Madam Speaker, the military is more than hardware. It is about people, our greatest asset. As I said, our special forces are overextended. It is taking a toll on their families. Long separations can lead to marital breakdown and a whole host of other problems.
One military family shared with me that the military spouse in that family was gone 265 days last year. That is almost nine months of the year. Our special soldiers take pride in being the best of the best. However, that pace is unsustainable.
Special forces soldiers maintain a high level of alertness. They must be ready to be deployed immediately. They know that as special forces, this level of dedication is part of the job. We owe it to these soldiers not to abuse that trust and dedication. I challenge the Minister of National Defence to announce the hiring of 605 special operations personnel starting immediately.