WINNIPEG, Manitoba, June 14 (UPI) -- A Canadian soldier whose legs were blown off in Afghanistan in 2006 is suing the military for discharging him, alleging discrimination.
Ryan Elrick of Winnipeg, Manitoba, was a gunner on a light armored vehicle when a roadside bomb struck his vehicle in Afghanistan on June 26, 2006, the Winnipeg Free Press reported.
While recuperating from losing both legs in a military hospital, he said then Chief of Defense Gen. Rick Hillier visited him. The lawsuit alleges the general told Elrick "a place would be found" for him and "his career in the Canadian Forces could and would continue and advance."
In 2007, Elrick was retrained as an intelligence officer and he worked in that capacity until July 2010 when a military review said he "was unfit for continued service notwithstanding his performance over the previous two years while ostensibly unfit," and he was discharged in March 2011.
Performance evaluations during his intelligence posting noted his "outstanding leadership potential"' and called him "invaluable team player with excellent military bearing," the lawsuit claims
The suit is seeking unspecified general, special and punitive damages. The Defense Department didn't immediately respond to it, the newspaper said.
