In the wake of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the massive numbers of younger veterans has meant that veterans’ organizations are going through somewhat of an evolution. In America and Britain, new grassroots organizations have sprung up to meet the needs of the modern combat veteran from Help 4 Heroes to the Wounded Warrior Project and in Canada, too, new organizations are emerging.

In April, The Royal Canadian Legion announced that it was beginning a partnership program with one of those new organizations­—Wounded Warriors Canada—in order to better serve Canada’s veterans.

Wounded Warriors was founded to focus on the treatment and well-being of veterans with Operational Stress Injuries such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). To begin, the partnership will entail a national awareness campaign to promote the support services available at Legion branches nationwide.

“The goal of this partnership is to reach out to veterans across Canada and ensure they have access to the benefits and services they deserve,” said Dominion President Gordon Moore. “Working with Wounded Warriors Canada will ensure we connect with all veterans and their families.” Legion service officers provide professional counselling and representation services for veterans applying for pensions and benefits free of charge, whether or not the individual is a member of the Legion.

The Wounded Warriors organization recently announced that their new national patron is retired general and PTSD-sufferer Senator Roméo Dallaire. The partnership with the Legion is another step toward national prominence for the organization.

“We are thrilled to launch this national partnership with The Royal Canadian Legion,” said captain Wayne Johnston, who founded Wounded Warriors in 2006. “The Legion is our veteran’s after-the-battle buddy, a community-based resource for soldiers and their families in need of healing from all they’ve endured. We will be working hard to inform our soldiers about the supports that exist in their local Legion.”

To learn more, visit www.woundedwarriors.ca.