Peoria man's parents fight for military mental health
Son’s death prompts battle for better help
Sen. Mark Kelly speaks in favor of the Brandon Act in Washington D.C., June 16
From a young age, Brandon Caserta wanted to be a Navy SEAL and it was a driving force in everything that he did.
He was heavily involved in karate and swimming since the age of 4, so much so that vacations for the Caserta family were planned around lessons and classes.
A multi-sport athlete at Liberty and Sunrise Mountain high schools, he decided to quit football after a couple injuries and replace it with the swim team — a smart move for a young man who knew his future would be in the water.
He joined the Navy in 2015 after graduating from high school at the age of 17 and experienced a period of sustained bullying and hazing from not only his fellow sailors but also leadership, with no support from his commanding officers.
The lack of support ended in Brandon dying by suicide on June 25, 2018 on his Navy Helicopter Squadron’s flight line in Norfolk, Virgina.
Now his parents, Teri and Patrick, are fighting for his legacy and justice.
They are in Washington, D.C. this week promoting the Brandon Act, named in honor of their son, which would require the Department of Defense to establish a standard phrase service members may use to initiate a mandatory and immediate mental health evaluation referral.
The Casertas say the Brandon Act is truly a matter of life and death and will prevent other service members from having to go through what their son went through.
“Brandon had a smile that made everyone want to smile. He had Magic Johnson’s smile. He cared about everyone and was always there for them,” Patrick said. “It’s easier to change laws than it is to change ideas and habits. Everything happens for a reason, the challenge is finding that reason. … This act will keep service members alive while they are trying to navigate through the difficult aspects of the military and the road blocks that are put before them.”
Bullying and hazing are not uncommon in the Navy, and those actions perpetrated on Brandon were well known to those in his chain of command.
Within about a year from joining the Navy, he began SEAL training and the harassment was in full force.
Teri said they would steal his uniforms, boots and other items that were issued to him.
“We were told he had a target on his back,” she said. “The harassment was not done by just one person. It was done by the entire command and his direct leadership, in particular his command career counselor,” she said.
Patrick added no one helped him and he felt he could not get help from anyone because of the retaliation he knew he would receive. Brandon told many people he was depressed and all they told him was “suck it up” and go back to work, his father said.
Petty Officer Caserta’s death was one of 68 Navy suicides in 2018 — at the time, the highest year on record. Since then, the Defense Department has reported 377 active duty suicides in 2020, up from 348 in 2019, and 326 in 2018.
