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A message from League of United Latin American Citizens
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View as web page:
[link removed]
James Fukuda, U.S. Navy Interim Assistant Secretary Robert D. Hogue, Rafaela
Schwan - LULAC Interim Chief Operating Officer, Teri Caserta and Patrick Caserta
- Co-Authors of the Brandon Act, Roman Palomares - LULAC Military and Government
Affairs Chair, and Art Motta - LULAC Policy Director.
LULAC AND U.S. NAVY MEET AT THE PENTAGON AND DISCUSS ACTIONS TO ADDRESS
SERVICEMEMBER SUICIDES
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Nation's Largest and Oldest Latino Civil Rights Organization Is Joined by Gold
Star Parents, Teri, and Patrick Caserta for Talks on the Military Crisis
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Washington, DC – The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) held the
first of two meetings with the U.S. Navy, a landmark in the organization's
93-year history. LULAC was joined by the authors of the Brandon Act, which was
signed by President Biden in December 2021 but has yet to be implemented. The law
authorizes mental health resources for servicemembers without prior command
approval or fear of retaliation. LULAC and the Brandon Caserta Foundation called
for the meeting as deaths by suicide continue to spike in all U.S. military
branches.
"We are here because we want to work with the military in saving our
servicemembers' lives," said Roman Palomares, LULAC Military and Veterans Affairs
Chair, in speaking with Robert D. Hogue, Acting Assistant Secretary in charge of
Manpower and Reserve Affairs for the U.S. Department of the Navy. "The first step
is to learn what the Navy is doing to prevent suicides. From our standpoint in
the communities, we don't know. This is why many Latino families are afraid to
let their children enlist in the military if they cannot be protected," added
Palomares.
Teri and Patrick Caserta told the Navy leadership staff that their son Brandon
Caserta died by suicide in June 2018 after suffering chronic bullying by toxic
leadership. "Our son's death was murder-by-suicide within a Navy command that
didn't care about him," said Patrick Caserta. "Despite that, we still love the
Navy, and we are here because we want to make a difference," he added. Teri
Caserta said she receives calls daily from military moms, wives, and families
whose loved ones have died by suicide. "We are the frontline first responders and
believe the best way to do that is by building awareness about services they can
access, but the Navy must implement the Brandon Act. Our servicemen and women
have to see that we care and that they matter," she said.
Rafaela Schwan, LULAC Interim Chief Operating Officer, told Hogue that the
organization's councils across the United States and Puerto Rico offer a safe
place for servicemembers in crisis to find support in familiar settings. "As
parents, we all accept that joining the military means risk for our children at
the hands of an enemy," said Schwan. "However, we cannot accept losing our sons
and daughters here at home because we missed the danger signs or didn't know how
to help them. LULAC is prepared to work with the Navy or on our own to ensure
that our communities' loved ones are valued and protected," she added. The next
meeting is scheduled for January between U.S. Navy Secretary Carlos del Toro and
LULAC national president Domingo Garcia.
James Fukuda, LULAC national board member and vice-president for the northeast
United States, said the military's challenge is aligning its practices with
present-day youths exposed to a high-tech environment and a myriad of career
choices. "The military can still be a very positive experience, but we must work
together to develop new ways to attract youths and keep them engaged. LULAC is
positioned to help the Navy do that," said Fukuda.
###
About LULAC
The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) is the nation's largest and
oldest Hispanic civil rights volunteer-based organization that empowers Hispanic
Americans and builds strong Latino communities. Headquartered in Washington, DC,
with 1,000 councils around the United States and Puerto Rico, LULAC's programs,
services, and advocacy address the most important issues for Latinos, meeting the
critical needs of today and the future. For more information, visit www.lulac.org [ [link removed] ]
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