State of the Union: 'We've got to do more' to stem veteran suicide

Some of The American Legion’s highest priorities for veterans – career opportunities, help for the homeless and suicide reduction – were shared and amplified by President Joseph Biden in his State of the Union Address Tuesday night.

“Let’s do more to keep this nation’s one truly sacred obligation – to equip those we send into harm’s way and care for them and their families when they come home,” Biden told the nation before listing some of the ways that care can take shape. “Job training. Job placement for veterans and their spouses as they return to civilian life.  Helping veterans afford the rent because no one should be homeless in America, especially someone who served the country.”

Biden noted that when he appointed Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough in 2020, “We were losing up to 25 veterans a day on suicide. Now, we are losing 17 a day to the silent scourge of suicide … VA is doing everything it can, including expanding mental health screening and a proven program that recruits veterans to help other veterans understand what they are going through, to get them the help they need. We’ve got to do more.”

Veterans represent no less than a quarter of Biden’s four-part Unity Agenda announced in his first State of the Union Address last year, and suicide prevention has been a focal point for his administration and The American Legion’s nationwide Be the One initiative.

“The American Legion is pleased that the White House is bringing needed attention to the tragedy of veteran suicide,” American Legion National Commander Vincent J. “Jim” Troiola said after the address. “More than 71,000 veterans have taken their lives since 2010. It’s time we stop focusing on that horrific number and instead focus on the one veteran we can save.”

Troiola said it’s imperative that at-risk veterans seek help when they need it, without worry about stigmatization. “As a society, we need to let veterans know that it is OK to not be OK. We ask all Americans to ‘Be the one’ to encourage any veteran in crisis to call 988 (ext. 1) and take the path toward mental wellness.”

Troiola also applauded Biden’s recognition of veteran-to-veteran support at VA. The American Legion’s Buddy Check peer-support program has been conducted by nearly 4,000 local posts a year since its 2019 inception. An omnibus bill passed in the waning days of the 117th Congress in December requires VA to conduct a National Buddy Check Week each year to connect veterans with the resources they need, and with each other. “The American Legion believes that Buddy Checks are an effective preventative tool that saves veterans’ lives,” Troiola said.