Recently, I was in Washington, D.C., with Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America and fellow Iraq and Afghanistan veterans for an event called Storm the Hill. Our mission: to meet with members of Congress, the White House and the Department of Veterans Affairs, and discuss solutions for addressing the alarmingly high veteran unemployment rates.
We met with more than 100 members of Congress and first lady Michelle Obama. The response was overwhelmingly positive, and many of our nation’s leaders were committed to helping veterans.
Unfortunately, in the midst of celebrating a productive and inspiring week, we received devastating news that one of our own, Clay Hunt, took his life. Hunt served two tours with the U.S. Marine Corps in Iraq and Afghanistan, where he received a Purple Heart.
Honorably discharged in 2009, Hunt continued serving as a veteran participating in IAVA’s Storm the Hill 2010 trip and with Team Rubicon, a humanitarian assistance organization.
Enough is enough. The suicide epidemic in our military and amongst my fellow veterans is out of control. In the active military, one service member committed suicide every 36 hours from 2005 to 2009.
We don’t even know what the statistics are for veterans, but I can give you names. Brothers and sisters I have served with who made it home from war, but lost the internal war at home. The military cannot train this problem away. The VA’s suicide hotline isn’t cutting it.
Until we end the mental health stigma, service members and veterans will not seek the help they desperately need, and we will continue to lose some of the best and brightest of our next greatest generation.
I graduated from West Point in 2002 as a military police officer. I served two tours in Baghdad as a platoon leader training Iraqi police. I lost friends. Many of my soldiers were wounded. I was injured by shrapnel from incoming mortar rounds while securing an air medevac for other soldiers wounded by a car bomb. I have PTSD. And I’m not afraid to admit it.
Until more senior military leaders and veterans stand up to admit the same and talk openly about how they got help, the stigma will persist. We call this leading by example. When my soldiers and I were hit with shrapnel, we were evacuated to a local military medical facility and treated. There was no stigma. In fact, I got an award from my brigade commander.
PTSD is a normal response to a completely abnormal situation. Yet, I hear from many of those I served with who are still serving that they cannot seek help.
One of my old team leaders is now a platoon sergeant in Afghanistan. This is his third tour. He has trouble sleeping but does not feel as if he can ask for help. Three of his soldiers have tried to kill themselves during the deployment.
Another one of my good friends is now at the Pentagon. He is suffering silently from PTSD, out of fear for his career. Another friend pays a private therapist rather than be seen going to the VA. Recently, while interning as a social worker at the Augusta VA, I was told not to tell anyone that I have PTSD, because it would “come back to bite me.”
The men and women I served with are dying. Each life lost sends out immense shock waves of suffering through the friends and family left behind. As an American, I demand real action from our leadership, not just more words and stand-downs.
Until we make real progress in breaking down the stigma of PTSD, we will continue to lose heroes like Clay Hunt.
Sara Skinner of Augusta is an IAVA Member Veteran and spokeswoman.
