Government Operations committee  Okay. In my case what happened was that when I was advised by the medical authority that I was going be released under 3B medical, suddenly the wheels went into motion. SISIP contacted me and said, “You are now eligible for the vocational rehabilitation program. Would you like to take that?”

Government Operations committee  Can you be more specific, please?

Government Operations committee  For instance, as a search and rescue technician, my primary responsibility as a very high-end paramedic—level 2—with some doctor's skills that could be used in the field.... If I had to parachute into a plane crash, and didn't have access to telecommunications with a doctor and a front-line hospital facility, I would have to go on my training to save the patient's life.

Government Operations committee  You bring up a very good point, in that a lot of medical issues are not recognized or diagnosed for many years after the fact. For whatever reason, some veterans manage to lead a perfectly functional life for many years, and then suddenly something happens that triggers something, and the next thing you know they've been diagnosed with PTSD.

Government Operations committee  No, as I said, “Once a vet, always a vet.” I was given a 3B medical release against my will. I scratched, clawed and tried to stay in the military as hard as I could. Even if I couldn't do my chosen profession, I wanted to stay in the military, because I enjoyed the lifestyle and ethos of the Canadian Forces.

Government Operations committee  I think there is a carte blanche labelling of all veterans as having PTSD, especially with the war in Afghanistan, and all the veterans who came back. I worked in domestic operations, strictly in Canada, saving the lives of Canadians throughout my entire air force career. Yet when I went to an interview, I knew as soon as I said, “I am a veteran,” the immediate thing that came into the panel's mind was that I must be at risk of PTSD, which I am not.

Government Operations committee  Yes, I can.

Government Operations committee  Thank you very much. Good day, members of the committee, and thank you for inviting me to attend and speak on my own behalf and that of other Canadian Forces veterans with regard to the government's strategy for hiring veterans for public service positions. I am a seventh generation Canadian, a 21-year veteran of the Canadian Armed Forces, a 12-year corporate executive, and I have been unemployed for 18 months.