Ryan Larkin was a Navy SEAL who survived combat but lost his life to wounds no one could see. His story, recently shared by his father Frank on 60 Minutes (story begins at 16:03), is one that every American should see, especially those who have served in the Armed Forces. Ryan’s story offers a painful reminder that the fight doesn’t always end when someone comes home confirming that suicide prevention must be a national priority.

I had the honor of meeting Frank during my work in Washington, D.C., as part of the national effort to prevent suicide among service members and veterans. I was there alongside Frank the day President Trump signed the executive order launching the PREVENTS initiative.

Frank lost his son, Ryan, a Navy SEAL who served our nation with everything he had. But even someone that strong, that elite, wasn’t immune to the unseen wounds of war. After surviving combat, Ryan lost his life to suicide. Frank was driven to understand his son’s situation – leading him to uncover new insights into invisible wounds that are thought to be caused by repeatedly firing weapons and percussive blasts.

The recent 60 Minutes story about Frank and Ryan brought national attention to what many of us have known for far too long- suicide among our military community is a national tragedy that requires local and national collaboration to solve. Frank’s story, while tragic, also offers hope – showing how a community of people who care can  create change.

At the Arizona Coalition for Military Families, we’ve spent the last 15 years building a framework in our state to support service members, veterans, and their families before things reach a crisis point. Our Be Connected program is part of that mission. It helps people navigate life’s challenges, access support, and find community, all with the goal of preventing suicide.

Arizona has become a national model for upstream suicide prevention, and I’ve been proud to bring that work to the attention of leaders in Washington, including members of our congressional delegation. Our message has remained clear: Arizona must have a seat at the national table. Our veterans deserve it. Their families deserve it. And the solutions we’ve developed here can serve as a blueprint for the nation—so that every service member, veteran, and family across America can benefit.

Since the day President Trump signed the PREVENTS executive order at The White House when I stood side by side with Frank Larkin, to today, I’ve continued to advocate in D.C. sharing Arizona’s approach, our lessons learned, and the results we’ve seen across our state. Frank and I both spoke that day, united in our commitment to preventing suicide and supporting service members, veterans, and their families. We later invited Frank to speak at the Statewide Symposium in Support of Service Members, Veterans and Their Families, where he shared Ryan’s story and his family’s journey with heartbreaking honesty.

At the end of the day, this isn’t about programs or politics. It’s about people helping people so no family has to ensure the loss of their service member or veteran to suicide.