Regarding the medically released, if the priority hiring actually worked the way it should, more veterans who are medically released would be hired. As to women, I can't speak to why there's a lower number of them, but I am attending the women veterans forum on February 16, and I will raise that topic there to see if maybe there's something in that organization that we can look at from that angle too.
The veterans with a short period of service are always the most difficult to help. When there's a severe injury, it's easy, because it's easy to see. They get the help through Veterans Affairs, and they're entitled to different benefits, but when veterans leave the forces after three or maybe six years, maybe they too have an injury. Maybe they have a mental health injury, and they just never identified it before they left the military. That happens quite often.
It's harder for them, I think, to get back into the system to get help, because they've been away from the military. They're not dealing with VAC, so they're kind of outside.... That's where we try to catch them also, just to make sure our services are aware of them and our services are out there, because we can be the conduit to get them into Veterans Affairs and to OSISS and other benefits. They are always a challenge.
What comes to mind for me, too, are the reserve forces. There were many of them who went to Afghanistan. They came back and basically went back to their civilian jobs and were kind of forgotten about. Those are the ones who are really hard to get to in terms of outreach.
I can tell you some sad stories. I remember a young veteran who had been to Afghanistan three times as a reservist, and who came home and got into trouble with the law and with alcohol. That's how he came across my desk. Somebody knew of me and said to him, “You need to go and see her and get the help you need.” It was sad. At that time, that young soldier was younger than my kids. It broke my heart. There are still some of those who are being lost. Not only are they not getting back to work or getting gainful employment, but some of them are not getting the treatment they need.