Cpl. Shaun Fevens' boyhood ambition in Yarmouth, N.S. was to wear a Canadian uniform. He fulfilled the dream, and deployed to Afghanistan with the Halifax-based Princess Louise Fusiliers

But in April 2007 his armoured vehicle was blown up in the desert. Six Canadian soldiers died, yet Fevens survived.

"I was ejected from the vehicle and sustained my injuries," he said. "Had a bad open fib-tib fracture on my leg and I lost a pretty good chunk of skin there from shrapnel."

Military officials believe Fevens survived because he had the presence of mind to orchestrate his own first aid. Though he was bleeding profusely after the blast, he gave order to a nearby gunner, who was lightly injured, on how to save his life.

Afterwards, Fevens now had a new ambition: returning to good health.

Nearly 100 Canadians have given their lives in the war in Afghanistan. Hundreds more have been wounded.

This roster of casualties has forced the Canadian military to change its policies for dealing with the injured both overseas and here at home.

The first stop for Fevens was the Kandahar Military Hospital, a NATO facility for Canadians, Americans, British, and other alliance troops. It doesn't look like much; plywood walls enclose rooms where casualties are a part of daily life. But wounded soldiers get faster treatment there than back home.

"The calibre of specialists we bring in are among the best in the world," said Dr. Sandra West.

"There's a CT scanner right there that's dedicated to our use so if you are in a motor vehicle accident in downtown Ottawa, you'll get into a CT scanner quickly if you need it but not as quickly as we could get at it."

Wounded soldiers are also sent to the U.S. military hospital at Landstuhl, Germany before returning home. Canadian medical personnel also work there.

And when those soldiers return to Canada, the military wants them to have the best care possible -but also recuperate near their family and base as much as possible. That means a soldier from CFB Petawawa could find themselves in Ottawa, Toronto, or London.

But there is room for improvement, according to Senator Colin Kenny, who chaired a committee that investigated medical care for wounded military personnel. Like civilian care, there are differences between richer and poorer provinces.

"If you don't take care of the wounded, nobody goes to war," Kenny told CTV Ottawa.

" It should be first class for these people. They put themselves in harm's way. They're all volunteers and they've done it for us and we owe it to them that they have terrific care when they come back."

As for Fevens, he can now run five kilometers, less than 18 months after being badly wounded.

It's a victory sweeter than any military triumph.

"It felt really good," he said.

With a report from CTV Ottawa's Norman Fetterley