Disconnection from others is proving fatal for veterans and service members around the country and in Maine, with lawmakers reporting that two-thirds of vets who die by suicide have had no contact with support services.

It’s the reason why scores of veteran advocates, Medal of Honor recipients and former leaders of the Department of Veterans Affairs are calling on Congress and all Americans to take part in National Warrior Call Day on Nov. 13. The day marks a coast-to-coast call to action. It asks that all Americans – especially active duty and retired military personnel – make a call to a warrior, someone who has worn or is currently wearing the uniform, and connect them with supports if necessary.

In Maine, veteran suicide is a pervasive problem. The most recent data from the Department of Veterans Affairs found that, after accounting for age differences, “the veteran suicide rate in Maine … was significantly higher than the national general population suicide rate.” It was also much higher than the state’s overall suicide rate.

The veteran suicide rate in Maine is 35.2 deaths per 100,000 residents, while the suicide rate for the state’s general population is 20.7 deaths per 100,000. The national suicide rate for the general population is far lower at 17.3 deaths per 100,000.

The big concern is that as tragic as that suicide rate is for vets in Maine, it may actually be much higher. Many other deaths may not be reported or classified as suicide because the evidence doesn’t support a death determination. This is a statistical “gray zone,” especially as society wrestles with alcohol and opioid addiction.

The group America’s Warrior Partnership recently released an interim report from its multi-year study of suicide deaths across eight states, including Maine, and uncovered significant disparities between state and VA data and a large error rate in how the VA accounts for deaths of vets. The group found that the suicide rate represented in the eight states was much greater, at 1.37 times the rate reported by the VA. And when researchers added in veterans whose deaths were from self-injury, including overdose deaths and other behavior closely aligned with self-harm or suicide, the rate of suicide was 2.4 times higher than the rate the VA reports.

Maine lawmakers are leading efforts in Washington to address the tragic trend at the national and state levels. Sen. Angus King is pressing the federal government to provide more resources for service members who are in the process of transitioning back to civilian life. “I work with a lot of veterans in Maine, and one of the problems that keeps coming up is the weakness of the transition from active duty to veteran status – the handoff from the Defense Department to the VA,” King said back in May.

In addition, Maine is one of several states taking part in the Governor’s Challenge on Suicide Prevention, a partnership with the VA to implement at the local level suicide prevention best practices for service members, veterans and their families. As part of that effort, the Maine Department of Health and Human Services in July launched the 9-8-8 suicide and crisis lifeline, a new three-digit dialing code available in Maine and anywhere in the country for anyone experiencing suicidal thoughts.

But that isn’t enough to turn the tide. Everyday Mainers must join in and act as eyes and ears. By enlisting Mainers to make a call to a veteran and see how they are doing, National Warrior Call Day on Nov. 13 must be part of a statewide commitment. It can make a difference, it can save lives.

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