“Left the military” - with 26 years of active duty, did he retire? If so, did he not elect SBP (Survivor Benefit Plan) coverage for his wife? As tragic as this story is, it apparently (didn’t read it all) neglects to mention a bunch of things Maj Hackett failed to do that would have been easy and effective. PTSD’s an awful thing, but there WERE safeguards available for his family.
SBP isn’t free and is only a percentage of the retirement for the surviving spouse. It’s laughable, so laughable, we chose not to get it at the cost it was offered to us.