By Joseph A. Curtatone

(The opinions and views expressed in the commentaries and letters to the Editor of The Somerville Times belong solely to the authors and do not reflect the views or opinions of The Somerville Times, its staff or publishers)

Veterans Day is once again upon us, and it’s an important time for us to honor and appreciate all of the men and women of the Armed Forces who have served and are still serving our country. But this year as we recognize our veterans for all of their sacrifices, we must also recognize that for some of them the challenges they face do not end when they return home.

Back in August the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs released a report about veteran suicide. With the review of more than 55 million veterans’ records from 1979 to 2014 and from every state in the nation, the report was the largest and most comprehensive analysis of the topic.

Tragically, the report concluded that an average of 20 veterans per day died of suicide in 2014. Think about that for a minute: an average of 20 veterans a day. That’s 20 too many. Increasing awareness around the staggering numbers is crucial – as is learning more about the challenges facing veterans in our City.

Earlier this year I joined many City staff members to participate in the veterans pushup challenge (which you can see on the Somerville City Cable’s YouTube channel) to raise awareness about veterans suicide. While I was happy to get the word out, more needs to be done.

There are 1,183 veterans living here in Somerville, according to our latest census data. However, the City’s Office of Military Affairs and Veterans’ Services estimates that number could be as high as 1,700 when accounting for active duty service members and those who haven’t self-identified.  It’s my priority – and our community’s duty – to serve each and every one of them just as they have served all of us. We must do all that we can to ensure that they know they are not only appreciated for their service but also welcomed and supported in our community.

To learn more about the challenges facing our veterans, we have to make sure we know who they are. We’re in the early stages of an enhanced data collection system called Operation Veteran ID. This will allow us to more easily identify our veterans so that we can better assess their individual needs.

Having more information about who our veterans are will also help us launch our SomerVet outreach program. We know outreach is crucial to supporting veterans living here in Somerville. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) report cited that since 2001 the suicide rate among veterans who do not use VA services increased by 38.6 percent while it increased by 8.8 percent during the same time period among those using services. While essential, it’s not just the services that can make a difference. Successful outreach programs that connect our veterans with resources and also with people and networks can make a difference in their quality of life. And that’s what our SomerVet program aims to accomplish – a network of interconnected United States veterans living in Somerville.

The program is still in development, but the outreach efforts are ongoing. This year in honor of Veterans Day, we have some of the veterans in our community headed out to local schools. There they will be able to interact with students and explain what service means to them and why it is so important to take part in service, whether military service or community service through volunteering, activism, or a career.

With the release of the report, the federal department of Veterans Affairs also announced that they would be putting into place numerous new support measures. There is a toll-free veterans crisis telephone line and 60 crisis intervention coordinators to staff the line. In addition, they announced the placement of suicide prevention coordinators at all VA Medical Centers.

To all of our veterans: Thank you will never be enough – not just today with Veterans Day approaching but every day of the year. We owe so much to your courage and selflessness. You are a vital part of our community, and we’re here for you.

If you or a veteran you know is in crisis and in need of assistance, call the Veterans Crisis Line at 1-800-273-8255, text 838255, or visit www.veteranscrisisline.net for a live chat option.