Medal of Honor recipient CSM Bennie Adkins thanks the men and women for participating in the Iron Bowl Ruck March Wednesday morning.

Iron Bowl Ruck March on Wednesday, Nov 21, 2018 in Auburn, Ala. Todd Van Emst/AU Athletics

Auburn coaching legend Kim Evans says a few words before the groupd sets off on their hike to Tuscaloosa.Iron Bowl Ruck March on Wednesday, Nov 21, 2018 in Auburn, Ala.Todd Van Emst/AU Athletics

For many veterans, the battle doesn't end on foreign soil. Sometimes it continues back on the home front, behind the scenes, unaware to anyone else except to the veterans themselves.Whether they are still active duty or no longer in service, certain battles are constantly ongoing.According to a 2018 Department of Veterans Affairs study, each day 20 veterans take their own life. A 2013 study placed that number at 22.During Thanksgiving break, while many will be settling down to the traditional feast and counting down the days to the much-anticipated Iron Bowl, student veterans from both Auburn University and the University of Alabama will be joining sides for a much bigger cause."What I would like to happen is to bring awareness to the 22 veterans lost per day due to suicide, so we can have consciousness of that being a reality in an attempt to bring that number down to zero," says Kyle Venable, President of the Auburn Student Veteran Association.As the sun rose on Wednesday morning, student veterans from Auburn and Alabama began a 3-day march from Auburn to Tuscaloosa, carrying on their backs a 22-pound rucksack packed with donations for veterans in need. They will arrive just in time for Saturday's kickoff. It is called Operation: Iron Ruck."This ruck isn't about saying we care, it's about showing we care," said Kody Pemberton, President of the Campus Veterans Association at the University of Alabama."We are able to collect goods for those at the Bill Nichols Veterans Home to assist with their journey, along with bringing the attention to the Mission 22 Campaign, so those in need know we are here," he said."Any chance we can get together and help our veteran brothers and sisters is a good day," said Puck Esposito, Director of the Veterans Resource Center at Auburn University."This is going to be a great opportunity for us to bring attention to the causes that are plaguing the veteran community," Esposito said.As we await another exciting Iron Bowl, this is a time to reflect and give thanks for all of life's blessings."This ruck march is a great way to not only foster comradery among the student veterans at Auburn University and the University of Alabama, but also hope to reduce the number of veterans lost every day," said Mike Patterson, vice president of the ASVA."We want to showcase the greater things that student veterans do, such as volunteer for this ruck march to show we are a community that cares deeply for all who have served."For the many volunteers participating in Operation: Iron Ruck, and to all who have served, thank you.Navy veteran Jonathan Housand is a student assistant in Auburn Athletics communications