On This Veterans Day
Over a year ago my family traveled to Washington DC to introduce a bill named after my brother to the Senate floor: The Commander John Scott Hannon Veterans Mental Health Care Improvement Act.
My brother was a career Navy SEAL, heavily medaled through his 23 years of military service.
He carried more than medals into his retirement. In addition to chronic pain, he suffered from other invisible wounds of war: PTSD, TBI and severe depression. Underneath it all was a belatedly diagnosed bi-polar disorder.
In retirement, John Scott lived in Montana. He found solace in animal therapy, time in nature and meditation. He became a spokesperson for the National Alliance on Mental Illness with the aim to raise awareness for and de-stigmatize mental illness. He volunteered for Habitat for Humanity, wild animal rehabilitation at Montana Wild and Search & Rescue.
It wasn’t enough. He took his life in February, 2018. He wasn’t alone. Roughly 17 veterans commit suicide in the United States every day.
Over the last year, through the bi-partisan leadership of Senators Tester and Moran, the Veterans Mental Health Care Improvement bill passed both the House and Senate unanimously. It was signed into law on October 17, 2020.
Many stories like that of my brother inspired the intention behind this Act: to better support veterans transitioning into a productive, rewarding civilian life after their military service.
Through broadening access to mental health resources, supporting research and evaluation, and fostering greater coordination between the DOD and the VA, this Act represents a quantum leap forward in providing a continuum of support that addresses the specific mental health care needs of veterans and their families.
The John Scott Hannon Mental Health Care Improvement Act represents our collective commitment to proactively support veterans transitioning to civilian life so they can rejoin and contribute to their communities so that they can heal their visible and invisible wounds, so they can build a productive life going forward.
To my brother, John Scott, thank you for your legacy of service in the military and now so far beyond. We love you and miss you.