BROOKINGS – A lengthy phone call got former South Dakota National Guard member Chris Mercado thinking about what he could do to help veterans who are struggling on their return to civilian life and are contemplating suicide.

Mercado, who spent roughly six hours on that call with one of his former soldiers, helped create Objective Zero, an app that allows users to chat with someone via message, video or phone call at the push of a button. This app was released in July 2017. For his efforts, he was named the 2017 Army Times Soilder of the Year.

Mercado will speak at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Alumni Association’s Woster Celebration Hall.

“I had read some concerning posts Justin Miller made on Facebook, how he was struggling returning to civilian life and struggling with the bureaucracy of the VA,” Mercado said. “The posts were concerning enough that I reached out and asked if he was thinking about harming himself. He said he was. At end of call, I asked how he was doing and he said he really wanted someone to listen to him.”

Confident Miller was not going to hurt himself, Mercado ended the call and thought about how he could replicate that experience for all veterans. He recruited some friends from Georgetown University and conducted some research on veterans’ suicide rates.

“We looked at what were the causes, the solutions and resources available,” Mercado said. “We looked at using existing technology as a way to help solve this in a manner that could access the entire veteran population.”

After several rounds of fundraising, the Objective Zero app launched. The first version, which Mercado called basic, allowed veterans to connect with other service members. A second release has new resources, tools and features.

“The response has been nothing short of incredible,” he said.

Now the third-generation soldier looks to share his story with his home state. A Sioux Falls Washington graduate, his children now attend Sioux Falls Washington.

“All of my success I’ve had since leaving South Dakota is due to the experiences I had when living there, they’ve shaped what I am today. I’m really looking forward to sharing my experiences and do what I can to help South Dakota’s veterans and South Dakotans,” Mercado said, noting he read a news article stating that more South Dakotans took their own lives in 2017 than in any other year.

“The initial thought was if the technology could save one life, it’s worth it,” he said. “While it’s hard to quantify how many lives we’ve saved … and we’ve saved hundreds of lives already … we would like to see the app in the hands of more vets.

“Regardless, technology will never replace people or restore the meaningful relationships and purpose in peoples’ lives. I think technology can be a mechanism to help connect people but it alone won’t solve the problem.”