Thank you for that.
If anybody else wants to join in, please feel free.
I'm trying to make the definition of a veteran up here that when you put on the uniform you're our responsibility, not when you drop the uniform. We're having ongoing discussions on that. I think it's something we have to continue to work on so they're clear on where they stand.
I have many questions, but I'm going to go right to the bottom of the page—and this goes to what you mentioned, Keith, at the very start—that you have so many offices and branches reaching out into small areas. The area I serve in Canada is northern Ontario, where there's lots of land—a huge piece of real estate—and no people, and almost no levels of service.
One of the things that we benefit from in Canada is a very strong system of legions. In many, many small communities, a legion is the heart of the community. It's also the only point of contact for the veterans.
I'm just wondering, do legions play any role in the United States? Is there any involvement from any government departments making sure that legions exist? We know that legions want to be stand-alone entities, so they can feel free to critique the government or some of our programs. They feel they're the speakers for the veterans in our country.
So I'm just wondering if any of you have any comments on how organizations like the legions, or other organizations in the United States, strengthen some of the veterans' positions as they deal with the bureaucracy and the politicians.