The seven living former secretaries of the Department of Veterans Affairs are encouraging members of Congress to ensure the creation of National Warrior Call Day on Nov. 21.
Warrior Call is a suicide prevention effort aimed at reaching veterans and service members who may be dangerously disconnected from others.
The day would mark a coast-to-coast call to action for the public and those who have served. It asks all Americans – especially active-duty and retired military personnel – to make contact and call someone who has worn or is currently wearing the uniform and connect them with relevant support systems. Participants can take the Warrior Call pledge online.
The goal of Warrior Call is to alleviate alienation among service members and veterans. According to the VA, researchers have identified social isolation as "arguably the strongest and most reliable predictor of suicidal ideation, [suicide] attempts and lethal suicidal behavior.”
“We recognize Warrior Call is no single solution to this complex issue, but greater connectivity will serve as a starting point for reaching vets and service members who don't raise their hands, who are suffering in silence and might be spiraling into an abyss,” said Warrior Call Co-Chairs Frank Larkin and Leroy Petry.
Larkin is a former Navy SEAL, 40th US Senate Sergeant at Arms, and father of a Navy SEAL son who committed suicide. Petry is a 2011 recipient of the Medal of Honor.
The open letter, released by Troops First, is signed by former VA Secretaries Anthony Principi, Jim Nicholson, James B. Peake, Eric Shinseki, Robert A. McDonald, David Shulkin, and Robert Wilkie.
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“Having the support of these former VA Secretaries is an important step in creating momentum for Warrior Call,” added Larkin and Petry. “We are grateful for their leadership – knowing how familiar they are with the issues confronting active-duty service members and veterans – and hope Congress takes note of their involvement. The onus is now on Congress to act as soon as possible.”
A bipartisan resolution in Congress would officially commemorate the day this year, on the heels of Veterans Day and prior to the holiday season. Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), a lead cosponsor of the resolution, offered it as an amendment to the 2022 NDAA in the U.S. House of Representatives, which cleared that chamber on September 23. The U.S. Senate still must pass its version of the NDAA, which then goes to conference with the House.
The VA secretaries argue that Warrior Call should be maintained and passed in the final NDAA sent to President Biden this year.
“With its simple mission to implore Americans – but especially active-duty service members and veterans – to connect with someone who has worn or is currently wearing the uniform and let them know they care – Warrior Call can foster greater connectivity, compassion, and better outcomes,” the letter reads.
The number of active-duty suicides increased to 377 in 2020, compared to 348 the previous year, it continues. Veteran suicide has steadily increased since 2014 with 6,435 veterans taking their own lives in 2018, though that dipped modestly in 2019.
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“After adjusting for sex and age, the rate of veteran suicide in 2018 was 27.5 per 100,000 individuals, higher than the rate among all United States adults at 18.3,” the letter reads.
As the resolution also notes, roughly two-thirds of the veterans who take their own lives have had no contact with the VA.
“By no means a replacement for full care, Warrior Call will help connect veterans into the VA system and its attendant focus on helping veterans experiencing intense personal problems,” the letter stresses.
The VA secretaries conclude that enactment of the resolution will lend needed credibility to the project and enhance the efforts to create an official day on the calendar.
Reach Julia LeDoux at Julia@connectingvets.com.
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