“On April 29, 2019, I got a phone call from my son,” said Betty Buck, “Danny said goodbye and hung up the phone, then tragically took his own life.”
Over a five-hour call with his mom, Danny described the sexual assault he faced during his service in the Navy. Danny felt helpless.
Following Danny’s passing, Betty made it her mission to shed light on the prevalent issues of sexual assault and suicide within the military and became an advocate for suicide prevention through her foundation, HM2 Buck for Hope.
According to the Washington Post, military suicide takes more lives than combat, ending 22 service member’s lives every single day. Betty founded HM2 Buck for Hope in an effort to lower this number, normalize the mental toll our service members face, and make resources more readily available.
In fact, on July 16, 2022, the U.S. recognized 988 as the 24/7 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline to make seeking help easier in times of need.
If you’re not quite ready to pick up the phone and make a call, there’s also a free chat option. By texting 838-255, you will be put directly in touch with a trained counselor to help de-escalate your situation. Whether it’s for you or someone else, the Veterans Crisis Line wants to help anyone who reaches out.
HM2 Buck for Hope has curated an ongoing list of resources available for service members, veterans, and their families to use in emergencies. The list can currently be found through their social media pages on Instagram, Twitter, or online.
One available resource is the Center for Deployment Psychology, which is a group that offers training events that teach skills to deal with mental struggles developed through military service.
Another resource is Reporting on Suicide, which guides you through the steps in dealing with suicide after the fact.
Many cases of suicide, especially within our armed forces, are overlooked. Worst nightmares become realities for many, and HM2 Buck for Hope wants to do all they can to prevent the hardships, internal struggles, and metal battles our service members face.
Like Danny, many of our active duty and veteran patriots go unheard. Giving a voice to those who feel voiceless and ending the stigmas placed on our military men and women is what HM2 Buck for Hope was founded on. This foundation wants to shed light on the difficulties our service members deal with, so they know they’re not on their own. Mental health is a tough challenge that no one should have to face alone.
Many of our service members are left feeling defeated even after reporting sexual assault cases. According to the New York Times, “Of the more than 6,200 sexual-assault reports made by United States service members in fiscal year 2020, only 50 — 0.8 percent — ended in sex-offense convictions under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, roughly one-third as many convictions as in 2019.”
Foundations like HM2 Buck for Hope give our active duty and veteran men and women hope for a brighter future and erase the shame of mental tolls taken on during their time in the military.
By making these resources readily available, HM2 Buck for Hope actively showcases the issues of suicide within the armed forces. When light is shed on the issues people so often avoid discussing, it allows for real change to be made.
This foundation strives to help service members, past and present, and their families to receive the support they need for challenges that are too often dismissed.
HM2 Buck for Hope’s new campaign will focus on promoting the tools needed to successfully recover from service in the U.S. armed forces. Not only will this campaign support the service members and veterans, but their family and friends, too.
“We must absolutely do what we can to protect our service men and women,” says Betty. With our service members’ best interest in mind, Betty wants to bring justice to our service members, uncover military sexual assault, and advocate for suicide prevention through her foundation, HM2 Buck for Hope. Donate Here.
