As we gather in our communities across the nation this week to celebrate our veterans on Veterans Day, we must recognize that – because of their fight for our freedom – many veterans carry with them long-term mental health and/or substance use disorder issues. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, in 2020, the suicide rate for veterans was 57.3% higher than that of non-veteran adults. Also in 2020, suicide was the second leading cause of death among veterans under 45.