To the editor:

There is a heart-wrenching crisis in our veteran community. The latest records show that 1,284 veterans in the Midwestern region alone ended their lives prematurely. This has been devastating for our communities, leaving many people across our state asking why this keeps happening.

Fortunately, Congress has taken action to help flatten the curve of veteran suicides. We’re in a better position to save lives now that President Trump and our representatives in Congress approved $25 million to research veteran suicides by firearm.

However, collecting data takes time and more work needs to be done to help bring an end to this unfortunate situation. Our lawmakers in Washington owe it to our veterans to continue additional funding for this important research. With additional funding for research, Congress, policymakers, and stakeholders would have a better picture of the driving forces behind veteran suicides, such as key data regarding the factors causing most veteran suicides.

Senator Ernst, who is a veteran herself, personally understands this issue and has been a great advocate for our veterans. With her support, we can help save the lives of more veterans.

Carl Legore, Sgt. Maj., U.S. Army, retired

Rockwell City