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UNEXPECTED VOICES
CHAPTER II: SUICIDE PREVENTION

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MISSION

Changing the way the world views mental health.

Through  partnership with the most influential and dedicated members of our global community, we will shatter the stigma. 

The stigma exists in both military and civilian culture. 

Only those who hold a spotlight can help illuminate the obligations we hold as a global community to break barriers and allow those who feel rejected to feel accepted once again. 

"𝑰 𝒄𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒆𝒅 π’Žπ’š π’†π’šπ’†π’”. 𝑺𝒉𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 π’‘π’Šπ’”π’•π’π’ 𝒅𝒆𝒆𝒑 π’Šπ’π’•π’ 𝒕𝒉𝒆 π’ƒπ’‚π’„π’Œ 𝒐𝒇 π’Žπ’š π’Žπ’π’–π’•π’‰. 𝑾𝒓𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒅 π’Žπ’š π’‡π’Šπ’π’ˆπ’†π’“ π’‡π’“π’π’Ž 𝒕𝒉𝒆 π’•π’“π’Šπ’ˆπ’ˆπ’†π’“. 𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝑰 π’˜π’‚π’Šπ’•π’†π’… 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒆𝒏𝒅… 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒏𝒐 𝒃𝒖𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒕 𝒍𝒆𝒇𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 π’„π’‰π’‚π’Žπ’ƒπ’†π’“." -π‘Ίπ’†π’ƒπ’‚π’”π’•π’Šπ’‚π’ 𝑱. 𝑩𝒂𝒆, π’Šπ’” 𝒂 π’π’‚π’Žπ’† 𝒕𝒐 𝒑𝒖𝒕 π’˜π’Šπ’•π’‰ 𝒕𝒉𝒆 π’π’–π’Žπ’ƒπ’†π’“π’” 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 π’π’–π’Žπ’ƒ 𝒖𝒔 𝒔𝒐.

WE ASK THE QUESTIONS! 

 

Not only for our veterans, but for the victims of 911, first responders and their families. 

NEVER ENDING WAR

When we meet someone with Post Traumatic Stress, we often think the person is refusing to let go of the past. But it is the past refusing to let go of the person. For many veterans their memories of war is an armor they cannot take off, no matter how many times we tell them the war is over. Join Academy of United States Veterans and Unexpected Voices in shining a light on an underserved issue in our global community.

Every day, approximately 130 Americans die by suicide. (CDC)

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Only half of all Americans experiencing an episode of major depression receive treatment. (NAMI)

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Suicide takes the lives of over 48,500 Americans every year. (CDC)

20 YEARS LATER: WE HEAR YOUR VOICES

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Some went to work innocently. Many went after them so gallantly. Countless went to war yet so selflessly. 

 

It has been 20 years, and we still hear your voices. We hear your voices in the stories your children tell at school in their essays telling tails of their grievous wounds. 

 

We hear your voices in the battle cry of the brave men and women who charged to war in your defense. 

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We see your 2977 faces in the lens of every teardrop. We see your faces on the tombstones of those who fought so bravely as the backbone of a nation to ensure: NEVER AGAIN! 

 

We hear THEIR voices and see their faces too. They helped shape our hearts into believing in hope and perseverance, and the power of service. 

Many of us look back on that day and instantly remember where we were before news of these events would change the course of history. 

The truth is: We know where YOU were. 

 

You may be gone. Many of our men and women who fought for you may be gone. But we will tell your stories to engrave the powerful emotions that evoke calls to action and keep them where they must be-alive. 

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We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory will swell when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature.” -A.LINCOLN

Image by Terence Burke

ORLANDO BLOOM IS AN 

UNEXPECTED VOICE

Image by Avery Cocozziello

TEMPORARY BENEFIT FOR ALL COMBAT VETERANS

 We will advocate so that Congress approves all combat veterans to receive minimal VA benefits for one year upon separation regardless of their medical/mental health condition at the time. Statistics prove that the cost of back-and-forth between Department of Veterans Affairs and our separated service members is far greater than granting 10% benefits to all combat veterans separated from United States military for 12 months upon their separation.

 

However, their inability to obtain benefits in a timely manner  has greater risks that can often lead to unimaginable and painful consequences. 

Army Soldiers

STOP THE WAR WITHIN THE SYSTEM BEYOND VA & DOD 

Approve all mental health benefits for combat veterans without pain and suffering. The agony, pain and irreversible damage that our fellow veterans face are becoming more and more blistering every day. That is why many veterans give up on obtaining their benefits and in many cases they fall into despair which can lead to several mental health issues and in many cases "suicide."

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To do this we utilize our unique position between the veteran community and the entertainment community to provide a louder voice to the numerous issues veterans face in accessing and receiving adequate mental health care through VA, DOD and civilian resources. 

Veteran Memorial Service

THEY TOO ARE THE FALLEN
VISIBLE VS. INVISIBLE WOUNDS

Recognize victims of suicide for their service, sacrifice and struggles. Shatter the stigma of disregarding this who have left us due to service connected mental health issues.

 

Families of those veterans who have committed suicide have trouble obtaining various benefits and recognitions for their service members who have fought selflessly for our country.

 

It is time to put an end to it.

Veteran suicide: Here is a name to put with the numbers that numb us so

By Sebastian Bae

I closed my eyes. Shoved the pistol deep into the back of my mouth. Wrapped my finger from the trigger. And I waited for the end… but no bullet left the chamber. Read more...

BE THEIR VOICES

I was furious. I have never been shot at in my civilian life. I have never been blown up in my civilian life. I haven't lost an "adopted" child to a suicide bomber in my civilian life. And I haven't had to listen to a man's death over the Med-Evac frequency in my civilian life. All those things happened during my year in Iraq, but my PTSD is probably just related to my years working at UPS or something?

OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM VETERAN 

It took two years and nine suicide attempts for DJ to finally get help through the VA system. He has had plenty more deplorable doctors; one shrieked at me how, “That’s the VA way. If you don’t like it, leave,” when DJ had a life-threatening reaction to a medication. Now, when I advocate for DJ’s and other’s care, I remember her lesson that near-fatal medical policies are the VA way. Instead of leaving, though, I do my best to make sure poor treatment at home doesn’t kill soldiers who survived deployment.

WIFE OF OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM VETERAN

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