The Veterans March Across America aims to prevent suicide and support service members

The Defense Department says more than 500 soldiers died by suicide last year. This is an increase compared to the previous year. This information was published in her annual report on suicide in the military.

NAS Pensacola and a nonprofit group made up of veterans are working to prevent suicide and ensure service members feel supported.

WEAR News spoke with Marine veteran Ron Zaleski, founder of “The Long Walk Home.” He says he created the program after struggling with his own mental health.

Now Zaleski travels across the country so that no one feels alone in their fight.

“We went there and changed clothes,” says Zaleski. “Everyone thinks we’re the same because we look the same, but we’re not. We come home and we don’t fit in. We don’t fit in because we see the world differently than before. “

Zaleski says he struggled with mental health after retiring.

“I came home, but I was never home,” Zaleski says. “I lived in the forest for a year to get by.”

Zaleski says that’s how he created Long Walk Home, a nationwide awareness walk and suicide prevention program called “10 Challenges for Service.” He started the walk in Key West and will head to Alabama on Tuesday.

“Then you have questions that you can talk to another person about and help them change,” Zaleski says. “We do it in groups because then we get different perspectives. Because if you look at the textbook yourself, you look at it with the same attitude you always have, and then nothing changes.”

The Department of Defense reports that 523 service members committed suicide last year. The document shows that 493 people died the year before. They report that there are many factors that can lead to suicide, such as mental illness, relationship problems, workplace problems, and financial difficulties.

Lt. Krystal Wood is a clinical psychologist at Naval Hospital Pensacola. He says transportation is one of the reasons military personnel don’t get the mental health care they need.

“Some of our sailors on our installation serve a lot of students,” Wood says. “People preparing to use the fleet may not have a car yet. They are saving for a car, so transport may be a big barrier for us. That’s why we actually provide virtual counseling. We have advice on these support lines and clinical lines that you have seen in the Mental Health Action Plan.

This mental health action plan includes a variety of resources, from spiritual counseling to life skills coaching to a crisis hotline.

Assistant director Omar Rose walks with Zaleski in The Long Walk Home. He says it’s hard for soldiers and veterans to accept help.

“There are a lot of people out there that regardless, you may feel a little bit stressed, or you may feel a certain way but you’ll tell yourself it’s okay, or you’ll hide it because you don’t want anyone else to see you differently than before.

Rose says he would like to see soldiers trained to adapt to civilian life. He says the training can also include mental health resources in the community.

Follow Zaleski and Rose to travel across the country here.