Guests Shannon Finn Connell and Frank Larkin: Invisible wounds plague too many veterans. We can all help.

With Veterans Day approaching, many troops and veterans based in Illinois, home to roughly 500,000 men and women who served the nation, will again be confronted with a host of troubling realities. Possibly disillusioned with the way America exited Afghanistan, keenly aware of a disproportionate suicide rate in their ranks versus the rest of the nation, and often straining to explain to others that they are struggling and why, increased attention may be welcome but can also feel hollow.

The truth is that while endless attention has been devoted to studying PTSD from training and combat, the government is not raising sufficient awareness about the physiological factors that contribute to suicidal behavior among service members and vets. Mild traumatic brain injury, or mTBI, which service members can sustain during regular training and operations, pose immense threats.

A 2018 study published in the journal Psychological Services found that post-9/11 veterans with a history of traumatic brain injuries were at much greater risk for considering suicide. The researchers found that Iraq and Afghanistan veterans who suffered multiple traumatic brain injuries were nearly twice as likely to report suicidal thoughts over the prior week compared with vets with one traumatic brain injury or none at all.

We know this reality all too well. One of us runs an organization named after David Metcalf, a Navy SEAL who took his own life. The other lost his son Ryan, also a SEAL, to suicide. Both suffered from mTBIs and presented other ailments such as headaches, fatigue, anxiety and failing recognition.

Yet both also ultimately suffered in silence, disconnected from the support systems that can best help them. This includes peers, who can relate to their battle buddies, as well as family and friends.

More research is needed to address these invisible wounds, including research under way by a new Department of Defense panel on military suicides. At the same time, advocates like us for our troops and veterans must not grow complacent just because new data show there may be incremental progress in reducing suicides. Instead, we must better consider statistical gray areas, such as deaths tied directly to drug and alcohol abuse.

But most immediately, particularly as we focus our attention on recognizing our veterans, we must not just honor them. Instead, we must increase connection and reduce the isolation far too many feel.

While no panacea, we believe this can be aided through Warrior Call, a purposefully simple mission asking Illinoisans and Americans - but especially troops and veterans - to make a call, take a call and be honest. If needed, Warrior Call encourages those contacting veterans to point individuals to resources, such as a new 9-8-8 lifeline for those in distress, or Vets4Warriors. These conversations may be challenging but they could also help save a life.

The idea is borne out of years of our personal experiences with people like David and Ryan. It is also informed by years of touring military bases and speaking to those in service. These men and women repeatedly tell us that conversation and a sense of togetherness are what keep them connected and focused on a hopeful future. Warrior calls empower families and communities to make connections - before their family member or friend is in crisis.

Earlier this year, leaders in the U.S. Senate introduced a resolution to mark Nov. 13 as National Warrior Call Day. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, an Illinois Democrat is a co-sponsor, as are many more federal lawmakers from across the political divide. Additionally, the day of action is endorsed by the nation's leading vet service groups, all seven living former VA secretaries and 27 Medal of Honor recipients.

The suicide rate among veterans in Illinois is significantly higher than the national general population. They need our help. Make a call to make a difference.

• Shannon Finn Connell is CEO of the David R. Metcalf Invisible Wounds Foundation in Naperville. Frank Larkin is COO of the Troops First Foundation and Chair of Warrior Call. Follow them on Twitter and Facebook.