# More Talk On Helping 'Wounded Warriors'- Article



## Bruce Monkhouse (29 Sep 2011)

http://www.torontosun.com/2011/09/28/wounded-soldiers-to-get-the-help-they-need
OTTAWA - Six thousand Canadians served in Afghanistan and with most of them now back home, the military network needs to know how to care for their well being.

Top military brass and defence leaders met in Ottawa Wednesday to send a message through the ranks: Mental health is as crucial as physical wellness.

"I expect you to create a command climate where those who need help can get it," said Chief of Defence Staff Walt Natynczyk. "Ten years ago it was inconceivable to see young macho men and warrior women asking for help, to talk to a counsellor. Now they know they can do so right away."

All soldiers who served in Afghanistan are brought to Cyprus for three days to decompress before going home, connecting with dozens of health and transition services.

It wasn't always this way.

"A solider who was in an early morning fire fight in Bosnia, was flown home to Canada that afternoon, and was back in bed with his wife in Edmonton that same night," Natynczyk said. "At three in the morning, the phone rang and he tried to choke her to death, thinking he was still in the fight. That should never have been allowed to happen."

Making sure wounded warriors are within arm's reach of help is key.

"It's important to stay in touch with soldiers' families, because if they move to Upper Pumphandle, Sask., we may not know they need help," said Rear-Admiral Andy Smith. "That's why close contact with a network battle buddies and family is essential."

About half of all of those who fought the Taliban and drove roads riddled with crude explosives have returned to Canada with disabilities. Some are in wheelchairs, many are missing legs, while others are haunted by what they saw.

Later this fall, the military will announce a new program called Shoulder to Shoulder - a service to help families of fallen soldiers. Usually, contact is lost with the widows and widowers a few weeks after the funeral. The new system maintains social contact and counselling for as long as is needed.


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## OldSolduer (29 Sep 2011)

I told my Bde Comd once that mental flexibility is far more important at times than physical flexibility. The same applies for mental health - without a healthy mind, a healthy fit body is very hard to acheive and maintain.

I should put this in the quotes. Damn that's a good one!


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## Gunner98 (29 Sep 2011)

I am concerned by three statements in this article:

"6,000 troops returned" - this year?  

"Ten years ago it was inconceivable" - Really even though as CDS he held the positions of J3 Plans and Operations during the period of CF deployments to Kosovo, Bosnia, East Timor and Ethiopia-Eritrea.

"About half of all of those who fought the Taliban and drove roads riddled with crude explosives have returned to Canada with disabilities. Some are in wheelchairs, many are missing legs, while others are haunted by what they saw."  If 50% of those who served outside the wire were disabled we would be a totally 'non-effective organization'.


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## dapaterson (29 Sep 2011)

As someone who was in the room, perhaps I can allay some concerns.  The "6000" cited in the article is the number of personnel VAC has in their files who are CF veterans with experience in Afghanistan.

The CDS' comments were about the increasing openness of CF members to acknowledge and seek help for  mental health issues. He was describing the difference between prior missions where there was less mental health care available and more stigma associated with seeking help with today, where there's a greater support network and greater acceptance and understanding.


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## paffomaybe (29 Sep 2011)

A good article (American perspective).

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/28/us/looking-after-the-soldier-back-home-and-damaged.html


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## dapaterson (29 Sep 2011)

One further point (on reflection):  The Veterans Affairs presentation gave the number of CF veterans with Afghanistan experience and the number of that group in receipt of some VAC support for disability related to that service - the 50% figure is based on those two numbers.  However, the VAC client base does not include all CF members who have served in Afghanistan.


I would highlight that this is an issue that the CF and departmental leadership take very seriously.  Both the CDS and VCDS cleared their schedules for the morning to attend the session, take questions, and meet with participants.  (If you know how busy their work life is, you know that getting a full morning from them is almost unheard of - even more so when they were off site at the Nortel campus).  Add to that the MND rearranging his calendar to open the session and you can see the commitment to care of the CF's ill and injured.

Those of you on the Defence Wide Area Network can read the MND's opening comments at: http://media.mil.ca/show-voir-eng.asp?URL=/Transcripts/201109/11092801.htm


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