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Having served his country for 34 years and losing his leg to exposure to weapons burn its in Afghnistan, Kevin Bittenbender turned his efforts -- his hard work and selflessness -- to the men and women with whom he served.
Bittenbender founded Joint Task Force 22 to Zero, a nonprofit working to address post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injuries and suicide risks for veterans.
In speaking to a human services expo organized by state Rep. Jamie Flick, R-South Williamsport, Bittenbender urged veterans struggling with thoughts of suicide or with PTSD or traumatic brain injuries to reach out for assistance -- and everyone in the community to help each other in times of need.
"There used to be this ice bucket challenge years ago, and there used to be 22 push ups. Twenty-two is a very ominous number because 22 veterans commit suicide a day because of PTSD," Bittenbender told the expo, according to an article in this past weekend's edition of the Sun-Gazette.
"For the next 22 days, pick the phone up, call someone, call a friend and say, 'listen, you may not be struggling, but I want you to know that I'm here, that if you do struggle or are struggling, you can reach back to me and call me,' and then tell them to do the same," Bittenbender advised.
We appreciate Flick's leadership in organizing this event and we appreciate Bittenbender's service to our nation. But most of all today, we want to acknowledge that are grateful -- and believe everyone should be grateful -- for what Bittenbender is doing now to built support systems for all veterans and first responders confronted with the painful burdens of their service.
We hope his efforts to alleviate the risk of succumbing to suicide are successful and we hope our communities can continue to find ways of supporting this vital mission.