A survey by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs finds that the rate of suicide among veterans has been on the rise since at least 2005. Veterans working to acclimate back into civilian life and/or struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder are nearly twice as likely as nonveterans to take their own lives.
The American Military Veterans Foundation is working to address the epidemic of veteran suicides through their advocacy for passage of “Camo Alert” legislation. The concept involves utilizing technology already in place through the Amber Alert and Silver Alert systems to better identify and provide help for veterans in crisis. For the past two years, the foundation has lobbied to get a “Camo Alert” bill passed through the Florida legislature and the group has found a new legislative sponsor for the bill in next year’s state legislative session. National board member of AMMILVETS and Veteran Service Officer Keith Campbell joins the show for a closer look at the problem of veteran suicides and how the Camo Alert concept is designed to work.
