This Suicide Prevention Month, Show Veterans They Matter

All of this is fine and sounds really good but regular folks don't buy it anymore. We're tired of hearing about how much the troops and veterans matter when clearly, they just don't matter enough.

They didn't matter to the DOD when they were discharged under personality disorders and left with nothing. They didn't mater when they were committing suicide at higher rates after the DOD pushed the program doing the most damage to them. On one hand you have the DOD telling they are worth billions a year of special training to make them "resilient" and then on the other hand you have General Gen. Raymond Odierno coming out and saying exactly how he feels about the troops he commands. They are not from supportive families like his and they lack intestinal fortitude. On one hand they say they care but they didn't stop this program.

The VA has the same problem because they say they care but they don't stand up for the veterans coming home and telling them what the DOD just put them through with this programming.

So as good as this piece is, it just does not add up to facts. Many people care, but they just don't care enough.

It Matters: This Suicide Prevention Month, Show Veterans They Matter
Huffington Post
Dr. Janet Kemp
National Director for Suicide Prevention and Community Engagement, Department of Veterans Affairs
Posted: 09/30/2013

Family matters. Friendship matters. Support matters. Every Veteran matters.

For each of us, life is given meaning by a variety of different things that matter: family, friends, relationships, job or interests. And though these things may differ for each of us, they are also what connect us to each other and provide purpose and inspiration each day.

Sometimes, stress, trauma or everyday demands may lead us to forget the things that matter. For Veterans the added stressors of readjustment and combat experience add to the problem. For some Veterans there are added complications such as PTSD or Brain Injuries. Sometimes, something as simple as talking to a Veteran can help them open the door and rediscover what matters most in their life. Whether the Veteran you know has just returned home, or they served years ago, you can be there to support them and help them remember what matters. You can provide that bridge from hopelessness and despair to treatment and hope for the future.

September is Suicide Prevention Month and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Department of Defense (DoD) have chosen the theme It Matters to encourage Veterans and their loved ones to focus on the things that give life meaning--the things that matter most to them. For each of us, that represents something different. For me, it's spending time with my father, a World War II Veteran, and honoring him by dedicating myself to the VA services that support Veterans in crisis. For others, it may be spending time with their family and friends, playing a round of golf, creating a delicious meal or participating in community events. During this Suicide Prevention Month, I encourage each of you to reach out to a Veteran you know and show them They Matter.

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