Mission 22

Other

June 23, 2017

Each issue in this section, the editorial staff of Military Embedded Systems will highlight a different charity that benefits military veterans and their families. We are honored to cover the technology that protects those who protect us every day. 

This issue we are highlighting Mission 22, an organization that seeks to increase awareness about the number of former soldiers who do not survive life as a civilian. According to the organization, every day, 22 American combat veterans commit suicide, a result of untreated or improperly treated post-traumatic stress (PTS) and traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Elder Heart is the 501(c)(3) behind Mission 22; its board of directors is comprised of former Special Forces operators Magnus Johnson and Mike Kissel and Infantryman Brad Hubbard. Elder Heart founders Johnson, Kissel, and Hubbard – noting a lack of awareness of the problem of veteran suicide in the general public – formed Mission 22, a program of awareness aimed at reminding people of the challenges facing returning veterans every day. Using hashtags and media support, the effort encourages people to post images of “22” – from street signs to house numbers to custom art – on their social media and tell people why they’re doing it.

Mission 22 has two primary goals: The founders want to expand their resources for veterans’ families and communities to “Save the 22” veterans who might otherwise take their own lives this year. Secondly, the organization wants to erect a memorial in Washington, D.C., to memorialize the homefront victims of wars, who gave their lives for their country just as surely as those killed in action.

For more information, please visit www.mission22.com.