Jonathan Jackson had all the makings of another statistic. In 2013, after being refused deployment by the Army because of physical complications arising from his traumatic brain injury, Jackson found himself at the mercy of the invisible wounds so many combat veterans bring home from the battlefield. And those invisible wounds were preparing to take his life.
The Department of Veterans Affairs lists some alarming statistics. According to an internal survey, 29 percent of combat veterans who served during Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom have reported experiencing, in varying degrees of severity, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). An even more alarming statistic shows that veterans commit suicide at a rate 1.5 times higher than the civilian population. These are stats Jackson knew all too well, having watched many of his fellow soldiers suffer and end their lives in suicide.
