The Fight to Save Our Veterans
Contributed by Josh Brown & Kris Fager
To become a veteran of the United States of America’s military forces, one must have served in some capacity. Prior to that, however, they had to have the desire to join, go through the testing and extensive background checks and paperwork, be accepted, and then make it through boot camp. This is not an easy process nor is it without pain and sacrifice of the individual entering service. They leave the life they have always known and, while this is a bonus for some, for many it is heartbreaking. They leave the friends they went to school with and learned how to navigate life with. They leave the family who nurtured them and taught them…who loved them. They then travel to the nearest Military Entrance Processing Stations (MEPS) where they are poked and prodded and forced to walk like a duck in their underwear before being shipped off for months of education and training while their drill sergeant breaks them down and rebuilds them. They become different people entirely, they become warriors.
They are then scattered to the corners of the earth to do whatever day job they have been assigned, keeping in mind that the primary job of each of them is to be a warrior when a warrior is needed. Many never see direct combat, many are in combat zones in support roles and see violence all around them, and many are called to lead the charge and kill to defend our country and those we help to watch over. These modern-day knights serve with valor, often losing their lives or the lives of those they called brothers, with little expectation other than to complete their mission. Those who live often come home broken and battered and, far too often, those wounds are buried deep and invisible. These are the wounds we are going to talk about today. These wounds lead our sons and daughters, our brothers and sisters, our mothers, and fathers to make the decision that their life is no longer something they wish to continue experiencing and to attempt to end it prematurely.
Thankfully, many are not successful. This gives them time to get help, to reach out, to change the narrative of their story. Unfortunately, many are successful and are never able to get the help they so desperately needed. We have all heard the number…that dreaded number…. twenty-two a day. Twenty-two men and women who served this country end their lives daily. Let that sink in a moment. Now add to that those the deaths which are listed as strongly probable suicides and inconclusive or undiscovered and the number more than doubles with 45-50 a day suspected veteran suicides. That is somewhere between 8,030 and 18,250 veteran suicides each and every year. Today, as I write this, it is the 49th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War. At these rates, that is between 393,470 and 894,250…now let that sink in as well. We owe them better…we owe them more.
By utilizing the core modalities of CBT and DBT with the addition of specialized trainings such as Accelerated Resolution Therapy and Military Sexual Trauma Training, the team here at Chris Kyle Patriots Hospital (CKPH) is working with this special group of warriors to provide them exactly the help that they need to begin their journey back to a life they feel is worth living. The staff at CKPH is largely military affiliated and are either veterans or dependents themselves.
This, in combination with their passion to help those in need, creates a holistic healing environment which allows our patient population (active duty, veteran, military dependent, and 1st responders) to learn, to process, and to heal. The name on our building is not lost on us and, for those of us who are honored to work here, the Chris Kyle Patriots Hospital is not just a building; it is a symbol of honor, sacrifice, and dedication to serving those who have bravely served our country. Named after the legendary Navy SEAL sniper, the hospital embodies the values that Kyle held dear throughout his life.
In memory of his legacy and in recognition of his service, the Chris Kyle Patriots Hospital was established to provide top-notch medical care and support to veterans and their families. Our mission is to honor Chris Kyle's memory by continuing his mission of service and sacrifice and ensuring that those who have served our country receive the care and support they deserve.
Because it is not always just the trauma or the addiction or the loss of the mission that is keeping our warriors down, Chris Kyle also provides a range of support programs aimed at helping veterans transition back into civilian life. From job training and education assistance to counseling services and support groups, the hospital offers a holistic approach to supporting veterans in all aspects of their lives.
The Chris Kyle Patriots Hospital stands as a testament to the spirit of patriotism and service that Kyle embodied. It serves as a reminder of the sacrifices made by our brave men and women in uniform and honors their commitment to protecting our freedoms. Through its work, the hospital continues Kyle's legacy of service and ensures that his memory will never be forgotten and that those he loved and lived to protect get the help he died striving to provide.
Suicide in our nation is a pandemic and is one of the primary causes of death amongst our citizens. Add to this the additional trauma and experiences that many of our US Military have faced and the situation becomes ever more bleak.
Programs such as the Patriot Support Programs (of which Chris Kyle Patriot Hospital is a Service Center of Excellence) and other throughout the United States are so vital in providing quality services to our warriors both active and prior service and giving them a mission back, giving them the help that was promised to them when they signed on that dotted line so passionately years before. Twenty-two+ a day is twenty-two+ a day too many.
Let’s do better. We owe it to them.