INTRODUCTION

As part of its study on the programs and services available to veterans in other jurisdictions, the House of Commons Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs travelled to Washington to hold meetings and undertake visits on 15 and 16 May 2017. The delegation included the Committee Chair, Neil Ellis, and the Vice-Chair, Robert Kitchen, as well as Colin Fraser, Doug Eyolfson, Bob Bratina, Cathay Wagantall and Wayne Stetski. The delegation was accompanied by Patrick Williams and Nathalie Clairoux from the House of Commons, as well as Jean-Rodrigue Paré from the Library of Parliament.

MEETINGS

A. 15 May 2017, Embassy of Canada

1. 9:00 a.m.–10:00 a.m.: Information Session from Canadian Diplomatic Staff

Sheila Riordon, Minister of Political Affairs at the Embassy, received the Canadian delegation in Washington and provided an overview of the main issues surrounding what she presented as an “unusual context of crisis” since the Trump administration was sworn in. At the time of the meeting, there were about 400 vacancies at the highest levels of government, which was slowing down the planning of bilateral negotiations. Several federal agencies were about to be eliminated or have their role changed without Congress having had the opportunity to monitor the magnitude of the changes. Ms. Riordon said she expected the State Department’s program budget to be cut by 35%.

Meaghan Sunderland, Canada’s Attaché to U.S. Congress, then highlighted the main issues facing Congress in the coming months, specifically the future of Obamacare. She then presented the positions of the most active senators and representatives in the veterans file, as well as references to Canadian veterans in Congress. In particular, she noted the recognition of the Devil’s Brigade, the surviving members of which received the Congressional Gold Medal in 2015. This Canadian-American special force, which was active during World War II, served as a model for the creation of the Navy SEALs.

Ms. Sunderland also informed the delegation members of a bill tabled in the House of Representatives by Tim Ryan, Representative for Ohio, intended to recognize American volunteers who joined the Canadian Forces during World War II before the United States entered the war.

Ms. Riordon then outlined the issues affecting trade between Canada and the United States. The possibility of renegotiating NAFTA will be at the heart of the discussions between the two countries, as will duties on softwood lumber. In her view, signals from the Americans are not currently clear enough to allow Canada to develop a negotiating strategy.

Commander Ian Torrie, Canada’s Defence Health Services Attaché to the United States, presented the collaborative files between Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (USDVA). Their discussions tend to focus on research and the sharing of service delivery best practices. The digitization and transfer of military medical records is an issue that the two departments are looking at together in order to find solutions.

Daniel Abele, Head of Intergovernmental Affairs, Rear-Admiral Bill Truelove, Commander of the Canadian Defence Liaison Staff, and Gregory Witol, First Secretary (Defence), also offered additional information.

2. 10:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m.: Information Session from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

Dr. David Atkins, Chief Research and Development Officer with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (USDVA), presented the research program he is leading, highlighting in particular the many collaborations that have been established with the Department of Defense. With respect to research on transition, Dr. Atkins spoke of a “high degree of synergy in research” between the two departments.

Robert Jaeger, Director of Post-Deployment Health Research at the USDVA, presented the strengths of his research program, including the capacity to conduct large-scale epidemiological studies, given the U.S. veterans’ medical system. He gave many examples of successful collaborations between Canada and the United States on veterans’ health, including frequent discussions on emerging issues such as canine therapy and regular consultations between U.S. and Canadian experts on health policies and treatment for veterans.

3. 11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.: Meeting with Dr. Lynda Davis, Chief Veterans Experience Officer at the Department of Veterans Affairs

On 4 April 2017, Dr. Lynda Davis was appointed to this position, which was recently created within the USDVA and is intended to ensure that the policies and decisions made within the Department are truly focused on veterans and their experience with services and programs. She outlined her role and the priority challenges she intends to address in the first few years of her mandate, including expanding collaboration with the Department of Labor to facilitate the transition to civilian life of released military members.

