Armed forces not equipped to deal with drug addiction, mental health problems
Re: Junkies in the military
Since retiring to the Valley after 32-plus years in Canadian Armed Forces I have read many letters to the editor that have made me shake my head but after reading Simone Black’s letter in Friday’s paper I think it’s time to write in.
During my time in the Service I’ve seen changes every decade, some were good and others were completely off target leading to many problems for the chain of command. I’m not going to get on a soapbox and vent my frustrations that were part of the reason I retired but will say that in my last few years it became harder to deal with the generation I had to deal with as Senior NCO.
I still have a few friends that are serving as well as two daughters that are Senior NCOs in the Navy and believe me the last thing the CAF is equipped for is recruiting and dealing with homeless junkies with mental health conditions. Under this Liberal government the forces are willfully underfunded which has lead to lack of new equipment, training and proper recruitment.
I’m not sure what the best way to deal with these issues are but trying to pound a square peg into a round circle is the last thing the CAF needs at this time or anytime in the future. Maybe it is time the government should look at setting up work camps where these people could go through detox and training!
BW Lowe CD
Master Warrent Office (Retired)
Duncan
