BILLINGS — About 13,000 veterans live in Yellowstone County alone, making it hard to not know someone who has served their country.
It's even tougher to understand the struggles they're dealing with as veterans.
U.S. Army veteran Gary Otte and the founders of the Adaptive Performance Center collaborated to create "Saving 22", a documentary that shows the mental-health struggles of veterans and will be airing Friday at the Billings Babcock Theatre.
As a veteran, Otte is no stranger to mental health struggles.
"I'd kick people out. I would self-medicate. I would drink. And I had a hard time with my anger. You know, it's like that's something I'm still fighting," said Otte.
He's not alone. In the nation, over 130,000 veterans have taken their own lives since 2001. It hits close to home often. The title of the film refers to the often-quoted statistic from the era of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan era that 22 veterans nationwide commit suicide each day
"Even though it is a countrywide problem, Montana seems to be suffering the most from amongst almost all the states," Otte said.
As a filmmaker, Otte wanted to highlight the similar struggles other vets face after sacrificing so much.
"Saving 22" is a made-in-Montana documentary highlighting those issues in the state and across the U.S.
"I had interviews set up in Michigan, Oregon, California, Oklahoma, South Dakota," said Otte.
It came to fruition after Karen Pearson and Mitch Crouse, founders of the Adaptive Performance Center, put a bug in Otte's ear years ago. The center is a nonprofit fitness and community center exclusively for veterans and active duty military.
"People need to know what our veterans go through. They need to know why our veterans are committing suicide," said Pearson.
"You're walking down the street able to talk to your friends while you're walking down the street because of these vets," Crouse said.
Otte conducted over 60 interviews highlighting various veteran-focused nonprofits in the nation and the state, including the Adaptive Performance Center and the nonprofit Horses Spirit Healing.
“I worked with Dog Tag Buddies. I love what they do. They teach the veteran how to work with their dog to make the dog their service dog or just a great pet," said Otte.
The trio hopes the documentary will make waves and create change.
"Because every community in this nation can see 'Saving 22' and understand, I can make a difference in my town when it comes to veteran suicide," Pearson added.
"No matter how hard your day is, no matter how bleak, dark things the outlook is, there's hope, there are people out there that care," said Otte.
You can catch "Saving 22" at 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept 20, 2024, at the Babcock Theatre. Tickets can be found here.
