OTTAWA – The watchdog of the Canadian Forces is raising concern about the signature organization the Harper government relies upon within the military to help wounded soldiers.

Canada’s military ombudsman says joint personnel support units, which are sprinkled across the country, are under-staffed and lack experienced people to guide physically and emotionally battered troops through career transition.

Pierre Daigle undertook an assessment last summer following a series of complaints about the centres, which are tasked to prepare the wounded to either return to their front-line unit or be discharged from the military.

Troops dealing with a physical or mental injury are posted to one of the 24 units across the country, where they have three years to either recover and meet the military’s universality of service rule, or leave.

Daigle’s investigators interviewed a few hundred clients and staff, and found — among other things — that a government policy which prohibits pensioned reservists from working at the units is creating a brain drain.

Cpl. Dave Hawkins, an ex-soldier with traumatic stress who was discharged despite pleas to stay, describes the joint support system as a “joke.”