From: barrylw11@hotmail.com To: pm@pm.gc.ca; gallant.c@parl.gc.ca; mackap@parl.gc.ca; jflaherty@fin.gc.

ca Subject: FW: Joint Personnel Support Unit - Rocket Richard Date: Wed, 4 Apr 2012 21:43:58 -0400 All Hello I sent the following email to you all sometime ago and I thought I'd give you an update. Since I originally wrote that email the JPSU's (Eastern Ontario Region) posted-in strength has grown by approximately 200% while its support staff has grown by ones and twos through internal transfers. In total, we have over 340 posted-in injured and ill personnel to support and another 1200 or so non-military (family, retired etc) people to support in our Region. Yet our support staff strength remains frozen with a caveat of "0" growth at all costs - unfortunately the "costs" to-date have been the early departure of some excellent leaders from the JPSU. A CANFORGEN came out recently stating that Commanding Officers "SHALL" post people with medical limitations of six months or more to the JPSU. Yet despite this, we have been informed that we will not receive anymore staff and to use ''out-of-the-box'' ideas to "make it work". In essence, this CANFORGEN means we have to be able to accept unlimited intake of injured/ill people, with no provision for an increase of any staff - not even one person - none. This email is my "out of the box" attempt to "make it work". The JPSU is a great initiative and deserves your closest attention - it is doing a lot of long overdue good to our serving members, retired members and their kin; but the JPSU does need help. I do not send these emails without knowing they may cost me my job, but then I recall the Korean Vets who asked for assistance, or contributed to assisting our Afghan Vets through OSISS, and by comparison, my job is not worth anything given what these gentlemen have gone through. Very recently, there has been talk of annuitant Class B Reservists being affected by upcoming changes, specifically losing their pensions; as a annuitant Class B Reservist myself this will be difficult to contend with but I will do my best - however the JPSU is made almost entirely of annuitants, and more to the point, this was almost a requirement to join the JPSU. When I was in the Reg Force and heard of a position in the JPSU, I informed my Chain of Command and was given permission to take the JPSU position. However the JPSU wouldn't (or couldn't) accept me as a Reg Force member, so I retired for 24 hours and transferred to the Reserves. It was worth it, even if I must seek employment elsewhere in the near future. This email to you is sent with the most sober of thought and I do not enjoy it one iota, but I feel it is something I am duty bound to do, not as a soldier, but as a Canadian citizen. I have tried to influence the system from the inside repeatedly, but with little success - I have included a typical email that I've sent (addressees' deleted) to try to address our situation, but to no avail. In my opinion, the JPSU is stuck in a bureaucratic quagmire; much like having a Rocket Richard

playing hockey with his blade protectors on - amazing potential, but no chance of using it - I ask you to take our blade protectors off and give us a chance to show you our true potential. You folks doing a great job with our Country and you have my utmost respect and loyalty in all you do - I acknowledge and accept that I may not have the global picture of our situation and as per my previous email, my attempts at addressing it stop (externally of the CF) with this email; internally I'll keep slugging away. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to give me a ring. Regards... Barry Westholm 613-587-4203