Veterans Affairs committee  What we're doing right now is appreciated. The interest is there. We get the information from the sources. That can be done in reverse, too, by visiting units across Canada, as opposed to just making decisions in isolation. This kind of feedback, I think, is absolutely on the right track.

Veterans Affairs committee  I went through one as well. As Mr. Doucette said, it was very much like night court. You have a quick briefing in the hallway with your lawyer, you're marched in very quickly, you plead your case, and it's over before you know what happened.

Veterans Affairs committee  Probably just that they are severely understaffed. For job placements, for example, there is one individual in the one in Gagetown. He places absolutely everyone who comes in through that job. I forget the numbers, but it's absolutely ridiculous. He has about nine places that have opened up and said they would take people.

Veterans Affairs committee  As well, it's like going to the MIR, the medical infirmary room on base. You go in there, and all the military personnel are there. I personally asked to see an off-base counsellor for that reason.

Veterans Affairs committee  Absolutely.

Veterans Affairs committee  I would say it is staff versus online services, hands down. There needs to be more personnel along the whole route to facilitate these things. We can't just slough it off and say it's online.

Veterans Affairs committee  It's improving, sir, but I still find myself caught off guard. I try to be very open with what I've gone through, and every once in a while you talk to someone and you can see by the look on their face or their reaction that they don't believe in PTSD to this day, or they're not interested in talking about mental health or hearing about it.

Veterans Affairs committee  Veterans who were injured prior to that time used to get the lifetime pension, whereas now they've gone to a lump-sum payment. That change, coincidentally, was made at a time when we were warned that we were going into combat in the Kandahar region.

Veterans Affairs committee  I don't think I would be alone in that. The veterans I have talked to said, yes, that was quite coincidental.

Veterans Affairs committee  My name is Kevin Estabrooks. I'm a retiring warrant officer. I'm being released from the military with PTSD. I have over 30 years' service between reserve and regular force time, and I've had five tours of duty, including three in Afghanistan. I also work as a volunteer peer support adviser.