Today, the suicide rate among veterans is 1.5 times higher than that of the civilian population. For USAA, a company founded by military service members for military service members, this is unacceptable. Together, we launched Face the Fight, a coalition uniting companies, individuals, and veterans with one aspirational goal: cut veteran suicide in half by 2030.
Many organizations have tried to tackle veteran suicide over the years, but we noticed something striking - the responsibility is often placed on the veterans to seek help. This perpetuated the false notion that suicide is an individual matter, rather than a systematic problem that requires collective action.
Thinking larger than an awareness campaign, we worked with USAA to launch Face the Fight, a coalition and ongoing platform. The heart of the initiative was veterans becoming the driving voices, sharing their struggles and triumphs when facing thoughts of suicide. We created a dedicated website as a central hub for veterans to tell their stories, for organizations and individuals to join the fight, and resources to combat suicide. With real veterans at the forefront, we curated deeply personal stories, which were shared across the coalition’s platforms, shedding light on the importance of mental health, community support, and seeking help.
But we didn’t stop there. 70% of veteran suicides involve a firearm. Studies show that safe storage of firearms can create a critical delay between suicidal thoughts and attempts, potentially saving lives. So, we worked with Simtek to offer gun-safe sensors that alert your network when your gun safe is unlocked – unlocking conversations about veteran mental health.
USAA's partnership with major stakeholders in the veteran community allowed the coalition to host live and virtual events, engage audiences and create ongoing opportunities for companies and individuals to join in the fight.
Since its launch, Face the Fight has made significant strides in combating veteran suicide. On launch day, USAA was joined by founding members Reach Resilience and the Humana Foundation. Since then, over 120 corporate partners have committed to the cause, helping to raise more than $85 million, 200 mental health clinicians have been trained, over 5,000 veterans have received suicide-specific interventions, over 15,000 individuals have been screened for suicide risk and by 2032 we anticipate over 3 million veterans will have been screened.
