National Defence Committee on June 5th, 2013

[John McKay, Liberal, Scarborough—Guildwood, ON]

I anticipate that the ladies will say that as well.

So the main medication that at this point you would be potentially losing by premature discharge would be insulin.

Are there any other medications that are at risk by—

[Cpl Glen Kirkland]

Yes, I take an arthritis pill. They tried....

That's another thing in the military, the overmedication of soldiers. I don't know if you guys have been dealing with this much.

They had me on morphine for 18 months. Then they said, “Oh, we'll try to mix it up. We're going to throw down.... Try this: oxycodone.” I tried it for two days and I was in a fetal position, just sweating profusely. I wouldn't take it. But that was the first drug.

They made keep filling my prescription, even though I was telling them I wasn't taking it.

[John McKay, Liberal, Scarborough—Guildwood, ON]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Bezan]

Thank you.

We're going to move on to our five-minute round.

Ms. Gallant.

[Cheryl Gallant, Conservative, Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Mr. Kirkland, in terms of the hospital that you were rejected insulin at, was that a military hospital or was that a provincial hospital? If it was provincial, which province was it in?

[Cpl Glen Kirkland]

It was at CFB Shilo.

[Cheryl Gallant, Conservative, Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON]

So it was a base hospital.

[Cpl Glen Kirkland]

Yes, a base hospital.

[Cheryl Gallant, Conservative, Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON]

You also said that they wouldn't allow you to have needles for the first several months. Was there any other condition you had that would prevent you from being allowed to have needles?

[Cpl Glen Kirkland]

No. And if I did.... Well, I would die if I didn't take this.

[Cheryl Gallant, Conservative, Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON]

So you're injecting yourself a number of times per day. Is there a reason why they wouldn't provide you with a pump?

[Cpl Glen Kirkland]

I was told that it's really expensive.

[Cheryl Gallant, Conservative, Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON]

Once you're released, do you know whether your needles will still be covered?

[Cpl Glen Kirkland]

No. That’s another question mark.

[Cheryl Gallant, Conservative, Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON]

At the JPSU, are you just having coffee there? Are you doing anything there? Are you still going there?

[Cpl Glen Kirkland]

I can't go there.

I'm focused on the future, and that place will suck the life out of you. People show up there just for the sake of showing up. I'm not that kind of guy. I can't just sit still and rot, because that's really what's going on. There's no encouragement to go out. I'm a big believer that you've got to help yourself first.

[Cheryl Gallant, Conservative, Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON]

You mentioned that the father of the soldier, Mr. Seggie, used to be in charge of the JPSU. Why is he no longer in charge?

[Cpl Glen Kirkland]

I can't speak on his behalf.

[Cheryl Gallant, Conservative, Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON]

Pardon me for framing it that way.

Did he...?

[Cpl Glen Kirkland]

He quit.

[Cheryl Gallant, Conservative, Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON]

In your observation, is the caseload at the JPSU very heavy? Is the caseload at the JPSU pretty heavy on the people there? You've got officers who are doing what they do. Do they have the time to care for the people in their charge?

[Cpl Glen Kirkland]

It seems like they put people there who can't go anywhere else. There's a warrant officer there who would repeatedly scream at me and belittle me. He was the one who told me he would 5(f) me, which is dishonourable discharge. It's just not what you want to hear.

[Cheryl Gallant, Conservative, Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON]

Are you receiving any psychological or psychiatric treatment at all?

[Cpl Glen Kirkland]

No, I'm not.

[Cheryl Gallant, Conservative, Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON]

For your PTSD, you just....