CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin announced a first of its kind program Wednesday afternoon aiming to prevent veteran suicide.
Joined by W.Va. Dept. of Veterans Assistance Deputy Secretary Billy Wayne Bailey, Tomblin announced the Mountain State 22 program, which gets its name from the number of vets who end their lives on a daily basis.
“On average, 22 veterans commit suicide each day across the country. Here in West Virginia, we had eight reported veteran suicides last year. Even one suicide is one too many,” the governor said.
Bailey, who said the statewide program is the first of its kind, said there’s a number of reasons soldiers are driven to suicide.
“We know many of the causes: traumatic stress, PTSD, all the different things. But what we have to realize is the problems a veteran has is usually magnified more than the regular civilian.”
Bailey approached Tomblin with the idea of creating a collaborative program that focuses on specific issues that could prompt suicide among former soldiers earlier this year. Tomblin said there’s a responsibility to help veterans upon returning home.
“We owe it to those who have given so much in service to our state and nation, and to the families who proudly stand by their side, to do everything in our power to give them the support they need as they transition back to civilian life.”
Rev. Chris Thompson, a Wheeling native and former National Guard chaplain who has served in West Virginia, Ohio and Florida, is Bailey’s appointment to head the Mountain State 22 program.
“I would like to report that we have the answers. I’d like to report and say that we know exactly what to do, but we don’t at this time,” Bailey said. “But we will. What we’re announcing today is that we are taking the first step into finding those answers.”
The program will also include education and public awareness initiatives designed to reach veterans and their family members.
“This program is in its initial stages. We have a lot of growing and learning to do,” Bailey said. “But we’re heading into this with boots on the ground. We’re taking an aggressive approach, because the problem of veterans committing suicide needs attention now.”