Most of America’s Veterans may not be actively engaged in global combat this Veterans Day but make no mistake: Thousands are still fighting a deadly enemy, and the casualties are mounting right here in Berks County.
Unlike the combat zone where troops are keenly trained to respond to enemy strikes by immediately seeking cover and returning fire, when they return from battle, many are overwhelmed and frozen by the transition. Often paralyzed with stigma and untreated trauma,our heroes choose instead to suck it up and live with debilitating effects of post-traumatic stress disorder/injury, anxiety and depression.
The consequences of such a posture have proved to be more deadly than war itself.
Consider that during the Global War on Terrorism from 2001 to 2021, 7,085 Americans were killed in action. But during that same 20 years, a study the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs found that more than 140,000 of our servicemembers died by suicide.
Sadly, the latest statistics from the Berks County coroner clearly reveal this grisly tale. Thirteen of our brave Berks veterans ended their lives by suicide this year, accounting for 26% of all county suicides despite veterans comprising just 4.5% of the population.
Heartbreaking. Tragic. And thoroughly unacceptable.
Add to the suicide epidemic those veterans combatting the consequences of avoiding help through self-medication (alcohol and drug), increased rates of domestic violence, criminal charges, unemployment and underemployment, and the crisis to help our local heroes is undeniable.
Status quo is not an option, it’s past time to fight back.
To combat the unprecedented increase in Berks veteran PTSD/I cases and the continuing veteran suicide epidemic, the Berks County Veterans Affairs office became the first county veterans service office in Pennsylvania to have a licensed, in-house therapist at our Etchberger Veterans Center here in Spring Township.
The Berks County Etchberger Veterans Center is named in honor of Chief Master Sgt. Richard Etchbeger. (Courtesy of Berks County Veterans Affairs)
Moreover, BCVA has partnered with NAMI Berks, an affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization. We now hold biweekly, veteran peer-to-peer support meetings.
And because we know no one feels the impact of veteran untreated, mistreated or undertreated PTSD/I more than our families, we now offer a first-of-its-kind veteran spouses and dependents support group.
Veteran Family Support Group meetings will be held every first and third Tuesday of the month, and the Veterans Connection Support Group will be held every first and third Wednesday at the Etchberger Center at 6 p.m. Free of charge and confidential, the groups are led by trained facilitators who are also on the road to healing.
But we can’t stop there because, while treatable, trauma never take a day off.
That’s why we are also actively partnering with the Veterans Coalition of Pennsylvania, a local nonprofit with boots on the ground here in Berks that helps our most vulnerable veterans living on the margins with food and shelter issues.
Through Nov. 14, our “Vetsgiving” campaign is a canned food and winter clothing drive where all Berks residents can help our local veterans. Donations of nonperishable foods and gently used or new sweatshirts, sweatpants, winter coats, woolen socks and woolen hats are welcome at our Etchberger Center, 20 Commerce Drive.
Ultimately, this Veterans Day, we humbly ask that part of the celebration be centered in helping Berks veterans and their families fight back against the unseen enemy. Whether it’s encouraging them to actively secure professional help, or assisting veterans through efforts like Vetsgiving, let us all be committed to actively serving those who have served.
Lt. Col. Jay Ostrich is director of Berks County Veterans Affairs, a combat veteran with 23 years of military service and a veteran living with PTSD/I.