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22 Military veterans take their own lives in this country every day and frankly, not enough is being done to stop the ugly trend. One great organization is looking to change that. We’re called Warriors at Home, which is a non-profit organization started by myself, a disabled Army EOD tech, with the mission of preventing and eliminating veteran suicide!
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Even though our veterans have made it home from war, the battle is far from over. We are faced with new enemies in the form of stress, depression, anxiety, PTSD, TBI and more. These enemies are just as dangerous as our old ones, and even harder to defeat. The battles may have changed, but the way we fight should not. We need to rely on our fellow veterans – lean on each other for the emotional support to get us through our fights.
There is no reason we should ever lose one of our warriors here on the home front!
While on the battlefield our mission was to defeat the enemy and protect our allies. I’m charging our veterans with a new mission: Don’t let another veteran lose their fight!
We need to realize that we CAN stop veteran suicide if we work together. We must learn to recognize the warning signs and be there for that veteran in need. Talk to them and help them realize that this is not the end. They are still needed. Better days will come.
Remember, No Warrior Fights Alone!
Ken (Middle) and his buddies Eric (Left), Mike (right):
We understand that a lot of veterans do not always want to talk to medical professionals about psychological problems they are going through, which is why Warriors at Home hosts monthly meetings in Marion, NC that are open to all veterans and their family. These meetings serve as a buddy-check for the veterans to utilize peer support to overcome their challenges rather than relying on doctor who has never gone through the types of things that we have. These meetings also offer updates on all the events we will be hosting for the veterans. Best of all, we provide free dinner!
The monthly events that we host for the veterans are fun things such as movies, dinners, trips to a shooting range and more. This allows the veteran an escape from their day to day lives and offers a chance to get out of the house and out of “depressive funks”.
I was enlisted in the U.S. Army for 5 years as Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD). On August 15, 2012, my team leader and I were both hit by an IED while conducting operations in Afghanistan. My team leader, SSG Eric S. Holman, did not survive the blast. I was lucky enough to pull through with an amputation of my right arm, a Severe Traumatic Brain Injury, along with many more injuries.
I spent two years recovering at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, MD before I medically retired on August 29, 2014.
Throughout my military career, I have lost friends to suicide. I have friends who have lost their friends to suicide. I have even gone through my own battles with suicide. 22 military veterans take their own lives in this country every day. It’s heartbreaking and needs to stop. There is no reason we should ever lose even one veteran to suicide. We will not quit until 22 suicides per day becomes 0 suicides EVER!
To comment, pass along information, or donate to Warriors at Home, please contact us at:
Website: www.warriorsathome.org
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 828-423-6226
Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/warriorsathome
