Prince George, B.C. – Support for those leaving the Armed Forces, and for their families,  could well be among the recommendations coming from a Coroner’s Jury  at the inquest into the death of Greg Matters.

Matters who had served with the Canadian Armed Forces in  Bosnia,  was suffering from Post  Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Speaking to the troubles  faced by those who have served,  Tim Laidler of the Veterans Transition Network,says too often those who are discharged from service, think they are o.k.  He says it was more than a year after he himself had returned from Afghanistan, that he  finally sought help. “There are  about 700 thousand veterans in Canada,  and only about 200 thousand have come forward  for  assistance.  The hardest thing we face is getting  veterans to  step forward.  Veterans will say ‘I saw some things overseas, saw some people die, but nothing as bad as my buddy,  you need to talk to him.”

While a registered service provider for Veterans Affairs, Laidler says funding is always a challenge.

When asked if  hehad any suggestions for recommendations that would assist veterans, Laidler said   he spent a long time being angry at the government, “I was just one more veteran with a chip on his shoulder  sitting in  his basement.  But the government is just one stakeholder.”  He says  outreach is the key, “all Canadians need to work together to help  veterans transition from service to civilian life."

The inquest is winding down with  the final witness on the stand. It  is expected the jury examining the evidence  in the police shooting death of Greg Matters  could retire  to  begin deliberations and craft recommendations, as early as this evening.