Thank you.
Dana, you brought up an incredible point. I just want you to know that my son is graduating from RMC next week. Those two who died in the last 10 days were his classmates, so I know exactly what you are talking about.
Kimberly, you mentioned something at the beginning of your testimony, and I think I had an “aha!” moment today. You mentioned that this is the third time you've been here, and you are worried that what you're saying is falling on deaf ears. It didn't, because I did have that “aha!” moment.
I think Mrs. Wagantall hit the nail on the head. We are conditioning the members of our Canadian Armed Forces from the time they sign up to serve their country not to be sick, lame, or lazy, but also to work in a pack mentality, in terms of a squadron or a platoon. They always have that, even in the college. They are in their squadron or in their platoon. They are always part of a family, a team.
When they are medically released or leave the forces, we take away their team, their family. We don't have a huge number of people serving anymore, so they don't come back to a community where there are others like them. They are now alone, so they don't know how to cope.
I think the proliferation of.... These peer-to-peer support groups are actually—and I would like your opinion on this—a replacement for their platoons and their squadrons, because they are looking for like-minded individuals to support them.
I am now thinking that we should—I don't want to say de-condition—retrain them to be able to be on their own, to be able to come back into society and not have that absolute need to be in a platoon.
I would like your thoughts on this.