U.S. Army Specialist was deployed to Iraq in 2009, starting as a truck driver and becoming lead gunner by the end of his tour. Like many in his situation, Andrew returned from Iraq with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). He drank heavily, and when he couldn’t take anymore, he swallowed four bottles of pills in an attempt to end his own life. He was found outside his room, unconscious and unable to be woken up, and was taken to the hospital to have his stomach pumped. This year, Andrew realized he was not alone. Twenty-two veterans and one active duty soldier take their own lives every day. Andrew’s goal is to cut those numbers in half. Through his own experience and the conversations he’s had with others, he’s come to realize that suicide and depression in the military is largely a function of the shame and embarrassment people feel of being in that situation. Early this year Andrew published a short book, Welcoming Your Soldier Home, to help the families of returning soldiers understand what their loved ones are going through. And in June 2013, he launched a three-month speaking tour that ended in Hawaii-which is where he was stationed when he attempted to take his own life in 2010.