When a soldier returns home from battle, he rarely returns as the same man he was before he left.

Veterans suffer from possible PTSD, higher suicide rates, and other difficulties not seen in the civilian population.

Local veteran Kirk Powell, 50, served from 2008 to 2014 in the Royal Canadian Regiment. After touring in Afghanistan, Powell said returning to civilian life took a long time.

"You're still caught in the mode of being a soldier and being a warrior. Then, you had a purpose in life, you had a mission, you had a task."

He said it's not just that you're losing a routine that you've gotten very used to, it's almost like losing a family.

"You had such a bond, such a strong, heavy bond. We had trained together all over the world, went places all over the world together for (around) three years before we actually went over to Afghanistan. Then, you stay with each other for (...) the tour. You come back, you're still together for another four years, but then everyone sort of goes their own way," said Powell.

"Nothing can ever get that glue back together."

Powell said that it's a struggle that nearly all veterans go through.

"It's hard. It's definitely hard. It's like being a professional athlete. (When) you're done, you're done. You've got to put the skates down and (...) you have to realize you have to go back to being a civilian again."

"It's a lifelong transition. There's no (flipping) the switch and boom, I'm back to civilian life and everything's great. The biggest struggle I've found is with relationships. Even with my friends, who aren't in the military, (being) able to trust them (is a struggle)."

Powell struggles with PTSD and anxiety but said that he has been keeping the warrior code and has been pushing forward. He has found support in the other veterans who have gone through similar struggles.

"If I'm struggling in the middle of the night, I can't sleep, or if I'm struggling with flashbacks or PTSD (...), I can reach out to these guys."

He said that it's almost necessary to build a support group for yourself as a veteran.

"If you try to do it solo, you're not going to make it. You won't make it."

"You're not that warrior anymore. You're just another guy waiting at Tim Hortons for coffee."

Powell said that Remembrance Day is more than just taking a moment once a year to remember those lost.

"It's your history. It's who you are."

He said that it's difficult to put into words what Remembrance Day means.

"I always find that you have to pay respects to the people that paid the price before you. They paved the way. Those guys paved the way. I have the utmost respect for (...) World War 2 veterans. These guys, at ages like 17 and 18-years-old, just jumped on a ship and off to Britain and (...) eight weeks later they're fighting on the beaches of Normandy."

He said that everybody should take the time to thank a veteran close to them.

"It's not a day off to go shopping and pick out your $300 boots and go to a $500 dinner," said Powell. "Take your second, take your minute, tell somebody you care about them, tell them that you've got their back, and thank them for their service. You'd be surprised how (those) words can mean so much to somebody."

Powell believes that Remembrance Day is a time for everyone to put aside their differences.

"This is a time when the country, for just a minute, or an hour, can come together. Despite all the garbage that's out there right now. Despite your differences, despite your hate toward each other, this is the moment you can stop and, just for a minute, be silent and pay respect."

He hopes that this Remembrance Day can remind people, especially the younger generation, of Canada's role throughout history.

"History is starting to slip. It's like a dimmer switch on a wall. It's going down, darker and darker and darker. Veterans (and those involved) are the ones who need to be able to keep that light burning for them. Without that, it will be forgotten."

In the first and second World Wars, Canada was heavily involved. 67,000 fell in WW1 and 42,000 fell in WW2. However, what most people don't know is that around 30,000 Canadians served in the American armed forces during the Vietnam war and at least 134 went missing or were killed. Another 516 Canadians died in the Korean war.

Currently, 159 Canadian soldiers have died in the Afghanistan war.

Unfortunately, it seems the battle is not over for veterans after they return home. Some veterans end up losing their lives to suicide on home soil.

"This is a crisis now. It used to be an issue, and then it was a problem, then it was kind of a mystery. Now, it's a crisis," said Powell.

"The fact is, we're losing soldiers that don't need to be lost. It can be taken care of. The government needs to step up. We, as veterans, do the best we can on our side, but there's only so much we can do."

Powell said that veterans need more support from the government in order to quell the rising suicide rates.

"Somebody needs to step up, in parliament, and say 'no more'."

In addition to the suicide rates, around 1,500 Candian veterans are currently homeless, an issue Powell is completely baffled by.

"That, to me, is an absolute tragedy. That should not even be an issue in today's society. There's no way you should have these heroes begging for change, food, or anything else and sitting on the sidewalk at minus 35 down on 1st in Calgary. We shouldn't even be having this discussion at all. Those guys need services, those guys need to be picked out of the crowd, and they need to be taken care of."

Powell said asking for help is something veterans can sometimes struggle with.

"People always say, 'why can't they just walk to shelter, why can't they just walk to a clinic?' They have that pride in them. They have, unfortunately, shame in them also. It's that 'I had a purpose, I was a soldier, I was a warrior. I did this.'"

He believes that veterans need more support in order to properly return to form when they come home.

"We don't heal in Afghanistan. We heal back in Canada. But when the government is not there to help us heal, we have to look after each other to heal. That's a big, big issue. Can you imagine if we were all isolated and had no chance? It'd be a disaster."

"When we joined the military, we signed a contract that says 'yep, my blank cheque is my life, I understand everything that's going to go with it, my injuries, I get it. But, when I come back, I expect the government to help me get back on my feet.' That's the contract we have right now. And, right now, the governments not doing that. They're not holding up their end of the bargain."

He said support can come from anywhere, even a stranger on the street.

"If you turn around, just put your hand on his soldier, and just say 'thank you for your service', that could be that little match that ignites him to turn around. That saved his life that day."

This Remembrance Day, Powell said he remembers the veterans of the past.

"I'm not going to stand on my soapbox and scream 'Afghanistan veteran' because it's not my time yet. The spotlight is on World War 2 guys (...), it's their time. Have respect for that."

He would like to remind everyone of the sacrifices of Korean and Vietnam veterans as well.

"Those are the mystery guys, those are the unsung heroes,"

"Those are the guys that have to have the spotlight right now."

Powell believes the remembering shouldn't be confined to only one day a year.

"This is a 365-day thing. Lives are lost throughout the whole year. People are sick throughout the whole year."

Take time, not only this Monday, but every day of the year, to stop and recognize the sacrifice our veterans have given to ensure our continued freedom.

For Powell's entire interview, watch the video below.

 

 

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