As it marks its two-year anniversary on June 29, Face the Fight® continues to expand a national movement focused on reducing veteran suicide. Launched in 2023 by USAA, Reach Resilience, and the Humana Foundation, the initiative brings together a coalition of more than 200 organizations to increase access to care, support community solutions, and break stigma around mental health and help-seeking.
The mission is urgent. Veterans are nearly 60% more likely to die by suicide than non-veterans. Yet many face these challenges alone, often without a formal diagnosis or connection to support. Face the Fight exists to change that—by funding proven solutions, raising awareness, and empowering communities to act before a crisis. Veterans, military families, caregivers, and survivors are not facing this fight alone.
Funding What Works
To date, Face the Fight has awarded more than $25 million in grants to nonprofits working in veteran health, resilience, and crisis prevention. Over 355,000 lives have been reached, and modeling developed with experts at UT Health San Antonio projects over 6,500 veteran deaths could be prevented by 2032 through this work.
Grantees include Centerstone Military Services, which is expanding suicide-specific clinical training for therapists. Others, like the Overwatch Project, equip veterans with tools for peer intervention—especially in moments involving firearm risk. One participant said training helped him prevent multiple potential crises in his unit.
Rather than provide direct services itself, Face the Fight invests in trusted organizations already embedded in veteran communities.
Changing the Conversation
Face the Fight is also working to shift how the public talks about veteran mental health. A public service campaign aired more than 57,000 times on major networks like Fox and NBCUniversal, reinforcing that no one has to face this fight alone.
Public figures have helped expand the message. Trace Adkins, Craig Morgan, Tucker Wetmore, and Coffey Anderson performed at Face the Fight Night at the Grand Ole Opry, an event honoring veteran stories. Chef Robert Irvine and the Robert Irvine Foundation, a proud Face the Fight grantee, supported the campaign through video PSAs and outreach efforts.
During the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ Buddy Check Week, Face the Fight partnered with Starbucks on a nationwide outreach campaign. The campaign resulted in more than 20,000 veterans, spouses, and caregivers registering.
Strengthening Community, Building Capacity
In March 2025, Face the Fight brought together more than 200 nonprofit, corporate, and philanthropic leaders at USAA headquarters in San Antonio for its first in-person coalition meeting. The event focused on partnership and sharing what works.
The initiative’s Training and Resource Center, developed with UT Health San Antonio, has trained more than 30,000 individuals in interventions like Lethal Means Safety and Crisis Response Planning. Grantees like Vets4Warriors offer 24/7 peer support, backed by tools that connect veterans to care.
In one case, a pregnant Army veteran in crisis was connected to trained peer specialists. She remains in recovery today, supported by the network built through this work.
A Call to Action
For Cassandra Morgan, a Marine veteran and program lead at America’s Warrior Partnership, the mission is personal. “I am grateful for Face the Fight and continue to be amazed by the support from outside communities,” she said. “I feel deeply honored to give back in such a meaningful way.”
As the coalition grows, so does the belief that supporting veterans means more than saying thanks—it means showing up. Whether through funding, training, or simply checking in on a fellow veteran, the message is clear: everyone has a role to play.