Thank you for the advice, but it does not work that way. Canadian government does not care about the military rules of another country, and that is why he was approved with or without the card/exemption. It is the military who will 100% stop him at the airport in Algeria. They will refuse to allow him to leave whether with a tourist visa or permanent one. Once your name is on the list, you cannot leave, period. They are now more strict anyway because of the problems going on...
We are still, at present, waiting....I know of another couple in the same boat as us...