Veterans Affairs committee  At the moment, through the annual suicide report, looking at deployment as a variable is very difficult. When we deal in epidemiology or statistics, there's a concept called “power”. In essence, you have to have a certain number of individuals to be able to parse the information.

Veterans Affairs committee  You need to remember that I'm only one piece of the puzzle. I am there to help analyze the information. That information is not provided to us. You would have to speak to someone who participates in the MPTSRs to get a better handle as to whether that's something they look at or not.

Veterans Affairs committee  I wouldn't say it's incorrect data. It's—

Veterans Affairs committee  There are two factors. I'm just speculating here, but it may be that it's so rare that we can't look at it, and it may be that it isn't there. I can't speak to that.

Veterans Affairs committee  Mr. Chairman and members of the House committee on veterans affairs, thank you for the opportunity to speak with you today. For the past decade I have been a senior epidemiologist for the directorate of force health protection, more colloquially known as DFHP, which is part of the CF health services group.