not the only one, ma'am.
February 14th, 2008Committee meeting
Cdr R.P. Briggs
National Defence committee The navy has a history of being away from home a lot without it actually being called a deployment. In the old days of the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, it was common to be away from home for six to eight months of the year, and that was just business as usual. Typically you'd come as
February 14th, 2008Committee meeting
Cdr R.P. Briggs
National Defence committee Absolutely. We've made inroads, as Colonel Darch mentioned, on the general duty medical officers. We're critically low on pharmacists and PAs. We're low on medical technicians and a variety of other specialized trades like lab technicians, x-ray technicians, and biomedical engine
February 14th, 2008Committee meeting
Cdr R.P. Briggs
National Defence committee When we talk about psychological stresses, I would say the trigger is obviously different. It could be a flipped-over rigid hull inflatable boat that you happen to be in, or a line that breaks and hits your friend next to you during replenishment at sea, or some other type of tra
February 14th, 2008Committee meeting
Cdr R.P. Briggs
National Defence committee There's no ship like the HMCS Calgary.
February 14th, 2008Committee meeting
Cdr R.P. Briggs
National Defence committee It wasn't, but they traditionally have great morale on that ship.
February 14th, 2008Committee meeting
Cdr R.P. Briggs
National Defence committee May I answer, sir? The troops, upon redeployment—and granted, we're talking about the folks who deploy to overseas, to Afghanistan—have a third-location decompression; it is currently in Cyprus, and I believe it lasts from three to five days. At that point, mental health care pr
February 14th, 2008Committee meeting
Cdr R.P. Briggs