Marine Corps veteran Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., and Navy veteran Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., are among the sponsors of the Brandon Act: legislation that would give service members a safe phrase that would trigger an automatic referral to a mental health specialist for evaluation. They can say Hey, I have a Brandon Act issue, and theres no questions, no repercussions, they will be given initial counseling and treatment that they need.. All rights reserved. He was running 20 miles per day in SEALs, and all the other activities they'd do, with a broken leg for several days, Patrick Caserta said. Thanks to the tireless advocacy of Teri and Patrick Caserta, and bipartisan support in Congress, our efforts will help us confront military suicide head on and save the lives of other young servicemembers." Brandon Caserta died by suicide on June 25, 2018 on the flight line at Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia. DETROIT (FOX 2) - An attorney for Brandon Caserta, one of two men who were found not guilty on all charges on Friday in the plot to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, says that the. In Norfolk, Brandon was bullied and hazed. "But, you know, all too often the military in these cases just interviews the circle of command, not the circle of trust. Holly Graf perhaps the most notorious. "I called the [Enlisted Community Management Branch] to ask why I got denied, and he said, 'Your senior chief had quite a few negative things to say about you.' His work has appeared in Vice, the Huffington Post, Jezebel, Gothamist, and other publications. Other factors include having spent time in prison or jail, having a mental health disorder or a substance abuse problem, family violence or history of suicide, and having guns in the home, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "If someone is getting smoked, it doesn't make sense to keep that leader, that commander. The bill passed Dec. 15, 2021. Brandon Caserta (@brandon_caserta) / Twitter DETROIT (FOX 2) - An attorney for Brandon Caserta, one of two men who were found not guilty on all charges on Friday in the plot to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, says that the leader of the state was never in any danger and that the case presented by the prosecution was clearly not enough for a conviction. The Tontitown father accused of holding down his son and forcibly piercing his ear is set to appear in court on May 22. Caserta is one of five men facing federal conspiracy charges of plotting to kidnap Whitmer, largely fueled by anger over mask mandates and state restrictions on business and travel during the. Today, a statue of an angel faces the peak, marking the place where his ashes were spread. At one point, according to a military investigative report, a friend took Brandon to the chaplain for help with depression. Among those is a plaque from the group Tribute to Fallen Soldiers. But the military needs to acknowledge their problem and do something about it.. LULAC Presents Presidential Medal To Parents Of Navy Seaman Brandon Caserta "I have to be a voice for somebody that doesn't have a voice. youtube.com You NEED to Pay Attention to This! The jury, made up of six men and six women, elected a foreperson last week and began deliberating Monday after two weeks of primarily prosecution testimony. Kolata, who served in the Navy for 15 years, suffered from mental health issuesbut was afraid of telling her command. This year, the Philippines agreed to give the U.S. access to four more bases on the islands. The video that prosecutors want to show at trialwas preceded by two other videos, according to court records, including one that Caserta livestreamed to Facebook involving a traffic stop with a Canton Police Officer. Normally, sailors have to report their mental health issues to their commanding officer, who then initiates the referral. Senior officials of HSC-28 bear the ultimate responsibility for their failures such as the decision to keep AE1 in charge. Letthis (expletive)go down. "The command disrespected him and they disrespected us," he said. While she was stationed in Germany, she was deployed to Iraq two times. They are part of the problem," Matsuda said. Hills said that the jury recognized that there wasn't enough to convict, even if they didn't everything. A bipartisan group of 10 House members and four Senate members are co-sponsoring the Brandon Act, including Rep. Debbie Lesko, R-Ariz., and Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., a Navy veteran. "The jury, even though they didnt get all of it, they smelled enough of it," he said. They volunteered. Suicide rates have been increasing among members of the military