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Opening Remarks - Review of DND/CF Actions on Operational Stress Injuries

December 17, 2002

Last February, when I released the results of my investigation into the military’s treatment of soldiers suffering from post traumatic stress disorder (or PTSD), I made a commitment to update you on how the Canadian Forces had addressed this issue in nine months time. This report, delivered to the Minister of National Defence on the day marking the nine-month anniversary of the first report, meets that commitment.

Members and former members have told me how thankful they are to see this topic brought out into the open. It is clear the problems surrounding PTSD in the military are too important to be relegated to the back burner. Members’ welfare, their careers, even their lives are at stake, and that affects the whole organization.

Therefore, I am here today to release this follow-up report, a first for my Office, which provides an assessment of what DND has done to address operational stress injuries since my report last February.

I am pleased to inform you that the majority of my recommendations from the original investigation have been accepted by DND, and that planning is underway to resolve many of the problems that were identified.

However, on the front lines, not much has changed. When my investigators visited bases across the country, they found the stigma surrounding stress injuries is still very much alive. Soldiers continue to face the same isolation and unfair treatment that prompted my initial investigation into this issue.

I recognize that change will take time. The military is like a big ship. You can’t just change the direction of the ship overnight. But this fact only increases the urgency of putting concrete initiatives in place now.

That’s why I was pleased to see the initiative aimed at reducing problems associated with operational stress injuries for our troops returning from Afghanistan. This was an excellent opportunity for Canadian Forces senior leaders to demonstrate their commitment to the welfare of their troops. They used this chance to try a new way of bringing personnel home, similar to an approach discussed in my report.

During my initial investigation, I found that the rapid return of deployed members to their family frequently caused difficulties, both for the soldier and his or her family. I recommended the CF set up a pilot project to determine the best way to allow members returning from deployment to be reintegrated into family and garrison life.

The leaders of the infantry unit deployed to Afghanistan (the 3rd Battalion of the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry) undertook just such an initiative. As many of you know, the battle group spent three to five days of rest and “decompression” time in Guam, before being sent back to Canada. They got information and training on family and work reintegration, anger management and suicide awareness, as well as personal time.

Once back on home base, the soldiers worked a combination of full and half days for two weeks, before they went on leave. This allowed for a more gradual reintegration with their families. It also gave members the chance to discuss and deal with issues related to the mission with their colleagues before going on leave.

From what I have heard so far, this was an extremely valuable initiative and I congratulate those who made it happen. I look forward to talking more extensively with members and their families about this experience at an appropriate time.

On another positive note, the Operational Stress Injury Social Support (OSISS) project has been a tremendous success. Members involved in this project provide peer counselling and support for their peers who may have a stress injury. They also conduct education and training about stress injuries. The success of this support program reflects on the dedication of its staff but also on the championing it has received from the highest levels of the chain of command. The CF deserves credit for this initiative.

The CF can do more, however, to help soldiers returning from deployments and their families. For example, I am disappointed in the lack of progress on my recommendation to locate an Operational Trauma and Stress Support Centre off base.

A year and a half ago, members suffering from stress injuries told me something very disturbing. They said they didn’t want to get help, for fear of being seen at the treatment centre on the base. Recently, I heard the same thing from members who served in Afghanistan.

One treatment centre is located on the second floor of the base hospital. The stairs leading up to it are commonly known as the “stairway of shame”. No one should have to climb the “stairway of shame” to get treatment for injuries they sustained while serving their country.

It’s clearly important to get injured members into treatment sooner rather than later. I am baffled by the lack of movement on this recommendation. Until the CF creates a culture where those seeking treatment have confidence their injury will be understood and accepted by their comrades, the Forces have, in my view, an obligation to provide treatment in an environment that encourages everyone who needs treatment to get treatment.

As I said, culture change is a long-term process. Leaders have embraced the idea and accepted most of my recommendations. Nonetheless, it will take time for this change to filter down into the field. In the interim, we have to provide options for people who would like to seek help but fear being labelled weak soldiers.

Let’s face it – it’s still pretty awful being a soldier with a stress injury. The symptoms are bad enough, but the culture of shame and suspicion is worse. The commitment and planning I have seen at the leadership level represents an extremely important stride in the right direction. But the reality for soldiers with operational stress injuries is still grim. The Canadian Forces must continue to take decisive steps to improve the welfare of members and their families. We can’t wait.

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