NORFOLK, Va. — If you are considering self-harm, the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is available by calling or texting 988.
One year after the U.S. military branches implemented "The Brandon Act," the legislation's sponsors say there is still much work left to do.
Teri and Patrick Caserta have laid out an ambitious agenda for 2024. They hope to spread the word about the law, designed to protect service members from taking their own lives.
And the Casertas have only begun to fight.
In an open letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin published Thursday, Teri Caserta writes: "Not addressing toxic, abusive leadership and abusive power within the ranks of your military is unacceptable."
And in an interview with 13 News Now, she added: "I don't feel he's doing enough to protect our service members."
Teri and Patrick founded the non-profit Brandon Caserta Foundation to honor the memory of their Navy sailor son, who after enduring workplace bullying, died by suicide at Naval Station Norfolk in 2018.
They're happy to see the passage of the Brandon Act which aims to eliminate stigma and improve the referral process for service members seeking a mental health evaluation and allowing them to seek help confidentially, outside of their chain of command.
But they worry not enough people in the military are aware that the Brandon Act even exists.
The Casertas hope to travel the country and visit military bases to educate commands about the Act and ensure all service members understand their rights.
"Failure is not an option. And we're going to fight and fight and fight," said Patrick Caserta. "We are going to get this done properly the way it needs to be and see the number go down and keep them down. Anything other than zero is unacceptable."
According to a Defense Department report released in October, there were 492 active-duty military deaths by suicide in 2022. That compares with 524 deaths in 2021.