Canada has 6,000 Afghanistan veterans on disabililty

Afghanistan veterans on disability now 6,000
Forces, Veterans Affairs reluctant to disclose casualty records after eight years of war.
By TIM NAUMETZ

More than 6,000 Canadian Forces members and discharged veterans who are receiving physical or psychiatric disability benefits from Veterans Affairs Canada have either served in Afghanistan or have a disability that has been related to their service in Afghanistan, the department says.

The majority of the soldiers receiving benefits are likely suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder or war-related psychiatric conditions, according to global figures the department and the Canadian Forces provided The Hill Times. They also do not appear to be included in Afghanistan combat or non-combat casualty figures the Canadian Forces compiled, even though the veterans and serving members who have psychiatric conditions likely have them as a result of serving in the Afghan war.

The Canadian Forces said a week ago 529 soldiers were wounded in action from 2002—when Canada first sent troops to Afghanistan as part of a U.S.-led invasion following terrorist attacks in the United States—to last Dec. 31. The Forces said a further 913 troops had suffered "non-combat" injuries.


But the Veterans Affairs Department, in a series of email exchanges, told The Hill Times roughly 2,200 Canadian Forces "clients" are now receiving disability benefits related to their service in Afghanistan. The department said a further 4,100 veteran clients have Afghanistan service identified in their records "but their benefits are not necessarily related to the Afghanistan mission."
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http://www.hilltimes.com/page/view/afghanistan-02-08-2010