Sponsored by:
Senator ANTHONY M. BUCCO
District 25 (Morris and Somerset)
Senator KRISTIN M. CORRADO
District 40 (Bergen, Essex, Morris and Passaic)
SYNOPSIS
Designates September 22nd of each year as Veterans Suicide Awareness & Remembrance Day.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
A Joint Resolution designating September 22 of each year as Veterans Suicide Awareness & Remembrance Day.
Whereas, Individuals who have served in the United States military made significant sacrifices to ensure that this nation and the American people are safe and secure; and
Whereas, Members of the military are often deployed to remote locations, far from family and friends for extended periods of time and may not have regular contact with their loved ones; and
Whereas, These individuals may miss important milestones, such as the birth of a child, family birthdays, and the funeral of a loved one during their deployment; and
Whereas, Members of the military who are engaged in combat operations face additional stresses including situations where they may witness the death of fellow service members and living in constant fear of their own injury or death; and
Whereas, These stress factors contribute to a sharp increase in the diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder among active service members and veterans; and
Whereas, Since 2010 more than 65,000 veterans and active military have died by suicide, more than the total number of American combat deaths from the Vietnam War and the post-9/11 conflicts combined; and
Whereas, The New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, the federal Department of Veterans Affairs, and various nonprofit entities provide resources to veterans and active military who are at risk of suicide including telephone hotlines and mental health workshops; and
Whereas, Increasing public awareness about the increased risk of suicide among veterans and active military can help inform veterans and military, their family, and the public about the resources available to these veterans and military and help eliminate the stigma associated with mental health treatments; and
Whereas, Designating September 22nd of each year as Veterans Suicide Awareness & Remembrance Day will raise our continued awareness to this critical threat to the health and safety of individuals who have sacrificed so much for their fellow Americans in service of our beloved country; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. September 22nd of each year is designated as Veterans Suicide Awareness & Remembrance Day in the State of New Jersey and is a day to recognize, remember, and honor the Veterans and Active Military who died by suicide as well as to honor, respect, and unite their families. It is a day to forever remember their lives and service to our state and nation.
2. The Legislature requests the Governor to annually issue a proclamation calling upon public officials and the citizens of this State to observe Veterans Suicide Awareness & Remembrance Day with appropriate activities and programs.
3. This joint resolution shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This joint resolution designates September 22nd of each year as Veterans Suicide Awareness & Remembrance Day in New Jersey. By having an annual observance, we elevate the public health challenge of the increased suicide rates of veterans and active duty military personnel into the public consciousness and raise our continued awareness to this challenge. This continued awareness facilitates discussion about Veteran/Military suicide, thereby taking away the societal stigma associated with mental health treatment. By normalizing the subject of mental health among Veterans and Active Military, we will allow them to receive necessary treatment without fear of judgment while simultaneously showing that we care as a State and nation, about preventing living Veterans and Active Military from dying by suicide. The joint resolution calls on the Governor to annually issue a proclamation calling on the people of this State to mark this day with appropriate activities and programs.
Individuals who have served in the United States military made significant sacrifices to defend the United States and its people. Members of the military are often deployed to remote locations far from family and friends and may not have regular contact with their loved ones. During their deployments these individuals can miss important milestones including the birth of a child, family birthdays, or the funeral of a loved one. Members of the military engaged in combat operations face added stresses including situations where they may witness the death of their fellow service members and living in constant fear of their own injury or death. These stress factors contribute to a sharp increase in the diagnosis of post-traumatic stress among service members and United States military and veterans. Since 2010 more than 65,000 veterans and active military have died by suicide, more than the total number of American combat deaths from the Vietnam War and the post-9/11 conflicts combined. The New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, the federal Department of Veterans Affairs, and various nonprofit entities provide resources to veterans and active military who are at risk of suicide including telephone hotlines and mental health workshops. Increasing public awareness about the increased risk of suicide amongst veterans and military can help inform veterans, their families, and the public about the resources available to these veterans and military and help eliminate the stigma associated with mental health treatments. Designating September 22nd of each year as Veterans Suicide Awareness & Remembrance Day will raise our continued awareness to this critical threat to the health and safety of individuals who have sacrificed so much for their fellow Americans in service of our beloved country. This annual observance originated with Kevin W. Hertell, a U.S. Air Force Veteran who lost his cousin to suicide in 2016, Senior Airman Robert McRae Dean, U.S. Air Force. Mr. Hertell established this observance to recognize and forever remember the life and death of Senior Airman Robert McRae Dean and all other Veterans and Active Military members who have died by suicide.