MISSION OF CHANGE


the end of the workday, she had become frustrated by his inter- ruptions and asked him to leave. When Peyton went to bed that night, she had no idea that her son had taken her unloaded hand- gun and climbed onto the roof of a local restaurant, where he would soon have a standoff with police.


“He took my pistol, which wasn’t loaded and hadn’t been since I bought it, and he climbed up on top of Ted’s Bar-B-Q. As I was sleeping, there were camera crews from three different news stations—the whole neighborhood was cordoned off. He was up on the roof, in the cold, probably wondering where I was,” she said in an interview with Army AL&T.


Police knocked on her door at around 1:30 a.m. Nov. 17 to tell her what was going on, but Peyton said officers asked her not to go out to the scene, perhaps fearing that could worsen the situ- ation if Pugh was angry that she asked him to leave her home earlier. So she waited. When the police came back to her house about 90 minutes later, Peyton said they told her that her son had been involved in an accident. “When they stammered and told me what happened, I said, ‘What do you mean, there was an accident?’ [Te officer] said, ‘Ma’am, there will be a complete investigation.’ In that moment, it hit me. ‘Oh, no. I’m going to have to fight this fight.’ ”


TELL THE STORY


Peyton sits with a sign she made to share the story of her son’s death during a mental-health crisis in November 2021, in Huntsville, Alabama. (Photo courtesy of Adina Peyton)


MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES


The U.S. Army and DOD provide a number of mental health resources for service members, civilian employ- ees, veterans and family members. In the case of any potentially life-threatening mental health emergency, dial 911. For emotional distress or suicidal thoughts, contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Call or text 988 or go to 988lifeline.org.


• The Real Warriors Campaign aims to end the stigma associated with mental health care and provides free, confidential resources for those who have a mental health concern. Go to www.health.mil/RealWarriors.


• The Psychological Health Resource Center is avail- able 24/7 and trained staff can help with access to mental health care and community resources. Go to www.health.mil/PHRC or call 866-966- 1020.


• The Military Crisis Line provides text-messaging services and online chat for all service members and veterans. Call 1-800-273-8255 option 1, send a text to 838255, or go to https://www. veteranscrisisline.net/get-help/chat.


• TRICARE offers mental health care to all enroll- ees. Go to https://www.tricare.mil/CoveredSer- vices/Mental/GettingMHCare.


• Military OneSource can provide access to confi- dential mental health care providers in your com- munity. Go to www.militaryonesource.mil or call 1-800-342-9647.


For additional resources for service members, veter- ans and their families, go to


https://www.mentalhealth.gov/get-help/veterans.


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Army AL&T Magazine Winter 2023


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