Military Veteran Suicides Exist

After graduating from the American School/International School in the Philippines and spending 24 years as a U.S. Army Soldier, I served three years in Iraq during the Global War on Terrorism. I consider myself one of the lucky ones because I know of many others who wore the uniform, and returned home, but did not fare so well. Too many, in fact, returned in pain: emotional and physical despair and impairment. Too many do not find ways to deal with this pain, and instead take final steps to remove the pain; affecting themselves, their loved ones, and their friends. Suicide by US military veterans is not going away unless we do something. Action is needed now!

Jeff Pappas, a classmate from the American School/International School (AS/IS) Philippines, is doing something tangible to bring national attention to the dire crisis of veteran suicide and the precarious situation of thousands of wild mustangs on federal lands. This venture is not just about awareness but action, as it aims to rescue both veterans and mustangs while creating a positive, mutually beneficial relationship through an innovative equine therapy program.

In a recent publication highlighting Jeff Pappas’s PONIES NORTH venture in 2024, these facts are shared: In an alarming statistic, veterans commit suicide at a rate 57% higher than the general population. In 2021 alone, 8,000 veterans tragically took their own lives. Simultaneously, over 40,000 mustangs face the risk of uncertain futures, desperately in need of permanent homes. Veterans and mustangs remain underserved, unknown, and at-risk despite over 50,000 veteran service organizations and 95,000 animal service groups in the United States.

Jeff Pappas is preparing for a 100-day/1600-mile journey, from the U.S.’s southern border to its northern one, by purchasing mustangs from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and training them to be ridden. Simultaneously, Jeff and his friend, Tom Shiloh, are training our military veterans to care for, feed, shelter, groom, and ride these mustangs. The proven success of equine therapy combines the trained mustangs with the military veterans who train, care for, and ride them. The PONIES NORTH team starts its journey in April 2024!

Action is needed now!

Because Jeff is currently self-funding the purchase and training of these mustangs as well as the training of five military veterans, each of us can take action by contributing to PONIES NORTH's GoFundMe page. No donation is too small, and all donations will go directly to the purchase and training of the Mustangs as well as to the training of five military veterans.

Please donate now, and please share this with your friends and family so they, too, can help contribute to providing veterans the support they need and mustangs the homes they deserve.

To read the entire US Insider article, use this link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1smhFa6fDwJqHjqZ8EhkNmyiIfQ0nMRRt5y0HCmodpaw/edit#heading=h.a5llcktldoaw

To learn more about PONIES NORTH and join their mission, please visit their website here: https://www.poniesnorth.com/

Leslie (Les) F. Kayanan, Ph.D.

AS/ISM Class of 1971

[email redacted]