Someone who chooses to serve in the armed forces loves their country and is proud to wear the uniform. If, for one reason or another, that person is no longer in the military and becomes a veteran, that person could still serve in the armed forces as an instructor or a reservist, for example. We know there used to be a recruitment problem, but I don't think that's the case anymore. It's a pool of talent, for sure. As I told you, I was trained as an aviation systems technician. It's a profession that requires extensive training. We could utilize those skills and put them to use in the armed forces.
Now, as a Black veteran, I can speak to our reality. When I say “we”, I'm referring to the Black community. I know there have been these systemic issues. We don't engage with the system. Normally, if we aren't called upon for something, most of the time we don't go digging too deep or try to find out what we're entitled to. If you don't bring it up or promote it, we won't know what we're entitled to as veterans. We need to be told not to be afraid to knock on doors or visit a Veterans Affairs Canada office to access these services. I think the department could launch an awareness campaign with veterans to encourage them to knock on doors or make phone calls. I don't know how many there are in the military, but we should at least be able to raise awareness of this.