Editor’s note: Kitsap Daily News reporter Mike De Felice recently spent a week in Washington, D.C. with U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer of the 6th Congressional District. This second and last story in the series looks at Kilmer’s work on a task force aimed at improving mental health services for those in uniform.

Protecting the mental health of armed services members and reducing their suicides at Bremerton’s Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and military facilities across the country are the focus of a new effort taken by U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer of Kitsap County’s 6th Congressional District.

The congressman has been appointed to co-chair a bipartisan Military Mental Health Task Force in the House. “The goal of this task force is to work with the Department of Defense and mental health experts to make sure we are landing at a place where we are taking care of those who are taking care of us,” Kilmer said in an interview at his Capitol Hill office.

Kilmer remembers when he realized how mental health issues impact service members. During his first term, Kilmer recalled, “I went out to Joint Base Lewis-McChord to talk to the commanding officer there. I asked him, ‘What keeps you up at night?’ —thinking he was going to say terrorists or budget cuts.”

Instead, “The commanding officer said, ‘I’ve lost more soldiers to suicide than I have to enemy combatants.’ That really highlighted to me the need to make sure we are taking care of these people,” Kilmer said.

Military members are five times more likely to suffer from depression, six times more likely to experience intense anger and 15 times more likely to endure post-traumatic stress disorder than civilians, Kilmer said, citing Department of Defense data.

Mental health issues account for the highest number of hospital stays and ranks as the second-most-common reason for outpatient visits among service members, he added. “That gives a sense of how big a deal this is,” he said.

The Democratic congressman added: “We have had issues in our neck of the woods with the unfortunate death by suicide of sailors on the [USS Theodore] Roosevelt. It’s not unique to the Navy and not unique to our region. We have seen issues all over the country, and I think there was an acknowledgment by Democrats and Republicans that we’ve got to focus energy and attention on mental health.”

Between 2021-22, while the aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt was docked at Bremerton for overhaul, two sailors committed suicide, officials said.

The mental health task force will hold briefings to learn which mental health issues need to be addressed. Experts from the National Institute of Mental Health, Department of Defense and Veterans Administration likely will play a part. Kilmer said, “You talk through some of the problems and try to get an understanding for solutions.”

In the short time the Gig Harbor congressman has been on the task force, he has already learned about areas that need improvement. “One of the things we discovered was that it’s been since 2003 that the Department of Defense has done a comprehensive mental health strategy. I was surprised it has been 20 years. When you look at the data around PTSD, depression and substance abuse, and you look at the number of people impacted who are enlisted and the strain on families, it really demands action.”

To spur upgrades in mental health services, Kilmer and two other U.S. representatives recently introduced the Servicemembers Mental Health Improvement Act. The legislation is directed at putting together a comprehensive strategy for addressing mental health issues facing those in the service. The Act calls for the DOD and mental health professionals to evaluate where the gaps are and develop a strategy, the Northwest congressman said.

The legislation has been referred to the Armed Services Committee. Kilmer is hoping the legislation will pass later this year as part of the National Defense Authorization Act. The legislation is endorsed by groups including the American Psychiatric Association, the American Psychological Association, National Alliance on Mental Health, National Military Family Association and the Wounded Warrior Project.

Kilmer said he was once asked, “‘What surprised you most during your time in office?’

“My answer was mental health,” he replied. “I can’t visit an employer where it doesn’t come up. When I meet with social service providers or housing providers, it comes up. There is a tremendous strain and that was pre-COVID. It’s all gotten worse after the pandemic.”

Kilmer looks forward to working on the task force and said as a member of the Appropriations subcommittee he can advocate for funding. He also has two brothers who are psychologists. “Add the fact that I represent more military families and veterans than almost anyone in Congress,” and that shows why the issue is so important to him.

Kilmer’s congressional district is home to Naval Base Kitsap, the Navy’s third-largest fleet concentration in the U.S. The base includes Bremerton’s Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Naval Submarine Base Bangor, Naval Undersea Warfare Center Keyport and the naval hospital. Also, Jefferson County is home to a U.S. Navy installation on Indian Island. And his district includes several Coast Guard stations.