‘I’m one of the lucky ones’: Veteran on 2,000-mile journey for mental health awareness
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) – Chief Petty Officer Robert Luna (Ret) is raising mental health awareness one step at a time.
Luna’s 28 years of military experience have given him firsthand experience in maneuvering the intense emotions that come with trauma. He tells News 19 he was blessed to overcome a mental health episode but knows everyone who leaves the military isn’t as fortunate.
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“I’m one of the lucky ones that can get through this episode,” Luna said. “But I’m not the type of person where I can just sit back and just thank God that I was able to get through it.”
Now, Luna is on a new mission; walking across the country for mental health awareness.
According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, fewer than 50% of returning veterans in need receive any mental health treatment.
“I have made it my personal mission to bring mental health awareness to the forefront of Alabama and to the military in general after we get out. They just don’t talk about that enough,” Luna said.
On May 18, he’ll take his first steps out of Weaver, Alabama and head out on a near 2,200-mile walk to Los Angeles, California. With the help of sponsors, Luna will carry the essentials like water, walking gear, first-aid, and a solar panel battery for electronics – but, the most important tools he’s packing are useful tips about how those struggling can overcome a mental health episode.
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Luna is excited to meet new people and spread the word along the way.
“Come and walk with me and we’ll talk, we’ll cry, we’re going to hug, we’re going to meet new people,” he explained. “And we’re going to explore our feelings, and then I’m going to be able to give you some tools that my sponsors are giving me to use to help you move along and create a healthier environment.”
That healthier environment, Luna says, is needed for more than military veterans. First responders are also faced with traumatic events every day and don’t always have an outlet to talk about it.
Luna says the key to helping someone overcome a mental health episode is listening.
“If we provide an environment of acceptance and no judgment, I feel like people especially in the men category are going to be more willing to express their feelings throughout the day,” he stated.
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With a goal in mind to walk 20-25 miles each day, Luna expects his walk to Los Angeles to take about 5 months. His first stint across the Yellowhammer State will bring him through Muscle Shoals. He’ll stop at local stations for first responders and VA assistance to be a “beacon of light” for mental health.
“I want to hit them all and just be a beacon of hope or light for mental to say it can get better, it will get better, we just have to work on it,” Luna says.
You can learn more about Robert Luna’s upcoming journey and mental health tips here.
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