A.J.

NWOKO: Though veteran suicide across the country and here in Virginia may never be totally eradicated, experts say it can be prevented, and a lot of times that prevention starts with human connections and conversations.

(people chatter) A.J.

NWOKO: It's a community no one asked to be a part of, encompassing a crisis not talked about enough.

But at this Out of the Darkness walk, those who push forward are reminded that suicide impacts people in all walks of life.

MICHAEL TUCKER: We may not be able to always get to those people, but we can walk until we can get there.

A.J.

NWOKO: And the colored beads they wear around their necks represent that heartache comes in different hues.

Red beads for the loss of a spouse.

Teal representing someone who's attempted.

And silver... MICHAEL TUCKER: The silver represents military, or first responders.

A.J.

NWOKO: Michael Tucker wears for Army National Guard Staff Sergeant William Rhame.

MICHAEL TUCKER: He was my uncle.

Saying the word ‘was is already hard enough.

But he was family, I mean, for many months, he was like a big brother to me.

I grew up with him.

It was something that he truly enjoyed and he was proud to do, and he did it for 18 years.

A.J.

NWOKO: And like so many others, Tucker never suspected his uncle was silently suffering.

MICHAEL TUCKER: He was always just ridiculously goofy for no reason.

A.J.

NWOKO: Until April 25th, 2020, while Rhame was still serving.

MICHAEL TUCKER: His friend said later that night, they all ended up getting in their tents and they heard the gunshot go off.

So I don't, A.J.

NWOKO: And unfortunately.

MICHAEL TUCKER: I don't think any of us expected it.

A.J.

NWOKO: Tucker's story isn't unique.

CARL TROST: I would say too many times.

A.J.

NWOKO: Retired Navy chaplain, Carl Trost knows that better than most.

CARL TROST: My responsibility was to make sure that you had everything that you needed to be able to practice your faith.

A.J.

NWOKO: For 25 years, it was Trost's job to ensure his sailors mental and emotional needs were met, sometimes with success, CARL TROST: I had a sailor on one of my ships who got his ‘Dear John letter.

He was telling me about his wife.

They had been married for 15 years.

Wrestling with.

‘I didn't see it coming.

‘I didn't expect this.

And we just sat and... you know, that's what we did all night long.

And the next day, he said, “Thank you.

Because I actually thought of, you know, thought of suicide ”.

A.J.

NWOKO: but far to often... CARL TROST: I found that I was doing memorial services for for Marines, and I'd do about five or six a year, sometimes more.

A.J.

NWOKO: And though on the decline Trost says, the circumstances that drive veterans to suicide often start during the transition from soldier to civilian.

CARL TROST: Any kind of change, transition, it's very stressful.

And depending upon what kind of resiliency skills you have, you can manage the stress or the stress may manage you.

A.J.

NWOKO: According to the 2022 National Veteran Suicide Prevention annual report from the US Department of Veteran Affairs, in 2020, there were over 6,000 veteran suicides, an average of nearly 17 veterans a day.

Taking a closer look at the Commonwealth, the report shows that Virginian veterans accounted for 181 deaths in 2020.

Nationally, firearms accounted for over 70% of all suicide among veterans.

But in Virginia, firearms were used in over 80% of veteran suicides.

While the statewide report touts that the Virginia suicide rate among veterans is significantly below the national average, Brandi Jancaitis with the state Department of Veterans Services says the report still doesn't reflect the true scope of the crisis.

BRANDI JANCAITIS: That picture gets a lot bigger when you talk about those that may have had suicidal ideation or attempts and that never got logged by a provider.

A.J.

NWOKO: To that end, Jancaitis says, the Virginia Veteran Family Support Program which operates through the DVS, receives about $6.7 million annually to provide services like mental health, substance abuse, treatment for suicidal ideation, and more.

BRANDI JANCAITIS: Because if someone's connected feels like they have purpose and camaraderie, they're less likely to experience mental health symptoms or suicidal ideations.

A.J.

NWOKO: A nonprofit known as NPower, is trying to achieve similar outcomes by training transitioning veterans for cybersecurity jobs for free through a program called SkillBridge.

CHRIS STARLING: If you have a living wage and you have somebody in your life who cares about you that loves you, then you've got a real advantage, right?

And you've got at least the support network that can help be a preventative measure toward some of these other things that we're facing in the mental health and depression arena.

A.J.

NWOKO: Recent program graduate and Navy veteran Juan Cruz says his job prospects since graduating have been a weight off his shoulders.

JUAN CRUZ: I'm definitely better equipped than I would have been had I not been a part of that.

A.J.

NWOKO: But no plan is perfect.

A veteran among the most recent Skillbridge cohort took his own life weeks before graduating.

JUAN CRUZ: We can't really see on the outside.

It's something that, you know, the funniest people, the most joyous people that you can be encountering.

You know, they might be the ones that are experiencing it.

And that's something that I've seen firsthand.

A.J.

NWOKO: In addition to advocating for more resources.

JUAN CRUZ: Because a lot of us are very prideful.

You know, we're not the ones to go asking for help.

A.J.

NWOKO: Cruz wants veterans who are suffering to know it's okay not to be okay, as long as they seek help.

JUAN CRUZ: It's okay to ask for help.

It's okay to go see somebody.

It's okay to let somebody know how you're feeling.

MICHAEL TUCKER: We can try to help someone.

(people chatter) A.J.

NWOKO: A message Tucker vows to continue communicating to other veterans in an effort to save lives.

MICHAEL TUKER: Theyre our shields, theyre our heroes.

theyre people that we look at to do a job.

But they need to be remembered that they are still people and they still struggle just the same.

A.J.

NWOKO: Reporting for VPM News Focal Point, Im A.J.Nwoko.