Parents Celebrate New Military Mental Health Measures They Fought for After Son's Suicide in the Navy

“Today is a great day for our service members and our nation,” Teri and Patrick Caserta — the parents behind The Brandon Act — exclusively tell PEOPLE

Mag Rollout - Brandon Act: Mental health for military personnel
Teri and Patrick Caserta. Photo: Courtesy Teri Caserta

The U.S. will soon enact The Brandon Act's mental health measures to prevent suicide in the military — and the parents behind the law tell PEOPLE exclusively that their late son's legacy will "forever live on" in the new policies.

Sitting in their Peoria, Arizona, home, Patrick and Teri Caserta frequently glance at their hutch holding the remains of their only child, Brandon.

Brandon, an aviation electrician third class, died by suicide on June 25, 2018, on the flight line at Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia. After his death at age 21, his parents and friends discovered six notes in which Brandon explained he was hazed and bullied by members and leaders of his Navy helicopter squadron.

After five years of lobbying for confidential military mental health benefits, the Casertas are grateful the Pentagon will announce the enacted measures on Friday, May 5. It will allow others with mental health issues like Brandon to receive help without retaliation, reprimand or going through their chain of command.

"Today is a great day for our service members and our nation to know that DoD has signed The Brandon Act into implementation," the couple tells PEOPLE.

"Brandon's legacy of saving lives will forever live on through The Brandon Act and The Brandon Caserta Foundation. We are losing far too many to suicide. Suicide is tragic and senseless. It is 100% preventable. This allows our military force to be stronger and more mentally fit," adds the couple.

Mag Rollout - Brandon Act: Mental health for military personnel
Brandon Caserta. Courtesy Teri Caserta

The Brandon Act protects all levels of military personnel and ranks. Service members can invoke The Brandon Act for any issue they may struggle with and encounter, the Casertas said. That includes depression, anxiety, sexual assault/harassment, retaliation, bullying, hazing, toxic and abusive leadership, abusive power, any type of discrimination, disability, gambling and alcohol issues.

As soon as service members self-report, they will undergo a mental health evaluation. It requires the U.S. Department of Defense to provide annual training on how to recognize when members may need a mental health evaluation.

Mag Rollout - Brandon Act: Mental health for military personnel
Brandon and Patrick Caserta. Courtesy Teri Caserta

"Taking care of our people remains a priority for leaders in the Department of Defense and the Department is committed to making lasting, substantial change to improve mental health and address suicide," Dr. Lester Martinez-Lopez, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, tells PEOPLE in a statement.

"We are diligently working to implement National Defense Authorization Act Fiscal Year 2022 legislation (Section 704), known as the Brandon Act. Once implemented, service members will be able to request a mental health evaluation for any basis, by initiating a referral through a commanding officer or supervisor," adds the official. "The new process will require the commander or supervisor to refer the service member to mental health provider and protect the confidentiality of the service member to the maximum extent practicable in accordance with applicable laws and DoD policy."

Adds Martinez-Lopez: "As the Department continues to work to reduce mental health stigma and encourage help seeking, we want to reinforce that there is a full continuum of mental health and wellness support available worldwide. There are specialty and primary care clinics, embedded behavioral health providers within units, and virtual health platforms."

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U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA) announced Dec. 15, 2021, that the Senate passed the Fiscal Year 2022 National Defense Authorization Act that included the Brandon Act.

"For months, I worked with Republicans and Democrats to get the language of the Brandon Act in the defense bill," Kelly said in a statement at the time.

"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 service members," Kelly continued.

Mag Rollout - Brandon Act: Mental health for military personnel
Patrick and Teri Caserta. Courtesy Teri Caserta

Moulton, the bill's author, added. "America's service members shouldn't have to settle for a broken system that's incapable of providing them with the mental health support they need, and today's vote means they no longer have to. This bill is an important piece of Brandon's legacy — one that will save the lives of so many great American heroes. I'm proud of his parents for fighting to make sure that families of other service members never have to share their experience, and I look forward to continuing to do this work alongside them."

According to the 2021 DoD annual report on suicide in the military, 519 service members died by suicide with "young, enlisted male service members found to be at greatest risk."

The report showed suicide rates for active service members have increased since 2011, although 2021 was lower than 2020. Firearms were the primary method of suicide deaths.

Mag Rollout - Brandon Act: Mental health for military personnel
Teri and Brandon Caserta. Courtesy Teri Caserta

In addition to having a "great personality," Teri says her son was "funny, very kind and very generous."

That makes The Brandon Act the perfect way to honor his legacy. "He really would give the shirt off his back for someone," she says.

"Here's a cute little story," she recalls. "When Brandon started all-day school, we had to set up an account so he could buy his lunch. We noticed that it was dwindling quite fast."

Mag Rollout - Brandon Act: Mental health for military personnel
Courtesy Teri Caserta

His parents asked if he was eating two lunches. Brandon wasn't — he was purchasing meals for less fortunate kids. Teri told him to continue, which he did through high school.

"He would help anybody who was struggling, whether it was mentally or academically or even with extracurricular activities like track and football," she says. "He did have the biggest, brightest smile. And he would light up a room when he smiled."

His decision to join the military caught his parents by surprise. A 22-year retired Navy senior chief, Patrick tried to sway his son's thoughts, but Brandon was adamant.

"We didn't know why," he says. "Then we thought about it. He was in swimming and karate since he was 4. He was in sports year-round, and it made sense."

Mag Rollout - Brandon Act: Mental health for military personnel
Brandon Caserta. Courtesy Teri Caserta

Brandon's goal was to join a police force's SWAT unit, but he couldn't do so until he was 21. They said he thought becoming a SEAL would look good on his resume. To support their son, the Casertas bought him a SEAL mask, goggles, fins, snorkel, swimsuit and weightlifting equipment."

"He wanted this weighted vest that I bought for him," Patrick says. "I swear, it was like 300 lbs. I still have it and he would run with that on."

The last time they saw their son was during a visit to Krispy Kreme on the way to Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix for Brandon's return flight. Each of them was in tears.

Mag Rollout - Brandon Act: Mental health for military personnel
Brandon Caserta. Courtesy Teri Caserta

At work on June 25, 2018, Brandon told a plane captain — over helicopter noise — "I'm sorry for what you are about to see," ran to the rotating rear tail rotor, jumped, missed and then jumped again and made contact.

"He did this in front of his command and flight line," Patrick said. In response, they founded the Brandon Caserta Foundation to provide assistance, guidance, education and resources to active-duty service members, veterans and their families.

"We love our military and service members," Teri said. "That is why we created and lobbied hard for The Brandon Act. We know the Brandon Act along with the other DoD resources will save military lives."

You can find more information about Brandon Caserta Memorial Scholarship here, and learn more about The Brandon Caserta Foundation here.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 or go to 988lifeline.org.

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