PEORIA, AZ — Brandon Caserta was just 21 years old when he died by suicide. A Peoria native, he was in the U.S. Navy, stationed in Virginia in 2018. His parents, Patrick and Teri Caserta, said he was battling depression.
Patrick said, "We were told repeatedly by many people in that command that he said, 'I'm depressed, I need help.' They told him to suck it up and get back to work. Those were their words."
Patrick, a retired Senior Chief in the U.S. Navy, believes that while the stigmas surrounding mental health are lessening in the civilian world, the same cannot be said for military life.
"When I was active duty for 22 years, I would have gone for mental health... my career would have been over. Literally over," Patrick stated.
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The couple made it their life mission to get 'The Brandon Act' passed into law. Last year, on May 5th, the Department of Defense officially implemented the law into all major branches of the military.
A service member struggling with any type of mental health problem, sexual harassment, gambling, or anything else, can now report the issue to their commanding officer and they are guaranteed treatment within 24 hours. A service member is also able to invoke The Brandon Act for any fellow service member they see struggling. It includes a confidentiality clause and guarantees that members of the military will face no retaliation from up the ranks.
"None of our service members should ever go through what Brandon went through," said Teri. She explained how taxing it is on families, and hopes no other parents experience the pain.
"It's heartbreaking when you lose a child... our only one."
Since the law passed, Teri said countless military families have told her their stories of how The Brandon Act impacted their lives or the lives of their loved ones. Just this week, she said a sailor's mother called her after her son checked himself into a hospital.
"When he went there, he said, 'I'm using my right, and I'm invoking The Brandon Act,'" she recalled. "Quite a few moms and service members let me know that they invoked The Brandon Act, and the only reason they are still here is because they invoked The Brandon Act."
If the law was in place in 2018, Teri said she is sure of one thing, "Brandon would be alive today."
