Pushups put focus on veteran suicides
Between 20 and 22 veterans around the country choose every day to take their own lives rather than live another day.
"There’s no reason for any veteran to feel that he or she needs to take their own life," said Senator Roger Wicker just before he, Jackson Mayor Tony Yarber, Flowood Police Chief Richie McCluskey, and others hit the deck for 22 pushups in the Mississippi state capitol rotunda on Thursday.
Yarber said it's something people need to think about. Veterans are important to our communities, he said.
"You consider the fact that at the end of the day freedom isn’t free, and the liberties that we enjoy, we enjoy because of the sacrifices of our veterans," he said. "And the statistics are staggering when we see the number of veterans committing suicide each day."
One pushup for each life ended each day. Wicker said the project, which he has based on a movement by 22Kill.com, lasts 22 days.
"This will raise awareness," he said. "We need to make the public and our fellow Americans aware that this is still a problem."
A study by the Department of Veterans Affairs, discussed in a release by Wicker, shows that in 2014 there were 7,403 suicides by veterans of the U.S. military. Wicker said he helped author the Jacob Sexton Military Suicide Prevention Act, which requires every member of the military to have an annual evaluation, in part because sometimes it's hard for a warrior to admit that he or she needs help.
"The solution is veteran empowerment. One of the biggest challenges veterans face is finding a sense of purpose after service," the 22Kill website states. "#22KILL directly supports veteran empowerment programs that help veterans maximize their talents and understand their value outside of the military. #22KILL also continually provides support for other veteran organizations, treatment centers, and community events and projects."
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McCluskey brought two of his officers, Robert Cullom and Jason Robb with him, and they participated in the pushups with the politicians. A lot of police, firefighters, and other first responders are veterans, and McCluskey said it's a real asset.
"The experience they’ve encountered over their career brings a lot to the table for us," he said.
Cullom spent two tours in Iraq during his 21 years in the National Guard and said he had friends who didn't come home. He said it's important for civilians to know that they can help their veterans acclimate when they come back home by simply trying to understand.
"Pay attention, get your loved ones the help they need if they’re going through struggles," he said. "And be patient with your veterans. They’ve seen and had to do things that aren’t normal for people to have to do and see, and it’s a psychological toll on them. Be patient and loving and accepting and forgiving, and encourage them to get help."
Robb, a paratrooper with a reconnaissance platoon, said people can help by "being the backbone" for their veterans.
"I think it's important that people are more aware of our veterans and the things they go through," he said.
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Contact Therese Apel at tapel@gannett.com. Follow her on Facebook and Twitter.