Lawmakers press services on Brandon Act awareness; panelists say training exists but strategic communication gaps remain
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Summary
Lawmakers pressed service leaders on awareness and implementation of the Brandon Act; Navy witnesses said the policy is embedded in leadership training while Air Force witnesses acknowledged they lack a formal strategic communications campaign to keep the policy visible.
Lawmakers pressed service leaders on implementation and awareness of the Brandon Act, a DOD policy intended to let service members request help from the chain of command without punitive consequences.
"Brand and act for us, and the responsibility to to take care of, another sailor is part of our session pipelines," a senior Navy witness said, describing training and leadership schools that cover the law and how to respond. The witness said the Navy developed a mental‑health playbook that commanders and operational units use and that training on these responsibilities is continuous because of high personnel turnover.
Members asked how the services advertise and reinforce Brandon Act awareness beyond formal training: “Are we putting billboards or flyers out there, like in the Exchange and the commissaries?” a lawmaker asked. A Department of the Air Force official answered that while the services have training in schoolhouses and leadership pipelines, the Air Force does not currently have a comprehensive strategic communication plan for the Brandon Act and pledged to improve outward messaging and constant reinforcement across bases and exchanges.
Witnesses also said leadership engagement is important in ensuring access to deployment resiliency counselors and that, for some ship deployments, virtual connections can be used when counselors are not physically present on smaller vessels. The Navy witness said there were “no plans in cutting back that service.”
No new legislation was adopted during the hearing. Committee members requested written follow‑up on implementation metrics, outreach plans, and whether the services can provide clearer guidance to commanders and enlisted leaders on how to respond when a service member invokes the Brandon Act.