Bridging the Gap: Unraveling Military Suicide

Brian Little, a US Navy veteran, brings a perspective to many different topics during his time in the service. One profound connection Little makes is The Sailor's Creed and what it actually means for sailors. He eloquently breaks it down in a way that helps others understand its influence on the Navy culture. We also discuss how the support we show our servicemembers when they come home must continue even as they become veterans. He brings the question, will a high budget motion picture be the ultimate way to bring the realities of military suicide to the public?

We conclude part 2 with Matt and hear more of our conversation as he reveals just how personal suicide has affected his life in and outside of the military. There's no doubt that the military continues to move past deaths quickly and without much empathy, if any at all. We continue our discussion on Cannabis and the double standard the DoD has with their misconceptions between it and alcohol. Should the DoD look into funding a research study? I also explain my interest in running for public office as an effort to expand my mission in speaking up and bringing military suicide much more attention both locally and nationally.

An Air Force Veteran shares his experience over 20 years of service and goes into detail how the Department of Defense has chosen their preferred "legal" drug (alcohol) despite growing evidence of how dangerous it is as compared to Cannabis. What's it going to take to change such a twisted acceptance of alcohol in the military culture?

The Department of Defense systematically and strategically is poisoning our service members. Hear straight from a navy veteran about how alcohol was why he left the service.

The buddy system continues to be a battle for many hardworking airmen. Some refuse to settle, but at what cost? I sum up two conversations with local Minot veterans.

Peer to peer support has been around for quite some time and has provided help for veterans. However, there is a lack of programs like these for active duty members. The DoD has talked about modernizing suicide prevention content and it's trainings. What better way then to let Airmen share their stories and allow them to inspire others from their own journey? Peer support could be an answer to manning and funding complications that the DoD faces already.

I dive into why I am passionate about spreading mental health awareness and how it affects our military. I explain my 3 day demonstration and my experience on the bridge. A common theme with veterans and AD is that there is so much fear in seeking help and it isn't taken seriously. Lastly, I talk about why we need an organization with officials and leadership who are willing to come forward and speak out about what's not working. We can't hide the issue anymore.

The alcohol culture in the military directly ties and contributes to suicide rates, DUIs, and hardships transitioning out of the service. History does not need to repeat itself, yet the DoD and military branches continue to allow policies that enable and promote a toxic environment. The DoD plays a part in the rising suicide and addiction rates... and it's time they address it.