California can help reduce the number of military and veteran suicides. Here’s how

California is home to the largest concentration of active-duty U.S. service members in the nation, at 157,226 personnel. It is also home to some 1.8 million veterans. That combination makes the Golden State a prime concern for suicide prevention experts.

The rate of suicide among veterans has ticked upwards despite increased public attention and funding on the problem, according to a new report released by Department of Veterans Affairs. After adjusting for sex and age, the rate of veteran suicides was 27.5 per 100,000 individuals in 2018, up from 25.8 per 100,000 in 2016. By comparison, among all US adults, the suicide rate per 100,000 was 18.3. At the same time in the active duty force, the Army has experienced a 30% increase in 2020 in deaths by suicide, according to the Associated Press.

In California, the data is just as troubling. The suicide rate among veterans here is 30 per 100,000 individuals, far higher than the suicide rate of 18.3 per 100,000, according to the most recent VA data. The overwhelming majority use firearms to end their lives.

The incoming Biden administration needs a much greater focus on reaching veterans in the Golden State and across the nation who may be perilously disconnected from others and who don’t avail themselves of state or federal services. Sen. Mark Warner, D-Virginia, shined a light on a telling statistic when he said “What we found is that two-thirds of these veterans who take their own lives have had no contact with the VA.”

As co-chairs of an effort known as Warrior Call, our sole mission is to find ways of connecting with those men and women and to help steer them to resources and wellness before they despair. This is especially critical as COVID-19 isolation grinds on. We have traveled to numerous military facilities to speak with service members and with veterans. What we have found is that there is no better person to make that connection than a former battle buddy.

That’s why we are calling on active-duty servicemembers and veterans in California to connect with former battle buddies and share a sense of responsibility for those with whom they have served. All they need to do is to pick up the phone and have an honest conversation. In the military, we call it making “sitrep,” a “situation report” that could steer someone away from the abyss and to medical or mental health resources. Our goal is to have at least 50,000 current service members and vets pick up the phone, make a Warrior Call and connect with another by the end of the year.

Time is of the essence to make these connections. Invisible wounds linked to an underlying and undiagnosed traumatic brain injury can mirror many mental health conditions. At the same time, vets can be burdened with moral injury from their experiences. The traumas can impact and erode a person’s sense of hope, leading them to disconnect from friends and family and cause some to see suicide as the only way out.

The holiday season, coupled with the public health crisis posed by the coronavirus, creates a toxic brew of isolation for many Americans. This is especially true for our bravest men and women who are wearing or have worn the uniform. But amid the darkness for those who are suffering, a phone call from one warrior to another could save a precious life.

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health or suicidal thoughts, please call the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255 or text the Crisis Text Line at 741741. If you are a veteran in crisis or concerned about one, please call the 24/7 Veterans Crisis Line at 1-800-273-8255 and press 1 or text 838255.