VIDEO: First responders in Milwaukee are taking a challenge to bring awareness to veterans' mental health.
On Wednesday, Nov. 1, Milwaukee police, firefighters, and activists joined army recruits to begin 22 push-ups for 22 days, a challenge that raises awareness of the 22 veterans that commit suicide every day.
For veterans like Keith Garland, who is also Milwaukee police officer, it's a statistic that hits close to home.
"I personally lost a teammate who committed suicide, and we never saw the signs, and it was sudden," Garland said.
Participants hope the challenge will help erase the stigma associated with mental health, especially in the military.
"We're talking about it; our soldiers are talking about it. We're not going to hide behind a curtain and wait until it's too late to intervene," said Lt. Col. Oliver Karp, the local commander for army recruitment.