‘Drop and Give Me 22’: Virginia Marine Dares Obama to Complete Push-Up Challenge

A Quantico-based Marine is challenging the Commander in Chief to drop and give 22 push-ups.

This is part of a social media campaign launched by veteran support group #22KILL. The effort, with a deliberately provocative name, wants to bring awareness to the fact that an average of 18-22 American veterans commit suicide each day, according to a Department of Veteran Affairs report.

The online campaign encourages people to post a video completing 22 push-ups before challenging a friend to do the same.

Michael Matsui, who says on his Facebook page that he served as a suicide prevention representative for his unit, challenged President Obama March 19 to complete a challenge, and Matsui’s video already has over 50 shares on Facebook.

“Therefore I am challenging you, Barack Obama, to post a video urging veterans to seek help and go to others when they are feeling like they are down in a hole....oh and drop and give me 22 for the 22 veterans that commit suicide daily,” Matsui wrote in his post.

“I have personally lost a friend to suicide last year actually, and it’s definitely a personal issue for myself, and it’s something I really want to address to everybody else,” Matsui said.

Honor Courage Commitment, Inc. started the #22KILL movement in 2013 and has been committed to researching and understanding the veteran suicide epidemic as well as educating the general public on the issue.