Frank Larkin, COO, Troops First Foundation, Chair, Warrior Call, Mt. Airy, Md.

New data from the CDC shows that suicide rates in the U.S. reached an all-time high in 2022. Nearly 50,000 of our brothers and sisters died by suicide last year alone.

As troubling as those numbers undoubtedly are, consider that veterans in this country – men and women who admirably served and protected us – die by suicide at a rate 60 percent higher than the general population. In other words, within the overall tragic number, a significant number of those deaths are veterans, not on battlefields abroad, but here in places like North Dakota.

For veterans under 45 – predominately those who served in Iraq or Afghanistan – suicide is the second leading cause of death. These realities remain the case in North Dakota, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). With the major role of the Minot Air Force Base in the region, the numbers should hit especially close to home.

Yet we can even question that the numbers are too low, be it for veterans or Americans generally. The way deaths are classified often misses the loss of people from societal challenges like alcohol and opioid addiction. Experts view this as a grey area, as we all know people who self-destruct and slowly lose life, even if it isn’t a suicide in the strictest sense. A national study revealed significant disparities between state and VA data, indicating a higher suicide rate among veterans than what the VA reports.

Consistent in so many cases, however, is isolation. Two-thirds of veterans who die by suicide in the U.S. have had no contact with support services like the VA. People suffer in silence because they are unable to ask for help. With military-specific stigmas and a unique way of life civilians often can’t understand, the phenomenon is even more pronounced.

Through a resolution in support of “National Warrior Call Day,” North Dakota’s U.S. Senators – Kevin Cramer and John Hoeven – are doing what they can to combat isolation at the root and in turn make a dent in veteran suicide. By taking up their call to action around Warrior Call to simply make meaningful contact with veterans, North Dakotans can help reduce the unique loneliness plaguing so many veterans.

The goal is purposeful and repeated outreach, ideally habitually but at least for one day on November 12th. While this alone will in no way eliminate suicide, it can help. One call can save a life. Just ask a veteran or find any number of testimonials online.

As simple as it sounds, connection driven by peers and Americans everywhere can play a large role.

Warrior Call is part of this, as it urges Americans to reach out to veterans and servicemembers, connect with them, and provide support if needed – particularly in directing those in distress to available resources. The measure maintains the support of leading veteran organizations, all living former VA Secretaries, Medal of Honor recipients and more. The idea is that for at least one day only, right on the heels of Veterans Day, more veterans and troops know Americans have their backs and care for them.

By reaching out to veterans, assessing their well-being, and connecting them with resources like Vets 4 Warriors or the 988 hotlines, we can potentially save lives. Look no further than recent data showing that the new 988 suicide hotline, which marked its one-year anniversary recently, continues to receive record calls.

Such actions should happen in August as much as they do in November, but the stake in the ground in November may help create a groundswell of activity too. The people of North Dakota can play a vital role through simple yet meaningful action.

Government programs matter, but individuals play a larger role than they realize. Responsibility rests with us all, and we can no longer sit idly in our own world as we watch troublesome trends grow worse. Let’s do our part to support those who have served our nation with valor and dedication.