To my fellow Veterans

I am a retired Colonel with 38 years of service in the PPCLI, Airborne Regiment, JTF2, and CANSOFCOM. I have three operational tours abroad: as a PPCLI Company Commander in Croatia; PPCLI Battle Group Comd in Bosnia; and CANSOF Task Force Comd in Afghanistan. I was thrilled to be asked to join this Veterans’ Affairs funded project, conducted at arm’s length by the Canadian Virtual Hospice. I was initially invited to the Project as the “Military Co-interviewer” (the Project mental health professionals were definitely in the lead!), but rather quickly, I also evolved into the “Military Advisor and Reviewer” to the Project.

Over the course of the Project and more than 50 interviews, I have been struck by two things in particular that I want to highlight for Veterans in this Foreword.

First, although I went into this with very high expectations of what the Veterans (some still serving, and some family members as well) that we interviewed would say, I was nonetheless humbled by their courage to unselfishly share their highs, their lows, their fears, their grief, and what worked (and didn’t work) for them on their incredible personal journeys to get to a better place than the one they started on. Their motivations ranged from wanting to be a good parent and role model to others - to just wanting some semblance of peace and normalcy in their afflicted lives. But one thing was common to every person who volunteered to participate - they wanted to do anything they could that might help anyone, but especially a fellow Veteran, who was still suffering and struggling. Not a single one of them “took a knee.” On behalf of myself personally, of the Project itself, and all the Veterans that you have helped - I can’t thank you enough. In doing this - you continue your proud Service.

Second - and if I am honest - to my surprise, I was so impressed with the Project leadership and the primary mental health professionals that led all the interviews that I worked with. Yes they learned some “Military 101” from me along the way, but in truth, I learned far more from them (and from the Veterans we interviewed!). It was their compassionate and caring manner with which they conducted the interviews - some very difficult emotionally. I have also been a key reviewer of their draft modules and again I was struck by their desire to write them in a style that would resonate with Veterans. And they rose to the occasion. Veterans - your experiences, your words and your raw emotions are reflected in everything you read. They did not write this for professional colleagues or academic journals. They wrote this for Veterans - for all of us. I watched them become not just professionally invested in this work - they became emotionally invested as well - perhaps to their own surprise. So, I will just say to the incredible people who I worked with - and you know who you are - on behalf of Veterans - thank you. You honoured us all and we owe you not just our gratitude but our respect as well. You too, have served Canada and its proud Veterans.

Veterans - this is good. Really good. I commend this to you or anyone you know who you think might benefit from it.

Soldier on!

David

Colonel (Ret’d) David Barr, MSM, CD, Bronze Star (US)

Founding Comd CANSOFCOM

I am a retired RCMP Staff Sergeant, having served 35 years in “D” Division (Manitoba). I am a member of the second female troop to go through “Depot” in the RCMP, and my first 11 years of service were on Detachment (Rural, Municipal, Highway Patrol and Community Policing). The next 24 years were spent in Major Crime Services, going through the ranks and then into retirement. As with all of us who have chosen this line of work, I learned a great many things over the years and experienced my share of trauma. I was surprised when I was asked to be a part of this Veterans Affairs funded project taken on by the Canadian Virtual Hospice. What could I possibly have to offer? I would soon find out. We all have a story, but it really was me learning so much more than I feel I gave, and I am the better for it.

My role became that of the RCMP advisor/reviewer. Things like are we getting the RCMP “language” and the RCMP way of speaking right (the right way, the wrong way, and the RCMP way!!) so that members would feel familiarity with the terminology. Are the insignia and the uniform correct? Credibility is huge.

I also became an interviewer (under the guidance of the project Mental Health professionals) of members who had volunteered to tell their stories. I knew several of the members we interviewed, but I did not know some of the trauma or grief they had experienced, or the repercussions to them personally. And this is the point. We carry on, but when we retire, we carry many of these things with us into retirement, not knowing if, or when, or how they might come to affect us or even how to identify what is happening to us. But for anyone struggling, there is hope, and Shaped by Service is a tool designed to help.

I want to thank the Canadian Virtual Hospice for taking on this project. We now live in an online world, and it is so timely to have a place like this to go. I want to thank the staff for all their dedication and hard work that went into bringing this project to fruition. There was such caring, attention to detail, and respect as they worked for the best interest of Veterans. I also want to thank the RCMP members and the RCMP family members who chose to share their stories. Their stories are real and from the heart. And hopeful. They care about others, anyone who might be struggling and who might find a thread of hope in their story. I would also like to thank retired Colonel David Barr, who was my co-reviewer from the Military side of the project. It quickly became obvious that the RCMP and the Military may have different arenas where their work is performed, but we are all human, and grief and trauma affect us all, each in their own way.

Shaped by Service is very, very good with so much information, real information. And best of all, it provides hope.

Kathie

(K. A. King), S/Sgt (Rtd.) M.O.M.