01/27/2026
Our communities have struggled with addiction and mental health heavily since the inception of the War on Terror in 2001. Unfortunately, many of our warriors and their families have given in to their internal battles. The su***de rate among U.S. Service Members and Veterans is staggering. It dwarfs the number of those killed during the GWOT and drastically outpaces the su***de rate of the general population by approximately 2.5%. A study conducted by Brown University’s Cost of War Project concluded that well over 89,000 Service Members, Veterans and Gold Star Family members have taken their own lives since the onset of post 9/11 military operations. America’s Service Member and Veteran Community represents less than 10% of the adult population. For the Nation, these small communities have carried the burden of prolonged conflict in austere environments against unconventional enemies. The constant exposure to wartime trauma, high tempo of military life, historical lack of emphasis on mental health within military communities, and a disengaged public have created an environment wherein Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is prevalent, and military communities feel alienated and disconnected from the rest of the American population. For us here at The Ultimate Sacrifice Foundation, this is unsatisfactory. We have made it the primary tenet of our mission to help our military communities fight and win these invisible battles.
