Leaving his quiet, small town, Michael flew across the world to Germany. Eventually, continuing on to Saudi Arabia. This was a major culture shock for a young man from Montana. He had never seen such large cities and a world so different from what he’s always known. Michael would go on to join the forces on the ground in the Gulf War. This was the first of eleven tours in combat Michael would have in his military career. Over the years, he began to dream about becoming a military diver. Michael describes how the water was his sanctuary ever since he was a child visiting his grandparents’ house at the lake. Divers were required to take the extensive Special Forces physical. Although he passed, he was denied from the program due to his rank being too high. Not wanting the physical to go to waste, Michael ventured down the path of the Army’s Special Forces. He made it all the way to the end but was passed over at selection. His determination and perseverance brought him back one year later, where he excelled and officially became a Green Beret, one of the most highly skilled soldiers in the world. He served in a variety of roles, including as a warrant officer and a Special Forces medic. After 14 years of being operational, Michael finally asked for a break to finish college and work on his marriage. It was approved, no questions asked. He deserved a long awaited break. Michael enrolled at Austin Peay State University. Unfortunately, the Army had different plans for him. One day, while studying, he was pulled into a meeting where he was told 5th group was tasked to provide a specialized detail to the CIA. He had to go on branch detail to the agency instead of taking his full time off. Michael made the decision that after his time with the agency, he would retire. While this was the right decision for him, retirement was not easy. A loss of identity, a loss of purpose, and the devastating loss of community, can lead Veterans to a dark place. Losing your team, a team that becomes closer than family, can be extremely isolating. When he began to spiral, it was his neighbors that pulled him from the darkness. They invited him to join them and they gave him love. Michael says, “If I could feel this way, what are my brothers and sisters going through?” Veteran suicide is plaguing the United States. The most recent data from the Department of Veterans Affairs Annual Report on National Veteran Suicide Prevention reports 16.8 Veteran suicides per day. A recent study, Operation Deep Dive, conducted by the University of Alabama, Duke University, and the Veteran nonprofit The American Warrior Partnership, shows that the daily number is closer to 44 Veterans a day. Since 9/11, that would account for more than 306,000 American heroes who have lost their battle with suicide. These numbers reveal the national epidemic of Veteran suicide. As Michael states, “Suicide is not the problem; suicide is a symptom of the problem.” Check A Vet is a nonprofit that is fighting Veteran suicide with a different approach. Michael Carmichael founded this organization to fill the need that so many other nonprofits were missing. 18 NOVEMBER 2023 | INTHEVUE.COM
