Veteran Suicide Rates
Yes, we are known for College Football, but sadly Alabama ranks #2 in the U.S. for Veteran suicide.
Why is that you ask?
Several reasons: over 10% of Alabama’s are veterans, around 330K veterans make Alabama their home, plus there are three major bases here in Alabama – Redstone Arsenal, Ft. Rucker, and Maxwell-Gunter Airbase. Along with these major bases there are Sumpter Smith Joint National Guard Base, Anniston Army Depot Base and in Mobile, AL., the Coast Guard Aviation Training Center, adding to those who serve. Currently, there are over 19,000 National Guard and Reserve members, which represents one of the highest per capita ratios in all 50 states.
When it came to deploying to fight the War on Terror (Iraq, Afghanistan, and other parts of the Middle East), Alabama’s Veterans answered the call, with over 50% serving overseas. Given the combination of all these members being exposed to traumatic events, every THREE DAYS Alabama loses a Veteran to suicide. Unlike other states with higher Veteran populations, Alabama has a lack of mental health resources, and what is available are mostly located in major cities, miles from where they live.
Plans for the Future
Our future plans are to expand west and south, hopefully having enough Veteran Service Centers to accommodate all of Alabama, including western parts of Georgia, northern parts of Florida, and eastern parts of Mississippi.