I explain how valuing U.S. military members means recognizing their sacrifice, caring for their health issues and dealing with suicides of veterans who have returned from wars since 2001.
The website Gawker has published the suicide note of an Iraq War veteran who says he took his own life because the trauma of war left him in constant mental and physical agony. Daniel Somers had been diagnosed with traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic stress disorder, and other conditions related to the war. He ran hundreds of combat missions as a machine gunner and carried out interrogations as part of an intelligence team in Baghdad. Later, he worked with Joint Special Operations Command as a senior analyst in Mosul. In a letter first quoted by the Phoenix New Times and written to his family before he killed himself just two weeks ago, Daniel Somers wrote: "During my first deployment, I was made to participate in things, the enormity of which is hard to describe. War crimes, crimes against humanity.
Though I did not participate willingly, and made what I thought was my best effort to stop these events, there are some things that a person simply can not come back from. I take some pride in that, actually, as to move on in life after being part of such a thing would be the mark of a sociopath in my mind. These things go far beyond what most are even aware of. To force me to do these things and then participate in the ensuing coverup is more than any government has the right to demand. Then, the same government has turned around and abandoned me." He went on to write, "Any blame rests with them." Somers killed himself on June 10. He was 30 years old.
History of 22KILL:
In 2012, the Veterans’ Administration (VA) released a Suicide Data Report that found an average of 22 veterans die by suicide everyday. The 22KILL initiative started in 2013, at first just as a social media movement to raise awareness, and later became an official 501(c)3 nonprofit organization in July of 2015.
In 2016, as our push-up initiative (later known as the #22pushupchallenge) swept social media, 22KILL began its transformation from awareness to suicide prevention. By the end of that year, the viral campaign, and the fundraising that accompanied it, allowed us to donate over half a million dollars to sponsor other veteran service organizations.
In 2017, 22KILL began to acquire and develop traditional and non-traditional mental wellness programs, and now offers a myriad of services through Stay The Course, Tribal Council, Forge, Wind Therapy, WATCH, and White Star Families.
Our Purpose:
Restore the value of life by empowering veterans, first responders, and their families
Prevention begins with awareness. This means educating ourselves and the general public, opening up the conversation, and learning to become comfortable with the uncomfortability and fear of being vulnerable. By doing this, we can identify the often avoided or unaddressed issues that can lead someone to thoughts of suicide, and confront those issues as they come, rather than letting them accumulate into something much worse.
The next step is empowerment. One of the biggest challenges veterans and first responders face is finding a sense of purpose after service. 22KILL has built a vast network of organizations and resources across the country, and whether through its own programs, or through external sources, veterans, first responders, and family members can find services for mental wellness and empowerment programs to help them find or rediscover that sense of purpose. The other side of this is engagement. Often times one may come to realize that all they really needed was the brotherhood and camaraderie that may have been absent from their lives since leaving service. The 22KILL "Tribe" allows service members to connect with like-minded individuals and gives them the opportunity to get involved with community events and projects, and be a part of something great.
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