Veterans Affairs committee  Sorry, you said the group...?

Veterans Affairs committee  I never did that for mental health, but I did it for my physical rehabilitation. Canadian Armed Forces medical centre, which we used to have here in Ottawa, would have been my preferred place to do rehab. If I were going to go and do mental health therapy I would prefer to be around my brothers and sisters.

Veterans Affairs committee  There are probably going to be a lot more in the next decade.

Veterans Affairs committee  When I was wounded, JPSU was a concept. It was stood up after I was wounded. I was one of the first injured soldiers posted to the JPSU as part of Soldier On, and even though I was one of the team at JPSU, my service was less than stellar. Frankly, as I said, I've written off a lot of that part of my life just for my mental health.

Veterans Affairs committee  That's true, but also as I age, I'll become more and more complex myself. I was 30 when I was wounded. I'm 40 now and even right now I'm having issues just walking around, just to come here today. There was a question as to whether I would show up because of my mobility issues. I'll be 50 and then 60 and I'm going to need more services, and sometimes I wonder how things are going to go when I'm that age and when I really need someone to support me.

Veterans Affairs committee  Sure. I'll still try.

Veterans Affairs committee  I think the sacred obligation would come back to the spirit of what we're dealing with. If my comrades didn't have to say things like, “I'm fighting with Veterans Affairs for this”, that would be a big step. There are a few benefits that were lost along the way without really asking us that I think should be re-implemented.

Veterans Affairs committee  In my case, personally, I didn't know the charter took away the lifetime pension. If you asked most combat soldiers, instead of a lifetime monetary pension, you're going to get this lump sum, and then there's going to be this patchwork of benefits that you may or may not qualify for at certain times in your life, it would have been, “No, go pound rocks”.

Veterans Affairs committee  Transitioning was brutal. As I said, I'm considered somebody who has their stuff together, and the transition was overwhelming. Information was being thrown at you from a firehose. An example could be something as simple as this. If you're in the military, you have a service number, K41302461.

Veterans Affairs committee  I have no idea. Why do I need a whole new VAC file when I could just walk to the clerk's desk, say, “Thanks, see you guys later”, walk out as Mr. Mitic, show up at my VAC office, and say, “Here you guys go”, and we can go through my file? It could be the same number, the same file, just change the cover from blue to red or something.

Veterans Affairs committee  It's a duplication. Phil said it's one thing to talk to one person about your deepest, darkest fears and secrets, but then there's the next person, and the next person, and then you just finally don't want to do it. It's the same when you're transitioning. You're filling out the same form, paperwork you've already done when you were in the service.

Veterans Affairs committee  Personally, I don't know. I've accepted things such as suicide, depression, and all that as being side effects that some of us get in this gig. First responders have the same issues, and emergency room doctors and nurses. They're tough jobs, and people do them voluntarily for a reason.

Veterans Affairs committee  The only reason I would hesitate, sir, is that I joined the military at 17, and most of my colleagues did as well, young men and young women. In my opinion, I became an adult and a man in the military. Everyone's crazy when they're 17, right? We're all looking for who we're going to be as adults.

Veterans Affairs committee  Just for clarity, as fine and historied a unit as the Argylls are, I was a Lorne Scot, sir.

Veterans Affairs committee  I'm sorry, could you ask your question again?