A year later, Peoria family of deceased son waits for Brandon Act to be implemented

By Philip Haldiman
Mail | Twitter: @PhilipHaldiman

It has been about a year since the Brandon Act was signed into law — giving military personnel the option to anonymously request mental health help, a key that many say could be the difference between life and death.

Peoria residents Teri and Patrick Caserta were instrumental in getting the bill passed, and in the process honoring their son who committed suicide while in the Navy, and they say, would have benefited from the ability to self report rather than going through the chain of command, which is required, pending the implementation of the Brandon Act.

Since this tragedy, the Caserta’s have been honored by the League of United Latin American Citizens, the city of Peoria, Rep. Debbie Lesko, R-Ariz., and the Peoria Independent as a Hometown Hero.

But the Department of Defense has yet to move forward with implementation of the Brandon Act, while many say suicides could have been prevented.

Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass, who authored the bill and is a veteran, said the Casertas have been invaluable advocates for the Brandon Act, shining a light on military mental health issues and trying to break the stigma, but the act’s implementation has taken longer than expected.

When young people sign up to serve, they and their families accept a certain level of risk, but dying by suicide while on active duty should under no circumstances be one of those risks, Moulton said.

“The Brandon Act is meant to prevent suicides from happening by improving mental health treatment and reporting for service members,” Moulton said. “I do have concerns about the speed to which the Brandon Act is being implemented. The bureaucracy of the Department of Defense is costing lives each day that the Brandon Act is not fully implemented. I was assured many months ago that the law was well on its way to being implemented. I will continue to press the department until much more progress is made.”

Dreams of being a Navy SEAL

From a young age, Brandon wanted to be a Navy SEAL and it was a driving force in everything that he did.
He was heavily involved in karate and swimming since the age of 4, so much so that vacations for the Caserta family were planned around lessons and classes.

A multi-sport athlete at Liberty and Sunrise Mountain high schools, he decided to quit football after a couple injuries and replace it with the swim team — a smart move for a young man who planned that his future would be in the water.

He joined the Navy in 2015 after graduating from high school at the age of 17 and experienced a period of sustained bullying and hazing from not only his fellow sailors but also leadership, with no support from his commanding officers, the Casertas said.

The lack of mental health support ended in Brandon dying by suicide on June 25, 2018 on his Navy Helicopter Squadron’s flight line in Norfolk, Virgina.

Petty Officer Caserta’s death was one of 68 Navy suicides that year — at the time, the highest year on record. Since then, the Defense Department has reported 377 active duty suicides in 2020, up from 348 in 2019, and 326 in 2018.

In the last few months, the Casertas said there have been at least seven suicides in the Navy, which with the Brandon Act in effect, they say, could have been prevented.

Since his death, Teri and Patrick have been fighting for his legacy and justice. A high note on this journey was when President Joe Biden signed the 2022 National Defense Authorization Act that included the Brandon Act, designed to protect service members who experience mental health emergencies and reduce the stigma around self-reporting.

Patrick, a 23-year retired decorated combat veteran, said it is on record that his son was one of the best and hardest working members of his command.

“Our focus remains on the safety and well-being of our service members. We will honor Brandon’s memory today and everyday by saving service member lives. That’s what we do,” Patrick said. “The worst thing in life you will ever do is bury your son or daughter. How can you accept responsibility for all the pain you caused if you keep covering it up? (The Department of Defense) does this daily and continues to. No oversight, no recourse, no accountability. It’s literally how to get away with murder.”

Family honors

Last year, the League of United Latin American Citizens presented the organization’s highest recognition to the Casertas for sharing their tragic story of losing Brandon and their determination to fight mental health in the military.

LULAC National President Domingo Garcia said Patrick and Teri are courageous for sharing the tragic story surrounding their loss.

In early December, Lesko presented a Congressional recognition to the Brandon Caserta Foundation, which focuses on providing assistance, guidance, and resources to active duty service members, veterans, and their families to end the suicide epidemic among service members and veterans. The organization was founded by the Casertas in honor of their son.

“The Caserta family has gone above and beyond in their efforts to combat the tragic epidemic of active duty and veteran suicide, including advocating for the Brandon Act,” Lesko said. “I am pleased to recognize the Caserta Foundation for providing invaluable assistance to active duty service members, veterans, and their families to ensure they receive the mental health support that they need.”

Most recently, the city of Peoria celebrated the unveiling of the Centennial Plaza Decades Walk expansion project, a new, vertical monument that honors historic local, state and national events that occurred between 2013 and 2021.

The Brandon Act was included on the monument, along with other Peoria landmarks, including the opening of Pioneer Community Park and the dedication of the Sen. John McCain Vietnam Veterans Memorial Plaza.

“Our service men and women pay a high price to protect our great country and they deserve all our care and support,” said Mayor Cathy Carlat. “The Caserta family has courageously taken on this fight in memory of their son, Brandon Caserta, and memorializing the Brandon Act on the Decades Wall is one of the ways we can offer our support.”

Philip Haldiman can be reached at phaldiman@iniusa.org, or on Twitter @philiphaldiman.

Philip Haldiman
Senior News Editor | Peoria
@PhilipHaldiman

phaldiman@iniusa.org

Meet Philip
Haldiman is an award-winning journalist who most recently took first place for investigative reporting in 2023 from Arizona Newspapers Association. He joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in 2015, covering Sun City West his first year. Since 2016, he has covered the city of Peoria. Prior to coming to INI, he was a reporter with The Arizona Republic for seven years, covering numerous cities throughout the Valley. Before that, he was a freelance writer.

Community: Haldiman spearheads the Peoria Independent Hometown Heroes Awards program, honoring local individuals and businesses that give back to the community. He has hosted local candidate forums over the years and is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists. Haldiman also served as a member of the Journalism Program Community Advisory Board at Glendale Community College. Outside journalism, Haldiman served as a member of the city of Peoria Complete Count Committee for the Census, 2019-2020. Lastly, he has served as a member of his HOA governing board since 2021.

Education: Arizona State University with a BA in Journalism and Mass Communications and a BA in Theater. 

Random Fact: Haldiman is a fourth-generation Arizonan as well as wrote and produced an autobiographical comic book about his time spent in Hollywood and his life as a cult film star.

Hobbies: He enjoys hiking Arizona’s mountainous landscapes and is currently working on a play for the stage.