PEORIA, Ariz. — Brandon Caserta was just 21 years old when he died by suicide. The Peoria native served in the U.S. Navy when he was stationed in Virginia in 2018. His parents, Patrick and Teri Caserta, said he had been battling depression.
“Many people at the command center told me repeatedly that he was saying, ‘I’m depressed and I need help,'” Patrick said. They told him to call it quits and get back to his job. ”
Patrick, a former senior captain in the U.S. Navy, believes that while the stigma surrounding mental health has diminished in the civilian world, the same can’t be said for military life.
“When I was on active duty for 22 years, I would have gotten mental health treatment…my career would have been over. Literally over,” Patrick said.
The couple made it their lifelong mission to pass “Brandon’s Law.” On May 5 of last year, the Department of Defense officially implemented the law in all major branches of the military.
Service members suffering from any type of mental health issue, sexual harassment, gambling, etc. can report the issue to their commander and are guaranteed treatment within 24 hours. Service members can also invoke the Brandon Law on behalf of fellow service members who are struggling. It includes confidentiality clauses that ensure military personnel are not exposed to retaliation from higher-ups.
“No military member should ever go through what Brandon went through,” Terry said. She explains how much of a burden it is on her family and hopes that no other parent will go through this kind of pain.
“It’s heartbreaking to lose a child…the only child we have.”
Since the law was passed, Teri said countless military families have told her how Brandon’s law has impacted their lives or the lives of their loved ones. Just this week, she said, her sailor mother called her after her son was admitted to the hospital.
“When he went there, he said, ‘I’m exercising my rights and I’m invoking Brandon Law,'” she recalled. “I’ve had quite a few mothers and military members let me know that they’ve invoked Brandon’s Law. The only reason they’re still here is because they’ve invoked Brandon’s Law.”
If the law had been in place in 2018, Terry said, he is certain of one thing: “Brandon would still be alive.”
