This petition has also been written to ensure that disabled soldiers are met with a representative of Veterans Affairs who prioritize their dignity and sense of self over bureaucratic obligations.

Men and women who face the prospect of being medically discharged are being told by Can Vet, (a component of Veteran's Affairs Canada), that they will undergo a rehabilitation program in order to ensure that they become capable and qualified of getting a decent job.

They are told that this program includes financial support for education and job skills training.

On the face of it; supporting injured or disabled soldiers with resources they need to get back on their feet is a reasonable proposition....and it could be reasonably assumed that Can Vet would get in touch with the disabled soldier as soon as possible. It could also be reasonably assumed that a plan would quickly be set into motion and the soldier would begin receiving sufficient resources to get a decent-paying job.

However, these veterans are often met with bureaucratic and arbitrary delays.

For instance, a disabled soldier who may wish to attend Post Secondary education may have to wait months before his very first meeting with a representative from Can Vet.

Until this time, the veteran is without financial support from Veterans Affairs… As such funding is only available after a plan is approved under Can Vet's Vocational Rehabilitation program.

This means that the disabled soldier is discouraged from acting on his or her own initiative and enrolling before funding arrives, as there is no guarantee that his or her she would be reimbursed for the personal education expenditures.

I believe that the detrimental effects of this delay are self-evident. Some soldiers may be battling more than physical ailments, but the prospect of PTSD or other effects of severe trauma. Some might on the verge of severe depression.

It is my believe that making a soldiers wait entire semesters due to an arbitrary delay— while discouraging them from acting on their initiative— means stripping this person his or her own sense of autonomy.

Can Vet's stated goal is to empower this soldier…. But to hold them back while dangling the carrot of financial support in front of their faces is counterproductive and demeaning.

Also, an initial impression of Can Vet would be that resources for Post Secondary education or job skills training would be readily available once a plan is approved.

However, I have reason to believe that these resources are sometimes available only on the basis of achieving Can Vet's goal of "successful" employment. This means a job that earns 66.6% of what the soldier previously earned.

For a Regular Forces Corporal, this might be $17 to $18 an hour.

For a Reservist Corporal, this could be $12 an hour... or less.

Veteran's Affairs is quick to point out that there are other factors at play here, and that adequate employment is the ultimate goal.

However, in my personal dealings with an employee of West Coast Group, (A company hired by Can Vet) I was told of no other goal on their part except for this 66.6%.

In fact, the employee seemed to treat the 66.6% as the standard to achieve. I have been told that, because of my personal status as a reservist corporal, the inadequate goal of attaining a minimum wage job meant that more "opportunities" were opened up for me.

Also, while my Can Vet representative did not necessarily say that resources would be withheld on the basis that training wasn't necessary to achieve a minimum-wage job, she did say that "guidelines had to be followed," and seemed unwilling to talk about any other "factors" that would raise the standard.

I do not believe that my experience was an anomaly.

I believe other soldiers are being treated with the same level of patronization. I believe that the future prospects of other soldiers are being treated with the same level of cynicism.

As a reservist who has been in the military for 11 years, I have worked alongside soldiers who were not only proficient in their military duties, but also successful in the civilian world. They worked as craftsmen, labourers and entrepreneurs and professionals in every field. It is worth mentioning that someone with the rank of Private in the military might also be a Doctor outside of it.

To talk to these people about attaining jobs that keep them slightly above the poverty line is utterly out of touch with the financial reality of living in the 21st century.

The reality becoming disabled is that a soldier who fails to meet the Universality of Service requirements is forced to leave promising careers in the military.

The reality of a disability is that an individual who was gainfully employed outside the military may find his or her condition precludes such employment.

A disability is a setback. It means that goals and aspirations might have to be modified or changed.

But a disability does NOT mean that a soldier must set his or her sights lower.

Any organization that promotes such a notion is doing a disservice to the men and women of our military.

I believe the conduct of Can Vet and the companies that work under it are especially atrocious when this attitude is seem in context of what a disabled soldier is actually going through during his or her time of transition.

Soldiers who are being dismissed due to medical reasons may be at one of the lowest moments in their lives. They may be suffering feelings of extreme guilt, or self-destructive beliefs.

To add to this, Can Vet is simply foisting another destructive belief onto the soldier; That this person who has served his or her country should now accept a job that paying slightly above minimum wage... That a wage that keeps you slightly above the poverty line is the best you can achieve after being injured serving your country.

Soldiers deserve better than this. When soldiers are battling depression and are unable to conceptualize a bright future… There is nothing worse Can Vet can do than to justify the minimal support they are given by explaining that an inadequate minimum wage job is right for them.

Soldiers deserve better than to be met with representatives who ignore their capacity to do great things... and encourage them to pursue inadequate financial goals.

Most importantly, soldiers the right to have their future prospects taken seriously.

They deserve to be treated with respect.

Below, I have stated my personal opinions on how Veterans Affairs must address the inadequate treatment of soldiers by Can Vet.

I understand that I might not speak for all soldiers, but I have deeply considered this and believe these ideas are a step in the right direction.

I offer only one perspective, and I am open to ideas about how to better serve our military personnel.

Here is my proposal to Veteran Affairs:

1. Have a Can Vet representative see a client as soon as his or her release date is set--This means before the release date-- with the express purpose of assessing the client's strengths and weaknesses, starting a plan, and approving funding for post secondary or job skills training within a reasonable time frame.

2. If the meeting with a Can Vet representative is delayed due to bureaucratic complications (and therefore a reasonable time frame is not possible), and the soldier wishes to pursue education under his or her own initiative... Then a portion of the soldier's education expenses must be reimbursed.

It might be argued that approval for funding means that inappropriate courses are avoided, but the prospect of a former soldier with PTSD waiting six months to get approved is far worse than taking up a basket-weaving course in the interim.

3. The inadequate goal of getting a former soldier a job that earns 66.6% of his or her military salary must be reviewed under the lens of critical thinking, common sense and human decency. A better standard for soldiers must be introduced; one that provides enough resources to ensure a former soldier can be trained, educated and qualified to achieve a job that surpasses the minimum living wage; a standard set by the Canadian Centre For Policy Alternatives.

4. Prioritize the needs of well-being of the former soldier over the financial interests of the human resources companies (such as West Coast Group International Consultants LTD) that are hired by Can Vet to carry out its program.

Please sign if you agree.

Sincerely,

Alex Kennedy.