The Crisis No One Talks About: Rural Veterans and Suicide Risk
This past week, I attended a mental health summit hosted by the VA. It focused on the unique needs of SMVF—Service Members, Veterans, and their Families. And let me tell you: what I learned was sobering.
There’s a crisis happening right now, in rural Virginia, and most people don’t even know it exists.
The Hard Numbers
Virginia has the highest number of eligible veterans who haven’t enrolled in VA healthcare.
The biggest gap? Right here—rural Virginia.
Rural veterans are 22% more likely to die by suicide than veterans in urban areas.
Let that sink in. In communities like ours—small towns, back roads, farm country—veterans are slipping through the cracks. Not because they’re lazy or unmotivated. But because they don’t trust the system. Because they don’t know where to start. Because they think asking for help means taking it away from someone else.
Why Method Matters
Here’s the part that hit me hardest:
72% of veteran suicides nationwide involve a firearm.
In Virginia, that number rises to 90%.
For civilians, it’s around 51%.
And if you’re wondering why that matters—a suicide attempt using a firearm has a 90% fatality rate. Every other method combined? Less than 5%.
We’re not just talking about risk—we’re talking about finality. About lives that could be saved if connection happened earlier.
We also learned that the two most suicide-prone professions are:
Military
Farming
And here in rural Virginia? A lot of folks are both.
They’re carrying the trauma of service, the economic strain of farming, and the heartbreak of watching a legacy farm slip away—all without a safety net. No wonder so many never reach out.
This Is Why Mountain Valor Exists
We don’t wait for veterans to come to us. We show up. In person. In small towns. In libraries and fields and rec centers. We bring the resources, the paperwork, the coffee, and sometimes—just the conversation.
That’s why we’re hosting Mountain Valor Fest on September 13th in Floyd, VA. It’s open to everyone—veterans, families, neighbors, and anyone who cares.
What to expect:
40+ resource booths
Live music
Military displays
Food trucks
Baby goats 🐐
And most importantly—connection.
How You Can Help
We’re currently raising funds through GiveLocalNRV to keep this work going. Every single donation helps us reach more veterans in the areas most often overlooked.
👉 Donate now via our site to help us reach our $10k goal.
Let’s stop pretending this isn’t happening. Let’s meet veterans where they are—and remind them they’re not alone.