To raise awareness of the mental health struggles many veterans face, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is hosting a series of ruck hikes throughout Suicide Prevention and Awareness Month this September.
Traditionally, a ruck hike is a way to build relationships and comradery in the military; a ruck being a term for a pack of supplies usually carried on your back.
"You can carry some weight on your back or in a pack if you like, but you don't have to," says Nicole Mechler, TPWD's military liason.
Mechler told NTX Now's Ron Corning that in the past, these hikes have been a great way for family and friends to gather and remember loved ones that died from suicide.
"They bring out pictures, they bring their memories and just come out to have a good time and support others that are maybe dealing with this pandemic that we're having with our mental health and our veterans," she said.
According to the Veteran's Affairs 2025 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report, nearly 6,400 veterans died from suicide in 2023 — the most recent year data has been analyzed. The report shows that veteran suicides decreased compared to 2022, but emphasized the continued need for every veteran to have access to support, care, and connection.
Mechler is encouraging everyone to come out and support TPWD's mission, regardless of your skill level, veteran status or disability.
"If anybody needs any assistance or ADA accessibility, let us know ahead of time, because we do have some really neat new chairs that we're bringing out if somebody needs help accessing certain trails," she said.
Upcoming ruck hikes in North Texas:
- Purtis Creek State Park @ 8:30 a.m.
- Lake Tawakoni State Park @ 10:30 a.m.
- Ray Roberts Lake State Park @ 10 a.m.
You can find the full list of veteran mental health awareness ruck hikes on the TPWD's events page.
Ron Corning is a co-host of KERA's NTX Now. Got a tip? Email Ron at rcorning@kera.org.
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