Thank you very much, Madam Chair.
Thank you again for the invitation. It's quite an honour for me to be able to be here, and to tell you about my journey in the Canadian Armed Forces and my experience after leaving the forces.
I joined the Canadian Armed Forces in 2018, but in 2020, I had to leave the forces because of COVID‑19. I was posted to Trenton, Ontario, and my family was in Quebec City. They couldn't find me an assignment in Quebec City. That's why I was granted a release during the COVID‑19 pandemic. I was able to leave the forces at the end of July 2020 and return to civilian life.
My time in the forces was great. I'm an aviator and aeronautical systems technician. I was trained at Borden as an aeronautical systems technician. I know that's one of the professions that is in high demand in the forces. I wanted to see how I could continue to serve in the forces, even after I left. I wanted to see if I could enlist again, even on a part-time basis. It was an uphill battle. I know that this experience is due to COVID‑19. It may have lengthened the entire exit process as much as the re-enrolment process. I did intend to enlist in the forces again, even on a part-time basis, in Quebec, to pursue my military career.
Now, since 2020, that is, since I left the forces—