That is one of the reasons why, as a member of the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs, I accepted the opportunity to visit a military base. Indeed, it was at Shearwater that we first met. We have to stop keeping young people in the dark. It is almost as if the military were blindfolding them. As people on the inside, you have to change this culture. The army provides its young soldiers with information on sexual assault, the risks associated with alcohol and drugs, etc., before they begin a mission; however, nothing is done to prepare them to cope with the psychological problems they may experience. This excellent book tells us that such preparation is every bit as important as providing them with information on sexual harassment and drug and alcohol abuse. It is just as important.
Convincing the powers that be—the chain of command, as you put it—that Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder exists is going to be an uphill struggle.
It sickens me that young soldiers are only given two and a half hours' training on the subject before being sent to Afghanistan. I have nothing against spending millions of dollars on sending our soldiers to Arizona for training because of its topographical similarity to Afghanistan. Our soldiers need to be trained. However, building up muscle strength is not enough, you have to train their grey matter too! I know that it will be difficult to persuade the top brass, but Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is real and must be recognized.
I would be interested in hearing your comments on the matter.