Yes. I don't know exactly how to go about it, but I think it's something that requires a lot of resources, because the fear of losing one's job is not only very strong, it is also very realistic. If you are deemed to be dysfunctional and cannot be deployed after six months, I believe the risks of becoming a veteran increase; they are practically 100%. So that is a well-founded fear.
At one point, I heard Gen Dallaire saying, in an interview on television, that what is traumatizing for soldiers is not only being exposed to these events on deployments and coming back with these problems, but also to be thrown out of the Canadian Forces, even though they have given their lives and dedicated at least part of their life to that service; their families, as well. So, the simple fact of having to leave gives rise to a lot of distress.
When you ask me what we can do to destigmatize PTSD, I guess my answer would be that major organizational changes will probably be needed. Perhaps we will have to try and find duties other than military deployment if, for psychological reasons, some people cannot go on missions. That is one of the things that we may want to consider.
Another option would be to promote systematic screening. That way, we would not target only people who are at risk or could be perceived as being weaker by their peers. We would target everyone and, that way, everyone would go through a screening process that would allow us to achieve the desired result, without stigmatizing anyone.
Those are two examples. We could go even further than that, but I believe the most important thing that has been done thus far to destigmatize operational stress, as soldiers call it, is really what Gen Dallaire said in that regard. There is no doubt that when a senior commander suddenly talked about what some consider to be a weakness, that most certainly prompted a lot of people to go and get some help. At the same time, I believe there is still a great deal of work to be done in that area.