Abe McNatt (U.S. Navy) expense of military lethality. A lot wrote the military isn’t right for everybody. That it’s not Boy Scout camp; it’s meant to be tough. Others say those, like Brandon, who kill themselves, are too weak to be in the U.S. armed forces. “He’s weak? Really? He’s weak? He jumped into a tail rotor,” Teri Caserta said. “You call that weak?” Springer agrees. Nobody who makes it through the military’s even most basic selection and training process fits her defi- nition of “weak.” “People who enter the military are some of the strongest and bravest people in our society. No question about it,” Springer said. “It takes courage to sign a blank check and say, ‘I’m gonna go through a rigorous training process and lay aside my individual rights to serve something greater than myself.’ That is not a sign of weakness.” Since the 9/11 attacks, more than 30,000 families like the Casertas have been left picking up the pieces after a service member or veteran dies by suicide. In the Casertas’ case, they said some degree of purpose was found in Brandon’s suicide letter. “If you read his letter, he sacrificed himself to bring attention to what the command was doing in hopes that he could fix it,” Patrick said. “Brandon is the type that leaves a smoking gun.” Patrick and Teri started the Brandon Caserta Foundation, and worked with U.S. Senator Mark Kelly to create the Brandon Act, which President Joe Biden signed into law late last year. The Brandon Act requires military commanders to allow service members to seek mental health treatment without fear of reprisal. All a service member has to say is, “I have a Brandon Act concern,” and their commander is required to refer the member to behavioral health services. “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 said in a statement after the bill was passed in the Senate. Kelly agrees with Caserta’s parents in U.S. Navy SEAL candidates participate in Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training. Brandon Caserta collapsed during the third week of training while carrying an inflatable boat. believing Brandon would be alive today if his leadership were forced to refer him for mental health treatment. Instead, the leaders in Brandon’s chain of command were promoted and remain in the service, despite investigations faulting them for his suicide. Navy officials did not respond to a request for comment, but offi- cial investigations presented ample evidence of abuse and toxic behavior by Brandon’s chain of command. The investigations found enough evidence to take Caserta’s supervisor, a Petty Officer First Class, to Captain’s Mast–an administrative disciplinary hearing–for violating the Article 93 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice: Cruelty and Maltreatment. The supervisor could have been demoted, fined up to one month’s pay, restricted to the base for 45 days, and been assigned extra punitive duties for 45 days. Instead, the supervisor was transferred to a new unit with a negative performance evaluation. The investigating officer said punishing the supervisor would take too long and “exacerbate the healing process” for the unit. After Brandon’s suicide, the Navy hastily packed his personal effects and shipped them home. They also sent Patrick and Teri Caserta a so-called gift: the helmet Brandon removed before he killed himself, signed by members of the squadron, like a yearbook. “They’re calling that a gift,” Patrick said. “We took that as a friggin’ threat, like, ‘Go and try and have another investigation.’” His ashes are scattered atop a butte that overlooks his parents’ home in northwest Peoria. His parents say he chose that loca- tion so he can continue to watch over them. Editor’s note: Scott Bourque served in the Navy from 2009 to 2014 and completed two overseas tours, including one deployment to Afghanistan. 11 phoenixnewtimes.com | CONTENTS | FEEDBACK | OPINION | NEWS | FEATURE | NIGHT+DAY | CULTURE | FILM | CAFE | MUSIC | PHOENIX NEW TIMES JUNE 2ND– JUNE 8TH, 2022
