Why the Brandon Caserta Foundation was created
At The Brandon Caserta Foundation, we have done more than we expected to do. We created this Foundation in memory of Brandon Caserta who took his life on June 25, 2018, after being bullied, hazed, sexually assaulted, and many other things.
The Passage of The Brandon Act
The Brandon Act was passed as part of the 2022 National Defense Authorization Act on December 27, 2021. Since its passage, we have been working with congressional offices to get this act implemented. The deadline for implementation is March 2023. We are monitoring this very closely.
The Creation of The Brandon Caserta Foundation
Since the passage of The Brandon Act, we created this foundation so that we can help service members, veterans, and families with getting mental health help especially when they are denied medical help. We will provide assistance, guidance, education, and resources to active-duty service members, veterans, and their families. The protection of the men and women who have selflessly volunteered and dedicated their lives to serve this great Nation is desperately needed. The Brandon Caserta Foundation will protect the health and well-being of our Military Force and veterans.
Our mission is to stop the suicide epidemic in the Armed Forces and veteran communities. It’s time to defend our defenders. One suicide is too many!
The Brandon Caserta Foundation’s vision is to provide travel expenses to families of service members who are in crisis and need support. This would include airfare, hotel accommodations, rental car/Uber/Lyft, meals, etc. We would also like to honor the service members we have lost to suicide by providing benches and shade trees in their respective cities. This memorial monument would give family members a place to sit, reflect and feel connected with their loved ones.
The Brandon Act and The Brandon Caserta Foundation Were Honored
On May 19, 2022, Patrick and I were honored by Head Strong at their yearly Gala in New York City, NY. We sat next to Congressman Seth Moulton, The Brandon Act sponsor, and his wife. Congressman Moulton introduced us to the attendees where we were allowed to tell Brandon’s story and spoke about The Brandon Caserta Foundation. They presented us with a plaque that thanked us for our untiring efforts to ensure Brandon’s legacy brings hope and promise to our nation’s service members.
On December 2, 2022, Arizona Representative, Debbie Lesko, recognized The Brandon Caserta Foundation. Debbie Lesko’s Facebook post: “Our office was honored to present The Brandon Caserta Foundation with a Congressional Recognition for going above and beyond to combat the tragic epidemic of active duty and veteran suicide. I was pleased to support the Brandon Act, named after fallen U.S. Navy Petty Officer Third Class Brandon Caserta. The Brandon Caserta Foundation provides invaluable assistance and ensures active duty service members, veterans, and their families receive the mental health support they need.” Thank you Congresswoman Lesko for your support.
On December 7, 2022, The Brandon Act was added to the Peoria, Arizona Decades Wall as a significant milestone for the city. Peoria Mayor, Cathy Carlat, unveiled the newly created wall paying homage to Patrick and Teri Caserta for their perseverance and dedication to getting the Act passed through Congress, a daunting ordeal.
On December 14, 2022, Congresswoman Debbie Lesko recognized Brandon and The Brandon Act on the US House of Representatives floor with a short speech. To view and hear her speech, please follow this link: Rep. Lesko Honors Brandon Caserta – YouTube
Pentagon Meeting
On December 20, 2022, Patrick and I, along with several board members of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) were able to meet with the Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Bob Hogue, Dr. Charles “Chuck” Barber, Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Programs, Linda Dent-Mitchell, Staff Director/Chief of Staff, Lori Zinck, Staff Analyst, John Sullivan, Jr., COL USMC, Senior Military Advisor Christie O’Connell, Executive Assistant. We were able to speak with them about Brandon, his case, what we would like to see happen, and how we would like to help them in getting The Brandon Act implemented. They were all very receptive and admired us for what we have done in getting legislation passed and our perseverance. They assured us this was the first of at least two meetings we will have with them.