Local organizations join forces to combat veteran suicide

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. ( WHNT ) — Veterans don’t only fight while serving. Many face deep and agonizing mental health battles when they return home, making them four times more likely to die by suicide than in combat.

According to the most recent report by the Department of Veteran Affairs, roughly 18 veterans die every day by suicide. But it’s more than just a statistic.

“…Help those soldiers who came home and thought they were done with the fight, and they’re still fighting,” Veteran and VP of Engineering at BlueHalo David Estacio said.

Veterans made up nearly 1/5 of suicides across Alabama in 2020 and are 1.5 times more likely to commit suicide than non-veteran adults.

The American Psychological Association reports these numbers may stem from a multitude of reasons, ranging from difficulty reintegrating into civilian life to high exposure to trauma. Such grim numbers make it vital to facilitate change.

“We’re all touched by it, and, I think, we have a moral obligation as human beings to take care of each other,” Retired Army Major General and ADVA Mental Health Advocate Paulette Risher said.

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The suicide hotline at 988 is a great place to start, but there are steps to take before then.

“It’s not that people don’t care. It’s that they don’t know what to do,” Risher said.

The language someone uses, or behaviors they display are primary signs they may be suicidal. Risher says to beware if they use language such as “I’m a burden” or behaviors like suddenly withdrawing from people around them.

However, local organizations are joining forces to find solutions and hope for such a devastating reality.

Friday, Sept. 6, BlueHalo is hosting an event for its campaign titled “You Are Not Alone.” Teamed up with Trash Pandas and Still Serving Veterans, the event focuses on raising funds and awareness for veteran suicide. Taking it a step further, the event invites all vets in the area to attend and find a community to combat the isolation they may feel when they return home.

“They’re used to having someone to their right and to their left that they can rely on 100% of the time,” Estacio said. “When they get out of the service, they don’t have that support group anymore.”

Proceeds from the tickets will go towards Still Serving Veterans, a local nonprofit dedicated to serving veterans’ needs in any way they can. The cherry on top? The organization’s staff is almost entirely made up of veterans, making their work all the more impactful.

“Because veteran to veteran, you can come in, and we can talk,” Risher said. “And we can work through the discussion of ‘what do you want to do with your life.'”

Hand-in-hand with raising awareness for veteran suicide, the event points to the need for increased mental health services.

“Alabama, in general, ranks 50 out of 50 in the United States in mental health,” Estacio said. “We are at the bottom of the list. So, anything we can do to increase that, increase that capacity, is incredibly important.”

A night full of baseball and bucks, the event organizers are weaving a common thread throughout all of the festivities: You are not alone, and you matter.

“That idea that you belong and somebody cares,” Risher said. “Ultimately, to me, that is the key.”

Sept. 6 also marks the last Friday night home game in the 2024 Trash Pandas season. Tickets are available on the Trash Pandas website .

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