[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 200 (Wednesday, November 17, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Page S8350]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   SENATE RESOLUTION 454--EXPRESSING SUPPORT FOR THE DESIGNATION OF 
NOVEMBER 21, 2021, AS ``NATIONAL WARRIOR CALL DAY'' AND RECOGNIZING THE 
   IMPORTANCE OF CONNECTING WARRIORS IN THE UNITED STATES TO SUPPORT 
        STRUCTURES NECESSARY TO TRANSITION FROM THE BATTLEFIELD

  Mrs. SHAHEEN (for herself, Mr. Cotton, Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. Blumenthal, 
Ms. Rosen, Mr. Hoeven, and Mrs. Hyde-Smith) submitted the following 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services:

                              S. Res. 454

       Whereas establishing an annual ``National Warrior Call 
     Day'' will draw attention to the members of the Armed Forces 
     whose connection to one another is key to the veterans and 
     first responders in the United States who may be dangerously 
     disconnected from family, friends, and support systems;
       Whereas the number of suicides of members of the Armed 
     Forces serving on active duty increased to 377 in 2020, a 
     figure up from 348 in 2019;
       Whereas the suicide rate for veterans has steadily 
     increased since 2006, with 6,261 veterans taking their own 
     lives in 2019;
       Whereas, after adjusting for sex and age, the rate of 
     veteran suicide in 2018 was 27.5 per 100,000 individuals, 
     higher than the rate among all United States adults at 18.3 
     per 100,000 individuals;
       Whereas more veterans have died by suicide in the last 10 
     years than members of the Armed Forces who died from combat 
     in Vietnam;
       Whereas many of the veterans who take their own lives have 
     had no contact with the Department of Veterans Affairs;
       Whereas the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic 
     can lead to increased isolation and disconnection, further 
     exacerbating mental and physical ailments such as post-
     traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury;
       Whereas the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention note 
     that law enforcement officers and firefighters are more 
     likely to die by suicide than in the line of duty, and 
     emergency medical services providers are 1.39 times more 
     likely to die by suicide than members of the general public;
       Whereas invisible wounds linked to an underlying and 
     undiagnosed traumatic brain injury can mirror many mental 
     health conditions, a problem that can be addressed through 
     appropriate medical treatment;
       Whereas additional research is needed to highlight the 
     connection between traumatic brain injury as a root cause of 
     invisible wounds and suicide by members of the Armed Forces 
     and veterans; and
       Whereas November 21, 2021, would be an appropriate day to 
     designate as ``National Warrior Call Day'': Now, therefore, 
     be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) supports the designation of November 21, 2021, as 
     ``National Warrior Call Day'';
       (2) encourages all individuals in the United States, 
     especially members of the Armed Forces serving on active duty 
     and veterans, to call up a warrior, have an honest 
     conversation, and connect them with support, understanding 
     that making a warrior call could save a life; and
       (3) implores all individuals in the United States to 
     recommit themselves to engaging with members of the Armed 
     Forces through ``National Warrior Call Day'' and other 
     constructive efforts that result in solutions and treatment 
     for the invisible scars they carry.

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