I'll answer that and then I'll ask the two co-managers to provide some input.
Thank you for the remark about service. I've spent a lot of time out of this country and in some contentious areas. To be quite frank, I'm an OSI sufferer myself.
Out in the field, a commander in the field—and I'm not speaking for DND, but I'm speaking as an individual now—has a reasonable amount of autonomy in regard to decision-making, including an example like the Chicoutimi or incidents where a terrible event happens. The commanders on the ground are the ones who have to make the initial decisions. Sometimes--I don't like to use the term “resources” because that may mean money to you--the people and the facilities aren't available to take the appropriate action right then. Then these things will come back to haunt them, such as the Gulf War syndrome, the depleted uranium, the smoke and whatever in the submarine that probably nobody could have controlled, and so forth, and now they're suffering.
Having said that, if you look at what's happened with the new government with regard to settlement of various things that have been pending for years, be they in Suffield or Gagetown, these things do take time. Even the medical community.... Once again, I'm not speaking for DND, but having talked to a number of doctors, there are some who call it the rabbit nest. They know there's something wrong, but they just can't identify it. They'll do what they can for the individual.
Mariane.