NORFOLK, Va. — Colonel David Hyman tells me he'll never forget September 6, 2023. It was the Marine's first day on a new assignment in Norfolk.
"I didn't know what I was walking into, but just something didn't seem right in that situation," Hyman recalled.
On that day, Col. Hyman would cross paths with a sailor on Naval Station Norfolk. Both of their lives would forever change. As Col. Hyman walked to his truck, he noticed someone hidden away in a smoking area. He told me something drew him to the man, to ask if he needed help.
"He looked at me and he said, 'No, I don't need help. I just need you to leave,'" he told me. "And my response to him at that time was, 'Hey stud, I can't leave. Let's have a conversation, let's talk.'"
Col. Hyman quickly realized the sailor planned to take his own life.
"I said, 'My name is David. Let's just have a conversation.' I asked him what his name was. He was very respectful, courteous, he told me his name. And then he immediately started to cry," said Col. Hyman.
That sailor's story is not unique. In doing research for this report, I found suicide rates in the military are at an all-time high. The Department of Defense is now investing millions of dollars in fixes, including the newly-adopted Brandon Act. The new law provides confidential mental health care to service members. President Biden signed the Brandon Act into law in 2021, but it took the Pentagon more than a year to implement. The law is named after Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Brandon Caserta, also stationed in Norfolk. Caserta died by suicide in 2018. His parents say he was bullied by his squadron command.
Five years later after Caserta's death, Col. Hyman reflects on his words to another young sailor in distress.
"What I tried to convey to the sailor was a genuine care for another human being, regardless of your rank, regardless of your background," he told me.
That 'genuine care' worked: Col. Hyman was able to talk the sailor out of his plan and get him the help he needed. A life saved, all because someone took the time to talk.
"We hugged it out for probably (...) five or ten seconds. It felt like the world, time, stopped for that moment," said Col. Hyman.
If you or anyone you know is feeling thoughts of suicide or self-harm, dial 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
