Suicide remains the second leading cause of death for veterans under the age of 45 and U.S. veterans are at an increased risk of suicide compared to other people. Amid this backdrop, many groups are working the help veterans heal and find help when in crisis. On Veteran Suicide Awareness Day, NewsNation’s special coverage is aimed at elevating the voices of veterans, their loved ones and caregivers fighting on the frontlines at home.

(NewsNation) — In a memo released this week, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin laid out five areas where the Department of Defense plans to redouble its efforts to reduce veteran suicides.

The memo is a consequence of a lengthy review conducted by the Suicide Prevention and Response Independent Review Committee t(SPRIRIC) hat was established in 2022.

The committee interviewed more than 2,100 Service members and 670 staff at a number of military installations in order to make recommendations about how to reduce veteran suicides. There are estimated to be around 6,000 veteran suicides every year.

The five areas where the DOD expects to make “lines of effort” are: Foster a Supportive Environment, Improve the Delivery of Mental Health Care, Address Stigma and Other Barriers to Care, Revise Suicide Prevention Training, and Promote a Culture of Lethal Means Safety.

“Suicide prevention is a long-term effort,” said Austin in his memo. Change will not happen overnight, but we have no time to spare. The men and women who step up to serve our country in uniform are this Department’s most important asset. The health and well-being of these extraordinary public
servants and their families is an obligation that I take seriously and personally.”

The initiatives outlined in the memo include everything from funding safer ways to store firearms to expanding the use of tele-health services.