Sir, one of our biggest assets is that we listen to these individuals without judgment. Yes, there is a lot of fear on the soldiers' part--fear of being branded or labelled by peers, or being shunned or ostracized by peers. A lot of times in the CF world, these symptoms are seen as a sign of weakness, although it is getting better. We still have a ways to go.
The number one reason I see for soldiers being afraid to go for help is not so much that they're afraid of the system, but rather it is the fear of jeopardizing their career--“I'm not going to get that next tour. I'm not going to get that next promotion. I may not be promoted.”
Part of our job is that when they come to us.... Again, I can speak to these individuals as a soldier. I can put things into a more balanced perspective. I can affirm and reframe actually what's going on with them.
I'm currently seeing 16 vets of Afghanistan right now in Newfoundland. Some are still serving. These individuals come to me. A lot of times, as I said earlier, what I hear is very confidential and extreme. They're really unsure about what's happening with them.
A part of my job is to encourage these individuals to either go through the CF health system, where the proper professionals are in place.... Again, if a soldier comes to me and says he has something going on, I don't say “You've got PTSD” or “You have an OSI”, because I'm not qualified to do that. But I do encourage them to seek treatment.