For Idaho post, every week is Buddy Check Week

The members of American Legion Post 113 in Meridian, Idaho, made Buddy Check calls on fellow veterans in the past. But when a post member died by suicide, the membership knew something needed to change.

That led to the post starting its duty office program in September. From 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on weekdays, a member volunteers to come to the post to make Buddy Check calls from a database of members. That will continue next week during the Department of Veterans Affairs National Buddy Check Week, when veterans are asked to make a pledge to contact up to 10 of their battle buddies and friends from service, as well as complete peer wellness, resiliency and S.A.V.E. suicide prevention training. 

“We’ve had one suicide that could have been prevented had we gotten to the guy in time,” Post 113 Chaplain and First Vice Commander Dan Pruett said. “It just kind of kicked us in the butt and said to us that this is really important. We really need to put an effort into this. Now it’s going really good.”

As members make the Buddy Check call, they update the list they are using. Those members who asked to not be called again are taken off the list.

But Pruett said the Buddy Check calls he’s made have been met with positive responses. “They’re very appreciative,” he said. “They think, ‘Boy, I didn’t know you were going to do this. It was a call out of the blue.’ And they like that.”

To kick off Buddy Check Week, The American Legion is teaming with VA for a webinar to highlight the importance of making connections during the week. You can register for the webinar here.  (Join the webinar here.)

For American Legion Family members conducting Buddy Checks next week and beyond, we’ve created resources to assist your effort:

·         Buddy Check Toolkit that explains the program, provides steps to conducting a successful Buddy Check, gives sample scripts and more. 

·         Buddy Check doorhanger that is printer-friendly and can be customized as a leave-behind when Legion Family members visit a veteran who is not a home. 

And if your post, district or department is planning a Buddy Check event, please remember to share your stories and photos from the event in the Buddy Check section of Legiontown.