Thank you very much, Colonel, for accepting our invitation to the committee today. It's very gracious of you.
I was reading your biography before we came in here today. You definitely have a distinguished background, a distinguished career with the military. Your service in Bosnia and Afghanistan is duly noted, as is your degree from the Royal Military College, I believe in electrical engineering. I will commend you on an excellent career to Canada. It's definitely noted.
Like you, my grandfather was a multi-year veteran. He was definitely proud of his service and of his fellow veterans.
As well, as an ombudsman, with a second-degree black belt, you're definitely a force to be reckoned with. We should note that as well.
I'm on the human resources committee, and our committee is currently studying poverty in Canada. I was very impressed, during our visit to Charlottetown, by the complete strategy that Veterans Affairs has embarked on in terms of the overall product they offer to veterans on mental health, addiction, rehabilitation, and everything like this.
One point I want to make to you is that in the last six to eight months, the department has visited over 75 agencies. They have a number of lists. They work continuously to communicate with groups, to communicate with the grassroots, just so that the very mandate you have, that no one is left behind, is best addressed.
Do you have any thoughts on the department's efforts to track down those who may be, as you mentioned, falling through the cracks?