He had been suffering from various health problems, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and left a suicide note that was later published on Gawker, after which it went viral.

[3][4] By 2008, a year after the end of his second deployment, he had been diagnosed with PTSD, traumatic brain injury (suffered in combat), fibromyalgia, and a host of other medical problems.

Lisa Savige performed at various live events in the US Southwest and on KWSS-LP, the independent radio station in Phoenix, frequently donating its proceeds to benefit people wounded in the Middle East.

[citation needed] Somers sent a letter to the VA in October 2011, describing his symptoms as worsening in several ways, including nightly panic attacks and auditory hallucinations.

[5] According to his suicide note, feeling deeply troubled by his involvement in the Iraq War and a lack of post-combat support from the US government were two primary reasons behind choosing to kill himself: The simple truth is this: During my first deployment, I was made to participate in things, the enormity of which is hard to describe.

Steve Vogel of the Washington Post described Somers' death as "a case study in how federal agencies continue to fail veterans.

"[5] In that article, Kim Ruocco, director of Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS), is quoted as saying the case "shines a light on these issues."

[8] In May 2014, one month after initial reports of the Veterans Health Administration scandal of 2014 were aired on CNN, and nearly a year after their son's suicide, Jean and Howard Somers announced "Operation Engage America," their own plan to raise awareness and educate Americans about the special needs of veterans returning home with what they had begun to call "moral injury."

The plan included advocating for an easily accessible online resource for loved ones of returning soldiers that would help them understand the special problems the veterans might be dealing with, such as PTSD.

Operation Engage America was launched on June 7, 2014, with two "resource fairs", one in San Diego, CA, and the other in Des Moines, IA.