The latest numbers from the Department of Veteran Affairs show veteran suicides decreased by 44 veterans year to year within their reporting period of 2022-2023. Critics of the data have long said the numbers do not tell the reality of veteran suicide.
Data shows that most veteran suicides occur in veterans who are 50 and older.
Rick Kreiberg, a 35-year Army veteran who retired as a Command Sergeant Major, sees a solution to the issue of suicide among older veterans through coffee, donuts, social interaction, and most importantly, action.
"Less Hooha, more Dooah, that's what we say. We can talk about a problem all day. There's nothing that irks me more personally than suicide awareness. But, geez, thanks, Captain Obvious. But what are you doing about it?" Kreiberg said.
Kreiberg told me he saw an immediate need when he went to a veteran support group for himself.
"I went there, and I was the oldest veteran there. So, I'm like, where are Vietnam veterans at? And the organization said that they don't support them, was a post 9-11 organization, and they don't support them. So, I'm like, well, who's supporting our senior veterans? And so, I decided to create an organization to address those needs of the pre 9-11 veterans, the older folks, especially Vietnam," Kreiberg said.
This led to the creation of Veterans Affinity. While the group focuses on older veterans, they are open to any veteran looking for community and camaraderie.
Doug Leach served in Vietnam and now volunteers with Veterans Affinity to help veterans like himself.
"It's given me purpose," Leach said.
"There's a lot of veterans out there that just never leave the house, and those are the ones we're looking for. They're isolating themselves. We want to get them out," Leach said.
"They know they're welcome here. They know that there's other men here who went through the same thing, and they can commiserate," Leach said.
After 22 years in a Navy uniform and nearly 15 years contracting in Iraq, Joyce Camelon still felt like she didn’t fit anywhere. Then a stranger introduced her to Veterans Affinity.
"I felt like a piece of a puzzle looking for the puzzle. I couldn't figure out where I fit," Camelon said. "Veterans Affinity saved my rear end. My piece of the puzzle that I couldn’t seem to find anywhere else for a very long time, I found it right there at Veterans Affinity with their camaraderie, their conversation, their ability to make you feel like you’re home."
From Mesa to Prescott, these one-hour gatherings are taking place in 28 different communities. Kreiberg has a goal to grow the organization even more.
"There's 500,000 veterans in the state of Arizona. So, we got, we got to find a way to touch every one of them," Kreiberg said.
Kreiberg hopes to change the narrative from how many veterans are lost to how many are given life.
"I want control of that outcome. I want the ability to ensure that that veteran gets across the finish line, whatever that looks like. So being hands on, whether it’s me or one of my outstanding volunteers, we’re gonna ensure that gets done right," Kreiberg said.
You can find out more about Veterans Affinity by visiting their website veteransaffinity.org.
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