Photo by: Bernie Dunn TAMPA, Fla. — May is mental health awareness month, and here on ABC Action News, we’re committed to highlighting the experiences of many in our community struggling with their mental health.
It’s no secret that veterans die by suicide at a higher rate than the general population. Still, experts are noticing an alarming trend: more women veterans are dying by suicide now than ever before.
A VETERAN’S STORY
“My father was a sailor, then an airman, then a sailor again,” said Bernadette Dunn, or as her friends and family affectionately call her, Bernie. Dunn comes from a long line of veterans. Her father served in Vietnam and helped the United States military build its presence on the Island of Deigo Garcia. “It’s a little island in the middle of nowhere Indian Ocean,” said Dunn while smiling.
After graduating college, Dunn said she struggled to find a job. So, in 1988, she decided to enlist in the air force. “And this is basic training. We were honored to be an honor flight and this is me right here,” said Dunn as she showed me a photo of her basic training class.
After basic training, she was given her assignment. “And I read our orders, and it said Panama City. I was like ‘I’m going home!’ And then I read a little bit more ‘Panama City Panama. Howard Air Force Base,’” she explained while laughing.
However, what she didn’t know was that the United States was planning on taking out the Panamanian dictator, Manuel Noriega. Coming from a tight-knit family to spending 15 months on lockdown in a foreign country while an invasion was happening was tough on her. “You get to feel lonely,” she commented. To make matters worse, she was sexually assaulted. “I didn’t have a clue how much I was suffering,” she explained with grief in her eyes.
WOMEN VETERAN SUICIDE RATE
“I’ve seen many women veterans who are unwilling to share the full scope of their pain,” said Natasha A. Pierre, a mental health educator and an advocate for veterans.According to the latest Veterans Affairs report on […]
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