and veterans alike. Brandon Caserta was one of 325 active-duty service members who died by suicide in 2018, and one of 68 sailors, according to military data. Brandon Michael-Ray Caserta is a white man from Michigan, United States. Shortly after the verdict, Whitmer's Chief of Staff JoAnne Huls, issued a statement saying that the trial is normalizing political violence: "Today, Michiganders and Americansespecially our childrenare living through the normalization of political violence. (File photo by Brooke Newman/Cronkite News). After withdrawing from the SEALs, Brandon was transferred to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 28 in Norfolk, Virginia. Monday Scramble: All eyes on Finau, Rahm in Mexico; all ears on McIlroy The FBI on Thursday announced it had arrested five men and charged six in a plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. He then donned a pair of sunglasses, bringing to life an . Neither do his alleged cohorts, who are fighting to keep the jury from hearing those comments, which are part of avideothat prosecutors want to show jurors when the case goes to trial in October. Aircrew Aviation Electrician's Mate Striker Brandon Caserta, 21 died by suicide on June 25, 2018. On Wednesday, they urged all Americans to support the Brandon Act -- a "verbal 911" that may prevent similar tragedies. It just wasnt enough. More recently, the commanding officer of the cruiser Shiloh, Capt. "Trump is not your friend dude and it amazes me that people actually like believe that," Brandon Caserta, one of the men charged with conspiring to kidnap Whitmer, said in a video posted to Twitter He was always on the go. Brandon Casertas bedroom was left as it was except for a few gifts arranged on his bed. "It's a bit like the Catholic Church and the sex abuse scandal," he added. Brandon Caserta Profiles | Facebook It requires a mental health evaluation for service members who self-report a need and allows members to seek help outside the chain of command and for cases to be kept confidential. We just dont want anybody to go through what we did, and we certainly want to help the ones who are going through what Brandon did, Teri Caserta said. Brandon, you will be missed by so many and we are so proud of you. He had never owned a car, didn't have insurance and, while he had taken a driving course as a teen, had never been on the road by himself. This was no . Brandon decided to join the Navy and worked very hard to get a Navy SEAL contract. Asked by the Army to "think outside the box" in studying the deaths, Matsuda found that, given the opportunity, some noncommissioned officers and officers in the chain of command make their subordinates' lives a living hell. As the Casertas began pushing for change, they set up a Facebook page about their son and the legislation he inspired. He biked everywhere he went. The USO, a nonprofit that supports military members and their families, notes that for active duty service members, theres an additional layer of potential stressors on top of the regular ups-and-downs of life that puts them at risk.. He enlisted at age 17 with dreams of becoming a Navy SEAL. Daniel Harris and Brandon Caserta were both found not guilty. Period. ", The LPO eventually was transferred on June 28, 2018, three days after Caserta's death, and only after he was heard making "derogatory and inflammatory comments concerning the deceased.". Being at HSC-28 didn't help: Caserta and his colleagues worked for a lead petty officer (LPO) who berated them publicly, frequently cursed at them and called them out for the slightest infraction. ", Although not particularly familiar with the Brandon Act, Springer did say that it "may offer a critical pathway to ensure that people can step forward and get support in a truly safe and confidential way.". Then, three weeks into SEALstraining, Brandon broke his leg. When they met, they ran into each others arms, hugged and cried. Now $79 (Was $127) on Tripadvisor: Clostermanns Hof, Niederkassel. Caserta's LPO often "screamed, yelled and name-called" when sailors forgot to do something or made a mistake, and he would "throw fits worse than my toddler.". The Associated Press contributed to this report. He deserves to save lives. In a TikTok posted Wednesday, Caserta is shown wearing a Hawaiian shirt, which could be a signifier of the Boogaloo Boys, a militia bent on starting a second civil war. And the command isn't going to admit there is a problem. He uses the term "murder" to describe what they did to his son. I'm going to make this shit 100%clear, dude. President Biden Brings Dark Brandon to Life in Zinger-Filled WHCA James served in the Army for 6 years. In four days, they mailed 700 letters to U.S. representatives and senators. Its