08/31/2026
September is Su***de Prevention Awareness Month.
🇺🇸
🇺🇲 Su***de in Our Military & Veteran Community: The Facts We Can’t Ignore 🇺🇸
Su***de remains one of the most serious and heartbreaking challenges facing our military members and veterans today.
According to data from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Department of Defense (DoD):
• Veterans die by su***de at a significantly higher rate than the general U.S. population.
• An estimated 20+ veterans die by su***de every day in the United States.
• Fi****ms are involved in the majority of veteran su***des, highlighting the importance of safe storage and awareness.
• Active‑duty service members have seen a sharp rise in su***de rates over the past decade, even during periods without major combat deployments.
• More veterans have been lost to su***de than to combat in recent years.
These numbers are not statistics — they are sons, daughters, parents, spouses, teammates, and friends.
The transition from military to civilian life, exposure to trauma, chronic pain, PTSD, moral injury, and lack of access to timely mental health care all contribute to this ongoing crisis. Silence and stigma only make it worse.
We must do better. That means: • Talking openly about mental health
• Checking in on one another
• Supporting prevention, peer support, and early intervention
• Letting those who are struggling know they are not alone
If you or someone you know is struggling, help is available right now:
🇺🇸 Veterans Crisis Line
📞 Dial 988, then press 1
💬 Text 838255
🕒 24/7 | Confidential | Free
Reach out. Speak up. Save a life.
