NEWS
Teri and Patrick Caserta, parents of U.S. Navy Petty Officer Third Class Caserta, helped create the Brandon Act. (Photo by Dennis Murphy)
Remembering
Brandon Caserta New act stresses the importance of mental health care BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI Sound of Freedom Executive Editor
L
iberty High School graduate Brandon Caserta was known for being kind and generous. Now the late Navy sailor will help others through the Brandon Act, which, when President Joe Biden signs the act, will make it easier for servicemembers to seek mental health care confidentially.
“He absolutely loved helping everybody,” says his mother, Teri Caserta. “I don’t think there was anybody he turned away for help. He would even help somebody who did not care for him. Of course, they’d become friends after that.” U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA) revealed Dec. 15 that the Senate passed the Fiscal Year 2022 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that included the Brandon Act, legislation they introduced named in honor of fallen U.S. Navy Petty Officer Third Class Caserta. The act is headed to Biden’s desk. “For months, I worked with Republicans and Democrats to get the language of the Brandon Act in the defense bill,” Kelly says.
The Brandon Act is designed to protect service members who experience mental health emergencies and reduce the stigma around reporting. This bill will allow service members to seek mental health treatment, and require a mental health evaluation as soon as a service member self-reports. It will also allow Americans serving in uniform to seek help confidentially and, if necessary, outside of the chain of command. “Today, our hard work has paid off. 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 servicemembers,” Kelly says.
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