Westmoreland Review

Chief Deputy Whip Guy Reschenthaler, along with Congressmen Derrick Van Orden and Derek Kilmer, has introduced legislation that directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to include former members of the Reserves and Guard in their annual suicide report. The VA had stopped including a separate statistic on suicides of former members of the Guard and Reserve after the 2020 report.

Reschenthaler expressed his concern about the high suicide rates among veterans, stating, "Over 20 veterans die by suicide each day, a sad reality for our heroes who have sacrificed so much for our nation." He emphasized the importance of ensuring that veterans have access to mental health resources, both on the battlefield and at home, and highlighted the need for an accurate count of these tragedies in order to combat them.

Van Orden, a retired U.S. Navy SEAL, emphasized that all servicemembers deserve the same mental health services, regardless of their military service. He stated, "All our servicemembers, regardless of what capacity they served in, deserve to have their mental health and well-being taken seriously." He highlighted the inclusion of former members of the Reserves and the Guard in the VA's annual suicide report as a way to better understand veterans' mental health and identify ways to combat suicide.

Kilmer, a Co-Chair of the House Military Mental Health Task Force, stressed the need to address the mental health challenges faced by service members, including those in the Reserves and National Guard who were not federally activated during their service. He stated, "By including these former members of the Reserves and National Guard in the VA's annual suicide report, Congress can take a necessary step toward acknowledging and addressing this crisis."

According to the 2020 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report, there were 538 suicides among former members of the Armed Forces who were never activated for Federal military service in 2018, averaging 1.5 suicide deaths per day.

Kilmer and Van Orden are co-chairs of the House Military Mental Health Task Force, which focuses on addressing military mental health and suicide prevention. Reschenthaler is also a member of the task force and is actively collaborating with subject matter experts to provide resources and support to members and their staff.

The legislation introduced by Reschenthaler, Van Orden, and Kilmer seeks to ensure that all veterans, regardless of their military service, have access to the mental health support they need and deserve. By including former members of the Reserves and Guard in the VA's annual suicide report, Congress aims to gain a comprehensive understanding of veterans' mental health and take necessary steps to combat the alarming suicide rates among veterans.

To find out more, go to this link: https://reschenthaler.house.gov/media/press-releases/reschenthaler-leads-effort-to-combat-reserve-and-guard-suicide-rates