time to defend our defenders. Recommend Disciplinary Review Board," stated his counseling record from June 22, 2018. He died soon after that, on June 25, 2018. OK? This is personal, James said. "He was a loving, caring, friendly kid.". We feel that our son would be proud of us and proud that he was involved in saving others' lives. Kelly, who was in the Navy for 24 years, said getting mental health care can be difficult for service members. According tocourt records, Caserta and his cohorts held field training exercises and plotted the kidnapping in the basement of a vacuum shop near Grand Rapids. Follow her on Twitter at @patriciakime. For the most part, this strategy appears to work. Posted on Oct 8, 2020Updated on Oct 8, 2020, 3:05 pm CDT. Brandon Act to Change DoD Mental Health Policy, Pay Tribute to Fallen He expressed to his parents his general unhappiness but nothing too specific. He deserves to be honored. They have met with congressional staff of a dozen senators and representatives, including Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Virginia, and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Arizona, to discuss the treatment they and Brandon received, request an independent investigation and promote efforts to prevent suicide linked to toxic leadership. If he wasnt doing sports, he was working out. He touched so many lives in such a short time. He wanted justice, Patrick said. One of the militiamen accused of plotting to kidnap Michigan Gov. "Adam Fox is usually impaired. "And in some cases, people who are ridden hard can't take it. I have zero patience for immoral coward criminals. Here is whatprosecutors want the jury to hear, taken from this Oct. 7, 2020, clipof Caserta stating the following: "And I'm telling you what, right now, man. VERDICT: 2 men found not guilty in kidnap plot trial - WXYZ I was stripped of all of my duties and reassigned to a position that didn't exist, Romero said. "Our governor was never in any danger". "When I checked out of the command, I told them that if they kept treating people this way, they are going to have something really bad happen. "He was the kind of person that would drop whatever he was doing to help someone else. But another accident happened. 2023 Cronkite News. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. U.S. military hasn't implemented measure to help service members seek At a press conference on Capitol Hill Wednesday, Moulton said the Brandon Act would empower service members to manage their mental health during a crisis. Military members who take their own lives are largely men younger than 30. Governor Whitmer's office issued a statement after the outcome was announced, decrying "the normalization of political violence.". Adam Aycock, who managed to complete his command tour, was found to have overseen a ship in complete dysfunction, his leadership threatening the ship's readiness by causing exhaustion, despair and suicidal thoughts among sailors, according to a report in Navy Times. "This bill will ensure our service members can get help and have no fear of retaliation for doing so, as its the right thing to do, Moulton said. Caserta broke his collarbone while riding his bicycle, threatening his chance to make the move. And were not done.. Brandon Act, named for Brandon Caserta, meant to address suicide in the As they learned more about the workings of the Capitol, Teri and Patrick grew more confident that the bill could be passed into law and scheduled more appointments for April 2020. Caserta is one of five militia members who were arrested in the fall of 2020 in an FBI sting outside an Ypsilanti warehouse. After returning to the Norfolk base about one month later, on June 25, 2018, Brandon Caserta jumped into the spinning tail rotor of a helicopter on the flight line. He always found and saw the good in people. They should be put up on a pedestal.. Back at the squadron, he was sent to anger management classes and reassigned as LPO over Brandon and other junior sailors under a new chief petty officer "as a leadership challenge.". As the platoons substance abuse and drug coordinator for a command stationed in New Mexico, many soldiers were coming to her with drug problems, asking her if they could be sent to rehab. It was the happiest we'd ever seen him, Patrick said. That compares with a national suicide rate of 13.5 in 2020. Without accountability, extremists will be emboldened," said the statement by Whitmer's chief of staff, JoAnne Huls. "The real strength of our military, the thing that matters most and the thing that sets us apart is our people," added Kelly. In a lot of big organizations, theres always a resistance to change, Kelly said.
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