Video: An injured Canadian soldier is getting booted from the military before qualifying for his pension. Jennifer Tryon has his story.
OTTAWA – Gravely injured troops who want to remain in uniform are being booted from the military before they qualify for their pensions, despite assurances to the contrary from the Harper government.
A former reserve combat engineer from London, Ont., Cpl. David Hawkins, was let go last Friday on a medical discharge after begging for months to remain until he’d hit the 10-year mark of service.
He’s about one-year shy of the line that allows him to collect an indexed pension, but was released because his post traumatic stress makes him unable to deploy overseas.
Among those also leaving is Cpl. Glen Kirkland, whose plea to remain in the army last June was answered by former defence minister Peter MacKay with a pledge that the soldier could stay until September 2015 – and that no members are released until they are ready.
But the offer to Kirkland was exclusive to him only, and he says chose within the last few days to leave rather than be given special treatment.
He says he joined as a member of a “team and a family,” and the deal went against everything he believes in.
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