I'll wrap it up quickly.
I live like there's no tomorrow. I tried to get back with my family and it didn't work, which eventually led to three suicide attempts. The first was in 2010 in Iraq and another in 2013 in Tanzania, which was discovered by my work, which then fired me. I was sent home and at that point, I didn't know I was a veteran. I was in Canada. I had been out of the country for 14 years. I had no idea where to go or what to do, and eventually, I ended up in a hotel room slicing my wrists.
Obviously, I survived that third attempt and then spent a month in the mental health unit. It was there that an intern, who was a reservist, told me that I was a veteran and that's when I started getting help. I've recovered to the point now that, with the help of a service dog, I'm actually starting school in September.
My path through recovery has been long—from January 24, 2014, when I had my last drink. The road to recovery has been outstanding. I have my relationship back with my children. I can be in the same room as my ex-wife with my grandson now. I just want an opportunity to live a normal life and to volunteer and work in my community.
Quickly, these are my recommendations to the Canadian Forces.
There should be an introduction to VAC during basic training. As soon as you qualify for basic training and are released as an honourable discharge, you are a veteran and there's a good chance you may become a client of VAC. Soldiers should be made aware of this. As of 2000, as a sergeant in the Canadian Armed Forces, I didn't know I was a veteran. That's because Afghanistan happened and you only knew you were a veteran if you went to Afghanistan—even someone who was working in Afghanistan under a different uniform.
Mental health exams need to be done prior to enrolment, before selection for specialist trades, after operational task ends, prior to command of an operational team, and before release.
I also have some quick recommendations to VAC.
We don't need more case managers. Case managers need more help. They should have assistants working directly for them who can answer the vets' calls directly—a veteran 911. We have to be treated differently. If you have an episode in an office, you don't call the police and send out three police cars and a paramedic because we are suicidal. I said, “Delay, deny, hope we die and don't finish our claims” and that resulted in a suicide attempt at my house, apparently. That was last October.
Regarding service dog assistants, the studies have been done on the benefits of a service dog. I wouldn't be here today without this dog. The studies have been done. There has been enough supportive information. VAC needs to adopt a program now because dogs will save lives. I have this dog from Audeamus, and Marc Lapointe is in the area. We really need to resource this now. If I didn't have her, I would not be here. I went through some very dark days in the last three years and she's helped me through them.
The last thing is incentives for civilian medical doctors. When you are not a part of the medical community, you come out with nothing. You don't even have a health card. Doctors realize that veterans are a burden to their practice because of the documentation they require for absolutely everything we need, so they won't take us on. There have to be incentives for medical doctors to look after vets.
Thank you.