We can't leave veterans behind as America makes progress against suicide

Frank Larkin

Submitted photo/InsideSources

If You or Someone You Know is Struggling

Adults struggling with suicidal thoughts can call the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline or (602) 222-9444 for help 24 hours a day.

Veterans who need help can dial 988 then Press 1.

Teen Lifeline provides free, confidential support 24/7/365 at (602) 248-8336 or (800) 248-8336. Text support is also available at (602) 248-8336 from 3 to 9 p.m. daily. For more information and resources, visit teenlifeline.org.

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OPINION — For the first time in several years, America has encouraging news in the fight against suicide. 

New data from the Kaiser Family Foundation, based on the latest statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, show that suicides have declined modestly since reaching a record high in 2022. Expanded access to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, greater public awareness and improvements in crisis response may all be contributing to that progress. 

Every life saved matters. The trend deserves recognition. 

However, it also raises an uncomfortable question: Why has this progress not translated into comparable gains for the men and women who served our country? 

For veterans and active-duty service members, suicide remains among America’s most-urgent public-health and national-security challenges. Even as the nation begins to bend the curve overall, too many military families continue to lose loved ones to invisible wounds that often go untreated or undiagnosed. 

That reality should concern every American.

It becomes more troubling in light of a recent Government Accountability Office report finding that, despite years of effort, most branches of the armed services still cannot determine whether required suicide-prevention training is being completed or whether it is effective. The review identified significant gaps in accountability, evaluation and oversight. In some cases, training records were incomplete or inconsistent. 

This is more than a bureaucratic problem. 

It reflects a broader failure to treat brain health, suicide prevention and long-term neurological care as essential components of military readiness.  

If the past two decades have taught us anything, it is that America has repeatedly sent warriors into combat without fully preparing to care for them when they return home. More than 3 million Americans served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Many returned carrying invisible wounds, including traumatic brain injuries, post-traumatic stress and the cumulative neurological effects of repeated combat exposure. 

These are not secondary issues. They directly affect force readiness, long-term health, family stability and a veteran’s ability to transition back into civilian life successfully. 

I know this. My son, Ryan, was a decorated Navy SEAL, who deployed multiple times. Like many warriors, he carried unseen injuries that we later learned included an undiagnosed traumatic brain injury. In 2017, after years of struggling, Ryan died by suicide. Our family later discovered that systems intended to support service members and veterans had failed to share critical information or recognize warning signs. 

His story is tragically far from unique. 

The encouraging national suicide numbers demonstrate that progress is possible. They also underscore an important lesson: Broad improvements in mental-health policy alone are not enough for a population with unique neurological injuries, combat exposures and transition challenges. 

While the causes of suicide are complex, two failures appear repeatedly: a lack of meaningful human connection and a lack of coordinated, brain-health-focused care. Both are solvable. 

Among the strongest predictors of suicide among veterans is isolation. Leaving military service often means losing the close-knit bonds that defined daily life in uniform. Programs that encourage veterans and service members to stay connected and check in on one another can save lives. 

That principle is the foundation of Warrior Call, which seeks to strengthen the human connections that sustain the military community. 

Connection alone is not enough if the underlying systems remain broken. For years, the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs have struggled to build a truly interoperable electronic health-record system. When a service member becomes a veteran, their complete medical history should move with them seamlessly. Instead, the process remains fragmented, delayed and often incomplete.

That failure has enormous consequences for brain health. Traumatic brain injuries and neurological conditions often develop over time, with symptoms that evolve and compound. Effective diagnosis and treatment require a complete longitudinal understanding of a service member’s exposures, symptoms and prior care. Without coordinated records, critical information is lost precisely when continuity matters most. 

The latest national suicide report offers hope and a challenge. It shows that sustained investment, better crisis response and improved awareness can save lives. Now we must ensure that veterans and service members benefit from that same progress. 

That means treating brain health as fundamental to military readiness. It means finally delivering a truly interoperable health-record system across the departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs. It means investing more aggressively in research, diagnosis and treatment for traumatic brain injuries and neurological conditions. And it means recognizing that strengthening human connection is not symbolic, it is an evidence-based strategy that saves lives. 

America’s military remains the finest fighting force in the world. Our strength is measured not only by how we prepare Americans for war but also how faithfully we care for them afterward. 

The latest suicide statistics show that progress is possible. Now we must ensure that those who served are not left behind. 

Frank Larkin is chairman of Warrior Call, a nonprofit dedicated to preventing suicide among veterans and service members. He wrote this for InsideSources.com. Please submit comments at yourvalley.net/letters or email them to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines.