WEST MONORE, La. (KTVE/KARD)- According to a newly released Pentagon report suicides in the active-duty military increased in the first three months of 2023 compared to the same time last year. The Defense Suicide Prevention Office revealed in its quarterly report that the overall number of active-duty suicides 94 from January through March was up 25% compared to the number of troops 75 who took their own lives in the first three months of 2022.

Grant Rogers a local veteran says people need to understand that PTSD is an injury and not someone’s identity.

I would encourage people to start looking at post-traumatic stress as an injury and not their identity. Anyone out there who has a servant’s heart and is willing to go out there and fight for their country is a hero in my book.

Grant Rogers, Untied States Army Retired Sgt.

According to the same report on average, 44 veterans die each day by suicide. It has been 20 consecutive years with 6000+ veteran suicides, with 125,000 since 2001. One out of every three veterans feel they don’t get the mental health services they need.

It’s a journey man it’s not a one size fits all and it’s not our jobs to fix each other it’s our jobs to love each other. We need to take care of one another I always say humans over hardware we need more humans to understand one another.

Grant Rogers, Untied States Army Retired Sgt.

Having faith in God is something that grant recommends to other veterans who are struggling mentally. Many veterans have to face the horrifying reality of losing many of their brothers to suicide.

Having the holy spirit in you and God will never forsake you he’ll always meet you where you’re at. When you sign that dotted line no one prepares you no one tells you hey your friend who you chew the same dirt with will take his life at some point. I have 20 plus friends one in particular Chris Hall, and he knew it he knew if he went back to his ways, but Chris put a gun in his mouth and pulled the trigger.

Grant Rogers, Untied States Army Retired Sgt.

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