Submitted by Joseph Reagan

Every loss is painful. As I mentioned, I was lucky; I had amazing NCOs and soldiers – they are truly exceptional and many continue to serve our great nation. During our deployment in 2006 I honestly lost count of how many times we came into contact with the enemy; the suicide bomber was the worst, but not the only attack. We were lucky – we lost friends while we were out on mission but when those wheels touched U.S. soil, we had all made it back.

June 16, 2019 was Father’s Day and I was up early, partially because I don’t sleep well and partially because I enjoy the peace of the early morning. I learned through Facebook that I had failed. That night one of my soldiers had taken his own life. This was not my first, second or 10^th time dealing with suicide, but it was by far the most personal.

There is a certain power and resolve that comes with acceptance of a great loss. After that day it became clear that, while I couldn’t change the past, we could do more moving forward. We have a running Facebook message – which is mostly filled with the type of dark and profane humor that only an infantry soldier would understand –but it connects us, a constant reminder that there’s always someone there who “gets it.” In the Ranger’s Creed there is a line: “I will always shoulder more then my fair share of the task, whatever it may be;” with every loss, whether by combat or suicide, it’s our responsibility to shoulder their load and to carry the memory of them forward.

On any given day there are around 19 million veterans living and thriving in communities across the country. Approximately 22 veterans take their own life, every day. This is nothing less than a national tragedy and we’ve dedicated an enormous amount of resource to trying to solve this issue. A recent survey found that almost 70% of Americans believe that most veterans struggle with PTSD, while 25% of Americans believe PTSD is untreatable, and those with PTSD are violent and dangerous. The truth: PTSD is treatable, and many of those who carry a PTSD diagnosis are able to thrive in their post-service life with minimal, if any, clinical intervention. The biggest threat to our veterans is the stigma we attach to mental health issues like PTSD as it prevents us from seeking help.

As a society, and as veterans, we must do better. This same survey showed the misperceptions about PTSD were even more prevalent amount the veteran community than our civilian counterparts. Steven Ambrose once said that veterans gave the best years of their lives in the defense of our country; when they leave the service there is a strong desire to make up for lost time. Veterans thrive in civilian life when they are able to find their why, their new purpose. By having these candid conversations, we can break the stigma associated with mental health and make it easier for a veteran to seek help when they stop being themselves.

Joseph Reagan is the director of Military and Veterans Outreach for Wreaths Across America. He has over 10 years experience working with leaders within government, non-profit, and Fortune 500 companies to develop sustainable strategies supporting National Security, and Veterans Health. He served 8 years on active duty as an officer in the U.S. Army including two tours to Afghanistan with the 10^th Mountain Division. He is a graduate of Norwich University, the oldest private military college in the country.