A call for all Americans to help stop veteran suicides

Many Americans were shocked and saddened to learn last week of the unfortunate passing of Navy SEAL veteran Douglas “Mike” Day. In 2007, senior chief petty officer Day was shot 27 times at close range while leading a counterterrorism raid in Fallujah, Iraq. Demonstrating unimaginable courage, he was the first to enter a 12-foot by 12-foot room and withstood a withering assault from four terrorists, endured a grenade blast, which briefly knocked him unconscious, and then eliminated each assailant with a pistol after his rifle was shot away from his grip. Even more remarkable, he rescued six women and children in the structure afterward before exiting the scene and boarding a medical evacuation helicopter under his own power. This stunning act of bravery earned Day a Silver Star — the nation’s second-highest award for valor.

It took Day nearly two years to physically recover from his wounds, which he described in his deeply moving memoir “Perfectly Wounded.” After retiring from the Navy in 2010, he continued along a path of service by acting as a case manager and care advocate for other injured service members.

Like so many veterans, Day was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), terrible and invisible wounds that even he — a wounded warrior’s warrior — was challenged by.

I did not know Day personally, but I worked with a few of his former teammates while serving with the Naval Special Warfare Command at the same time he was deployed to Fallujah. In communicating our shared grief over this soul taken too soon, we have realized that more can be done to combat the crisis of veteran suicides. Every American can play a part in preventing another death like his and in honoring his memory of helping those who have served this country. Here’s how:

1. Check in on the veterans in your life. If you have a veteran in your social circle or family, look for the warning signs — verbally or behaviorally — that precede most suicides. Many individuals who are suicidal may only show warning signs to those closest to them. Even then, without understanding them, they can be tragically overlooked.
2. Have the courage to speak up about suicide. Once you observe the warning signs, it is essential to act, either directly or through a trusted intermediary. There is a widespread stigma associated with suicide, and as a result, many people are afraid to speak about it. Talking about suicide not only reduces the stigma, but also allows individuals to seek help, rethink their opinions and share their story with others.
3. Support a veterans assistance organization. There are hundreds of organizations in the U.S. working to prevent veteran suicides. For instance, when I led the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), we partnered with the nonprofit Force Blue, whose purpose is to help special forces veterans cope with PTS through efforts that support NOAA’s ocean conservation mission.  Whether by volunteering, advocacy or donations, there are many ways to make a difference through a support group that best fits you.
4. Call on Congress to do more to support our veterans. While the Veterans Administration has made great progress by establishing the Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program, some reports indicate that veteran suicide rates may be as high as 24 per day. That tragic statistic is why we must seize every opportunity, such as encouraging Congress to pass the Don Young Veterans Advancing Conservation Act, which seeks to improve veteran mental health by training and deploying them to restore the health of America’s oceans, coasts and Great Lakes.

When speaking on a podcast about his seven years of work with the United States Special Operations Command Care Coalition, Day gave a glimpse of his humility and spirit when he half-joked,  “I was a better social worker than SEAL.” While his former teammates beg to differ, he acknowledged that his advocacy for hundreds of special operations service members with the organization had a healing effect on his own mental and physical injuries. Let us all help stop veteran suicides by following the example of this American hero and a lasting legacy for his honorable service, both on the battlefield and at the home front.

Rear Admiral (ret.) Tim Gallaudet, Ph.D., is the vice chairman of the Board of Directors for Force Blue. He is a former acting and deputy administrator of NOAA, acting under secretary and assistant secretary of commerce, as well as a former oceanographer in the Navy.