Discussions with the delegation included coordinating the relationship between the Department and the many veterans’ organizations, as well as ways to improve public and employer understanding of military culture to facilitate the transition. The Canadian principle of universality of military service, which seems to exist in a more flexible form in the United States, was also discussed. Dr. Davis informed the delegation that the Department of Defense was studying the possibility of introducing the principle of permanent limited duty, which would allow military forces to continue to benefit from the skills acquired by members of staff who, because of health problems, can no longer be deployed within their units.

B. 16 May 2017, United States Senate, Room of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs

1. 3:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m.: Meeting with Senators Thom Tillis (North Carolina) and Mike Rounds (South Dakota)

The delegation was received in the room of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs by Senator Thom Tillis and Senator Mike Rounds, members of their staff, members of the Committee’s staff and employees from the Library of Congress responsible for the veterans file.

Senator Tillis summarized the Committee’s recent discussions on enabling veterans to choose their health care provider from outside the network of USDVA-employed professionals. Recent statistics showing that 20 veterans die by suicide every day in the United States were also discussed.

The Chair of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs, Neil Ellis, summarized the Committee’s most recent studies, and a discussion was held on the issues of transitioning to civilian life, including the difficulty for army veterans in having their professional skills recognized by civilian employers.

VISITS

A. 15 May 2017, Washington D.C. Vet Center, Silver Spring, Maryland

The Center’s director, Wayne Miller, received the delegation and outlined the Center’s many activities. These centres were created to meet the needs of Vietnam War veterans. Even today, it is still this cohort that mainly uses the services of the centres, but veterans of the more recent conflicts in the Middle East and Afghanistan are turning to them more and more. The discussions were quite varied and informal, but frequently came back to the differences between the American and Canadian systems, stemming from two main factors: the number of veterans in the United States, which sits at around 15 to 20 million, compared to fewer than 700,000 in Canada, and the importance of the Vietnam War to the development of American programs and services.

B. 15 May 2017, Arlington Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia

The members of the delegation visited Arlington National Cemetery to lay a wreath at the foot of the Cross of Sacrifice, a monument that honours Americans who served in the Canadian Armed Forces during World War I, World War II and the Korean War. The delegation then attended the changing of the guard ceremony in front of the Tomb of the Unknowns.

C. 16 May 2017, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland

The members of the delegation were welcomed by Colonel Michael Heimall, Director of the institution, and then met with the medical readiness team, under the direction of Dr. Zizette Makary and psychologist Marisa Barra. The various stakeholders explained each step in the military medical readiness process before, during and after deployment.

All members of the military must undergo a preventive medical readiness exam at least once a year, regardless of their situation. For those deployed overseas, the process is more structured. The first step is screening which involves a series of standardized medical exams. The second step assesses the person’s capacity to be deployed overseas. This assessment looks at the financial state of the household of the member to be deployed, the existence of a criminal record or offences of a sexual nature, drug and alcohol abuse, domestic violence, the military past of the spouse, and the honourable or non‑honourable nature of their discharge, if applicable, and custody arrangements for the children.

The delegation then visited the facility’s Warrior Clinic, a complete medical clinic for injured members of the military and adult members of their families. The clinic provides a holistic approach to the physical, spiritual and mental well-being of injured members. The range of services is very broad, from short‑term acute care, to coordination of specialized services, to awareness of healthy living. The delegation members were able to speak with Captain Paul Gobourne, Clinic Director, about issues common to both countries, including the use of marijuana in pain treatment, and including family members in the rehabilitation program.

The delegation members ended their visit of the medical centre at the National Intrepid Center of Excellence (NICoE), which joined the Walter Reed Center in 2015. The NICoE specializes in the research and treatment of traumatic brain injury and psychological health conditions. It offers a four-week intensive outpatient program, where patients and their families can engage in a personalized treatment plan with on‑site providers specialized in western medicine and alternative therapies. Treatments offered are very diverse and include canine therapy, brain imaging systems, the virtual reality therapeutic environment (CAREN), art therapy and sleep management, as well as most established physical, psychosocial and occupational rehabilitation. The Center also offers short‑term assessment and treatment services, a brain fitness centre, and an evaluation centre offering a one-week diagnostic program.