In the U.S. military, masculine gender norms and an emphasis on mental toughness have traditionally been practiced to enforce stoicism within troops. But, mental health and masculinity often clash during the effort to reduce stigma surrounding veterans’ abilities to cope with trauma. Chris Mendes, Director of Operations at Veterans Community Project, directly speaks to his and others’ experience with this military mentality, the crossover between veteran populations with substance misuse, and the VCP’s attempts to connect veterans to behavioral health services.