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At Trident Proposal Management, we are more than just a service-disabled veteran-owned small business; we are part of a community that understands the struggles and sacrifices that often accompany military life. Ninety-one percent of our staff have some military affiliation. What that means is many of us have also experienced heart-wrenching losses of friends and colleagues, not just during military operations and training accidents, but also through the silent battle of suicide. These losses ripple through families, commands/units, and communities. That’s why this year, from Memorial Day to Veterans Day, we are launching a social media campaign focused on veteran suicide awareness and prevention.

This campaign is driven by a deep sense of purpose as we aim to honor those we’ve lost, provide hope and resources to those still struggling, and inspire our community to take meaningful action.

The Campaign Plan

“Suicide was the 12th-leading cause of death for Veterans in 2022. Suicide was the 2nd-leading cause of death for Veterans under [the age of] 45,” according to the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Every day, an estimated 17.6 veterans lose their lives to suicide (source). According to the latest statistics from the VA, there were 6,407 Veteran suicide deaths in 2022* (*2022 is the latest reporting period from the VA). Behind this number are the stories of invisible battles that require support and action.

In remembrance of the 17 lives lost daily, we intend to post on the 17th of each month during our campaign. Starting in June, each post will be a message of awareness, hope, and action aimed at fostering understanding and encouraging support.

Our goal is to provide a positive reminder that you are not alone. That, despite leaving service or leaving the battlefield, there are people who care about you, want to support you, and are committed to checking on you.

We’re also taking it one step further by partnering with KSA Integration and joining their Suicide Awareness Campaign. KSA Integration’s Buddy Check Thursdays and Spotlight Saturdays are two of many ways to raise awareness, provide resources, and create a lasting difference.

Trident Proposal Management's Commitment to Veteran Suicide Prevention

Trident Proposal Management is launching this campaign to not only honor but also support the veteran community.

Our partnership with KSA Integration offers a proactive, community-driven solution to combat the stigma and challenges surrounding veteran mental health. This campaign focuses on three core objectives:

• Raising Awareness about the mental health issues affecting veterans and the importance of suicide prevention.
• Providing Support through the resources and tools offered by KSA Integration’s campaign.
• Encouraging Community Action to ensure veterans feel valued, understood, and supported.

KSA Integration’s Campaign

KSA Integration’s Suicide Awareness Campaign, launched in January 2025, offers a proactive, community-driven approach to addressing this issue.

“Last year, our leadership team became aware that most, if not all, of our colleagues have been directly affected by the tragic rise in post-9/11 veteran suicide,” said Dave Danelo, KSA Integration Research Director. “Since over 75% of our employees are veterans, we wanted our 2025 social media campaign to provide a specific call to action that might help and highlight the good work so many in our community are already doing.”

Enter the Buddy Check Thursday and the Spotlight Saturday. Both initiatives are designed to raise awareness and also inspire action.

“Since ‘Buddy Checks’ are normal in the military, extending that concept to a weekly rhythm of connecting with someone seemed like a practical step,” said Danelo. “From data available from survivors of suicide attempts, and our own personal experiences with suicide survivors and at-risk veterans, we don't do enough to genuinely reach out to check on the welfare of people we care about but don't see daily. Given our geographic diversity, the veteran community is mostly online. Having a weekly reminder to ‘buddy check’ with someone seemed a reasonable next step.”

At KSA Integration, it’s not only personal, but it’s now part of their corporate culture, according to Danelo. Their entire team is on board with the ongoing check-in, and they intend to extend this check beyond 2025.

Spotlight Saturdays “also reminded us just how many organizations are out there doing great work, and we hope we've been able to show our support for their efforts,” said Danelo. Each week, they highlight an organization that supports veterans.

The support KSA has seen from their campaign has been positive. “People like being genuinely asked how they're doing,” Danelo said. “We welcome anyone who wants to join us in getting the word out for "Buddy Check Thursdays"! And while we're emphasizing veterans because of the suicide risks, we're happy to encourage anyone to check in on anybody!”

Trident Key Campaign Features:

• Monthly Social Media Posts: We’ll highlight different themes and action steps to support veteran mental health and suicide prevention.
• Call to Action: Each post will inspire followers to participate, whether through sharing the message, donating to causes, or connecting veterans with life-saving resources.
• Buddy Check Thursday Takeover: Thanks to the generosity of KSA Integration, we’re participating in a Buddy Check Thursday Takeover during the month of July. During that month, look for Trident’s Buddy Check posts not only on Trident’s LinkedIn page but KSA’s page as well.

Why This Campaign Matters

Veteran suicide is a complex issue that is deeply influenced by several factors, like post-traumatic stress, depression, and difficulty reintegrating into civilian life. Every story is unique, and every person has a story. Veteran suicide is not just a statistic; it’s a tragedy that affects thousands of families each year. By fostering understanding and connecting people to resources, we can assist in being part of the support veterans need. This mission is not just professional for us, it’s personal. By creating awareness and connecting veterans to resources, we aim to contribute to their resilience and support network.

How You Can Help

1. Spread the Word: Share our posts on social media to amplify the conversation.
2. Take Action: Donate your time or resources to veteran support organizations or learn how to spot and respond to signs of mental health crises.
3. Encourage Veterans to Seek Help:
   • Call the Veterans Crisis Line at 988, Press 1.
   • Text 838255 or visit net.
4.  Offer Support to Veterans in Your Life: Sometimes, the simplest questions open the door to critical conversations. Join us for Buddy Check Thursdays (or on any day of the week!) to reconnect with shipmate or soldier and ask, “How are you?”. Be there to listen and, if necessary, guide them toward professional resources for help. And, as Dave said, even if they don’t respond to your outreach, they will know you made the effort.
5.  Adopt the Buddy Check Mindset: Whether you’re a veteran or not, practicing a Buddy Check can create change. Reach out to those in your network – even if you don’t think they are struggling! The point is to reinforce the presence strengthen the community – even a simple act of connection can have life-saving results.

Honoring and Supporting Veterans is a Team Effort

Our campaign is about more than spreading awareness: it’s about creating support. Together, with the help of KSA Integration’s Suicide Awareness Campaign and participation from you, we can help shed light on this challenge.

“We'd be happy to see Buddy Check Thursdays become a regular practice in the veterans community, and partnerships with veteran-owned businesses like Trident go a long way to advancing our collective cause,” said Danelo.

Follow us on LinkedIn as we launch this campaign. Starting in June, mark your calendars for the 17th of each month to join the conversation. Share. Comment. Act. Sometimes even the smallest gesture can change a life. Join us in this mission to protect and honor our nation’s heroes.

Written by Morgan Over and Rebecca Wayland

Morgan Over
Morgan is our marketing manager and a proposal support specialist. When she isn’t handling marketing for Trident, she is tech editing documents and building orals decks for our clients. As a military spouse based on the East Coast, she supports clients around the world as part of our globally dispersed team.

Rebecca Wayland
Rebecca is our Chief of Staff. While Rebecca may primarily wear the HR hat, she offers comprehensive proposal management, capture support, market research and training. She is also our GWAC and MA-IDIQ lead so if you’re exploring SeaPort NxG, SEWP VI, OASIS+, or Alliant 3, she is definitely your SME. As a U.S. Navy veteran and military spouse based in Hawai’i, she supports clients around the world as part of our globally dispersed team.