I Have Seen The Enemy, And It Is My Friend

I'm in the middle of fighting with Veteran's Affairs Canada. This is probably going to be the hardest military event I'll ever go through. I was told Basic Training would be the hardest and it was tough but I made it through.

I made it through failing my first trades course because I wouldn't sleep with the instructor. I endured hard words and disappointment from my Sgt Major for months until I came clean with why I failed. Then I had to hold him back from tracking the guy down and beating on him.

I made it through months of sleeping in tents with men who thought that my sleeping bag would be warmer with them in it with me. I lived through shitting in the woods in the snow and going days without sleep. I lived through CS gas attacks in trench systems and fighting off mosquitoes the size of small birds. I made it through ignorant comments about being a woman, snide sneers about taking 'his' job and being weak, snarky muttered comments about being a 'Shad who doesn't know fuck nothing about being a Supply Tech'. And all through it, I countered with my words and my wit, my determination and my conviction.

I made it through a Combat Leader's Course at the Battle School in Wainwright, getting shat upon by my section because I couldn't run long distances like they could. I tried to quit but my Sgt said he wouldn't let me. In fact, his exact words were, "I'm not letting you quit. You have something the rest of us need. You're not leaving. A leader is more than someone who can carry a log on their shoulders and you need to learn that." Hardest course I ever did physically and mentally. But I did it.

I made it through the shittiest bosses in NATO without falling apart, without getting charged, and without committing a felony. Came close though (the charge part). I stood up to these bullies, these men who for whatever reasons, felt they were better than I was, and were in positions of power. I earned one's respect, and don't give a second thought to the other because he's so narrow minded he'll never change.

I made it through a Senior Leader's Course at the Battle School in Gagetown, learning to never let my guard down EVER, whether on the parade square, in a class room, or in the field.

I made it through going to sea for months at a time, away from family and friends, sailing across the world to exotic places... fighting the ship's movement, hauling NUTO buckets full of water up and down ladders in warm waters up to 6 times/day, dealing with fake fires, real fires, fake casualties, real casualties, sea sickness, crude comments about tits and more bullies who wanted me to fit a certain mold and seemed ready to ruin my career and my confidence if I wouldn't. I dealt with co-workers who undermined every move I made, gaslighting me and setting me up to fail. I reacted by becoming a harassment advisor to help people reach appropriate solutions for the difficulties they faced. I stood up for my peers and made many superiors pissed off at me for it.

I dealt with comments from well-meaning idiots through both pregnancies. I helped every section I was in become more productive and do things better and more efficiently.

And now I'm facing the biggest bully and liar I've met: Veteran's Affairs Canada.

They are not there to help the Veteran who comes to them for help. They're mandated to tell the client one thing, but do another. Without fail, since the late '90's when the PPCLI left Victoria, every story except 2 that I've been told about directly from the military person, has been denied. The knees blown out by years of intense infantry training - denied (from playing football as a teenager apparently). The knee ruined while on training - denied. The motor difficulties and system shutdown caused by inhalation of toxins while in the infantry - denied.

And now my chronic knee pain, foot pain, and the elbow I broke while on a military bonspiel - denied.

What they tell you: See your doctor to get a report on your injuries written up. We'll pay UP TO$150 for you to get it done.
What they forget to tell you: See an independent medical expert to get a comprehensive report written up that will take upwards of 4 hours of your day dependent upon what you're claiming. We need an estimate and then we'll pay it but you have to know about this or we won't tell you.

What they tell you: Send in your job spec.
What they don't tell you: That doesn't really matter because our specs are the ones that matter. For example, as a Supply Tech, my job spec says I lift 25kg on a regular basis. THEIR spec says that in order for me to claim lumbar pain, I have to have lifted 35kg for 51% of the time for 10 years or more.

First off no friggin' job anywhere needs you to lift 35kg regularly. That's slightly over 77 lbs. That's a bag and a half of potatoes. That's the weight of a 10-12 year-old child.

And for safety reasons, you're told not to carry anything over 25kg by yourself!! So this little circle comes to a close: Oh, you didn't lift 35kg regularly? Then you don't meet our specifications. Denied.

And does 'regularly for 51% of the time for 10 years or more" take into account leave? Weekends? Holidays? Courses? I'll tell you what it DOES take into account: temporary medical categories. The kind you go on when you're pregnant. Twice.

i have more rants to come another day, but I'm going to stop now before I get unintelligible and really ranty.