Good morning, Madam Chair and honourable members.
My name is Hinesh Chauhan. I spent 18 and a half years in the army, an equal combination of full-time and part-time service, as a combat engineer and then an engineer officer. I had very broad experience and exposure to various operations. I gained a lot during my time in the CAF.
From there I moved to the federal public service. My first role was as a senior program analyst with the Treasury Board Secretariat, overseeing the defence portfolio of organizations, high-risk projects, purchases, acquisitions and management practices. I'm currently a director overseeing capital investments and projects for rural property assets at the Department of Fisheries and Oceans.
I am intimately familiar with the defence machine and culture and the federal bureaucracy. I love the work I get to do and very much enjoy bringing value for money to Canadians.
As a secondary duty, I lead a wellness program that has supported substantially raising employee satisfaction based on results measured by the public service employment survey, showing an improvement of 120% over two years. I firmly believe measurement drives behaviour and that success must be quantified.
I'm here today to discuss the circumstances around my brother's death. My brother, Warrant Officer Sanjeev Chauhan, my only sibling, killed himself on October 17, 2020. He disappeared the previous night and was found dead, face down in a field on the base in Petawawa.
My brother was a father, a husband and an army intelligence operator, who spent time in a special operating forces unit with four tours, to Afghanistan, Bali, Latvia and Iraq. He loved being a soldier. He loved his trade and loved what he got to do. He wore his uniform with more pride than I've seen any other member wear a uniform.
The circumstances that led to his suicide are not entirely surprising when broken down. What was known by his chain of command and what was documented within the HR system was sufficient to raise red flags. With an objective lens, I very much believe the system failed him.
In looking at the “2019 Report on Suicide Mortality in the Canadian Armed Forces” and several other findings in reports, he had most of the indicators listed by DND as a factor leading to suicide. He had multiple tours in a short amount of time. He was with the special operations forces unit. He had a brain injury. He had PTSD and other psychological conditions. He had been put in a medical category. He had begun drinking and had alcohol-related incidents. He had been very recently separated. He had a disciplinary issue and a pending court martial. He had a previous suicide attempt. He had a family member who had committed suicide. He had been isolated and removed from his unit after the incident that would lead to a court martial.
The pending court martial, related to a June 2019 incident, was a dark cloud over my brother. It was repeatedly rescheduled and delayed and was far from timely and efficient—an issue identified in the 2018 Auditor General report, “Administration of Justice in the Canadian Armed Forces”.
The purpose of the military justice system is to maintain discipline, efficiency and morale in the CAF. The process my brother faced provided the exact opposite. I worry for other members who face this lack of oversight and lack of time standards, which is what the OAG has recommended is required. Measurement does drive behaviour.
His chain of command also had directed members of his unit to not communicate with him, thereby shunning him from what gave him purpose and his identity. Several of the studies show the impact of losing identity on members who release. Social isolation is another main contributor to increasing odds for suicide. This order, in my opinion, was appalling and inexcusable and goes against all leadership principles. This led to his ostracization and the further deterioration of his mental health. It took away his dignity. I think it violated his human rights.
In trying to understand this direction, I wrote a letter to the Minister of National Defence, which I shared with this committee. The topic was not addressed in the response. However, immediate denial was provided to a journalist who wrote in asking the same.
How any military leader can issue such a command is beyond me and goes against the Canadian military ethos and our Charter of Rights and Freedoms. If one leader can issue a command of this nature, which is then followed, it speaks to the unhealthy culture within the organization.
All the factors I listed earlier have repeatedly been identified by both DND and VAC as elements that increase the risk of suicide. At what point do these issues raise a red flag to health services for the chain of command? The majority of these factors were in his personnel file and in the HR system. These factors, when combined, could set up automated flags for his chain of command and health services to take note and take action.
Another question is this: When does psychological-related substance abuse become more closely examined to prevent more serious events? This should be examined from a causal point of view versus a symptomatic point of view. This early warning system, red flags in the system that look at these factors and pop up proactively or are automated, could prevent suicides. At a minimum, it would being attention to members who are at the tipping point and get them the attention they need—immediate intervention.
When I spoke to my peers in uniform, the overwhelming response about mental health in the forces was that they feel there is still a stigma. It's still viewed as weakness and a burden to the organization. Those who experience psychotic episodes had to wait to get the right services, to get the proper medical or psychological attention.
Based on what I read in the National Defence departmental plan, everything related to mental health, which is only mentioned once and suicide twice, lacks metrics, lacks clear measurable objectives. Despite being a priority of the Clerk of the Privy Council, mental health appearing once in the departmental plan says a lot about the culture and how this is viewed within the organization. Just like harassment training was brought to everybody about 20 years ago, the same should apply for mental health first aid. Just as physical first aid is taught—every year, a refresher is taught—the same should apply to mental health first aid, and it should be incorporated into leadership performance appraisals. Again, measurement drives behaviour.
I'd like to share a really interesting observation I've learned. The countries surrounding the Mediterranean and Red seas, as well as those in Southeast Asia and in the South Pacific, all have the lowest rates of suicide. Remarkably, the Israel Defense Forces have taken action and have reduced their suicide rate to where it's now lower than their civilian rate of suicide, which is not the trend in any other western country or in any other country with an advanced military.
If a soldier goes missing, the IDF, with the press of a button, uses technological means to locate the soldier. In the last year, the IDF has claimed that this has saved four soldiers' lives. If that were the case within Canada, my brother could be alive today and could be getting the help and attention that he needed, but culture is a difficult thing to change. As the adage goes, culture eats strategy for breakfast.
The dichotomy of a soldier is challenging. How do you balance being a warrior, being asked to perform duties no other Canadian is willing to do, and then return home to assimilate and behave conventionally? Switching between these two personas generates serious mental stress. Being able to relate with others and share experiences and challenges is a large part in managing this dichotomy. However, the traditional venues that exist for bonding are the messes and Legions, which revolve around alcohol.
Study after study show that numbing through addiction is counterproductive and very common, and these same studies show that exercise and positive social interaction are the simplest and most effective tools to reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety, and improve mental health and resiliency.
I firmly believe that this committee, VAC, DND and the Canadian Armed Forces should examine how healthier social interaction can occur, where fitness and movement are encouraged and supported. I believe this would be a catalyst for an organic shift in the warrior culture, where mental illness is viewed as any other physical illness, further decreasing the stigma, and where members of the CAF and their families can develop healthier coping strategies and resilience. This dialogue has to continue. The education awareness must continue.
Quantifying the objectives and outputs must occur. Creating that accountability within the leadership must occur. Meaningful measurement in reporting must occur. Measurement drives behaviour.
Thank you, Madam Chair, for this opportunity.