MANATEE COUNTY Fla. — When U.S. Army veteran Todd Hughes returned from Iraq 15 years ago, he says there weren’t many resources for veterans when it came to mental health. 

“The way it was, you don’t get help,” he explained. “If you do there’s a stigma put on you … you’re weak. We don’t want to be seen as weak.” 

In the years following his time in the U.S. Army, he lost three friends he had served with and another two friends from childhood to veteran suicide. Hughes has since given his time to help other veterans by either lending an ear or offering services through Goodwill Manasota. 

“The culture really needs to change in the military to really make an ongoing effect on veterans suicide, for people to feel more comfortable getting the help they need,” he said. 

On Wednesday, President Donald Trump unveiled a long-awaited national plan aimed at preventing veteran suicides. 

The plan includes a wide-rang of initiatives from firearm safety and wellness programs at workplaces to added barriers near railroads and bridges. The $53 million, two-year effort will include a public messaging campaign starting in the coming weeks to raise awareness about suicide at a time of increased social distancing and isolation during a pandemic.

The broad road map also urges outreach by awarding grants to community programs outside the Department of Veterans Affairs, building in part off Trump’s expansion of the private-sector Veterans Choice health program.

It also set a goal of getting employers representing 25% of the national workforce to commit to prioritizing mental health and wellness programs in the workplace. It said so far organizations representing more than 6 million employees have already signed an employer pledge to do so.

The effort, which is being dubbed the PREVENTS Initiative, will also aim to better coordinate research on suicide prevention across agencies, including Veterans Affairs, Defense and Homeland Security.

Hughes was pleased to see veterans issues in the national spotlight on Wednesday and hopes the funding and efforts will go to the right place. 

“I hope that task force is going to be able to push it from the ground up, starting in the military,” he said. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. ​