Battle buddy
Encyclopedia
A Battle Buddy is a partner assigned to a fellow soldier in the United States Armed Forces
. Assigned in pairs, each Battle Buddy is expected to assist his or her partner both in and out of combat
. Although they have reported both pros and cons to the Battle Buddy system in polls, most participating soldiers have reported satisfaction and have agreed that the Army should implement the system fully. A Battle Buddy is intended not just for company, but also for the reduction of suicide
; since each watches his partner's actions, a Battle Buddy can save his fellow soldier's life by noticing negative thoughts and feelings and intervening to provide help.
The following potential disadvantages have also been identified:
•Personality conflicts can cause tension and decrease positive effects
•Adds extra responsibilities
•Interference with desired activities
•Requires the commitment
of caring for another person
Assignment Program", in order to gauge whether the program should be implemented by the Army
. Surveys
were created to assess:
•The role of personality
variables
•Self-assessments of successes due to Battle Buddies
•Potential situational influences
•Buddy interactions/assessments
The following table, for example, displays soldiers' ratings
of satisfaction
with the Battle Buddy system:
This table, on the other hand, shows soldiers' agreement that Battle Buddies are good Army
practice:
increased by 37%, while in 2009, there were 344 completed suicides by military personnel (211 of whom were members of the Army
). In response, efforts to identify suicide prevention initiatives have increased, and military and legislative
officials have found the assignment of Battle Buddies to be an effective method of decreasing military suicide rates.
in Iraq
, Specialist
Albert Godding prevented his Buddy, Specialist Joe Sanders, from shooting himself in the head. Having recently learned that his wife wanted a divorce
, Sanders put an M-4 carbine under his chin and pulled the trigger, but the gun failed to fire: Godding, noticing that his Battle Buddy was distraught, had removed the firing pin
earlier in the day, thus disarming the weapon and saving Sanders' life.
Godding would eventually receive the Meritorious Service Medal
for his actions. After the thwarted attempt, Sanders sought counseling. Two years later - at which point he had been promoted and gone on to continue a successful military career - Sanders, speaking publicly about the experience, expressed gratitude for his Buddy's actions: "If it wasn't for him I wouldn't have gotten to experience my fiancée. I wouldn't have gotten to lead troops, or attend schools and learn. Those are things I love to do.".
The Army has also reported another Battle-Buddy success story involving Specialist James V. Dunz and another soldier named Eddie. Noticing that Eddie was on the ground, being bullied by a group of other soldiers, Dunz intervened and helped Eddie up to his feet. Dunz and Eddie would eventually become Battle Buddies. Years later, at Eddie's retirement
ceremony, he revealed that he had been planning to commit suicide
before Dunz intervened to help him. In his retirement
ceremony
speech
, Eddie stated: "Retirement is a time to thank those who helped you make it through all the tough years: your parents, your family
, even your sergeants—but mostly your friends. I am here to tell all of you that being a Battle Buddy to someone is the best gift you can give him."
United States armed forces
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.The United States has a strong tradition of civilian control of the military...
. Assigned in pairs, each Battle Buddy is expected to assist his or her partner both in and out of combat
Combat
Combat, or fighting, is a purposeful violent conflict meant to establish dominance over the opposition, or to terminate the opposition forever, or drive the opposition away from a location where it is not wanted or needed....
. Although they have reported both pros and cons to the Battle Buddy system in polls, most participating soldiers have reported satisfaction and have agreed that the Army should implement the system fully. A Battle Buddy is intended not just for company, but also for the reduction of suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
; since each watches his partner's actions, a Battle Buddy can save his fellow soldier's life by noticing negative thoughts and feelings and intervening to provide help.
Advantages and disadvantages
Evaluations of the Battle Buddy system have identified the following advantages:- Reduces rates of suicideSuicideSuicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
and sexual assaults - Buddies keep each other informed about key instructions and information
- Promotes cooperative problem-solving
- Increases moraleMoraleMorale, also known as esprit de corps when discussing the morale of a group, is an intangible term used to describe the capacity of people to maintain belief in an institution or a goal, or even in oneself and others...
- Encourages soldiers and motivates increased confidenceConfidenceConfidence is generally described as a state of being certain either that a hypothesis or prediction is correct or that a chosen course of action is the best or most effective. Self-confidence is having confidence in oneself. Arrogance or hubris in this comparison, is having unmerited...
- Decreases stressStress (biology)Stress is a term in psychology and biology, borrowed from physics and engineering and first used in the biological context in the 1930s, which has in more recent decades become commonly used in popular parlance...
- Eases transition to the militaryMilitaryA military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
lifestyle - Improves safetySafetySafety is the state of being "safe" , the condition of being protected against physical, social, spiritual, financial, political, emotional, occupational, psychological, educational or other types or consequences of failure, damage, error, accidents, harm or any other event which could be...
in trainingTrainingThe term training refers to the acquisition of knowledge, skills, and competencies as a result of the teaching of vocational or practical skills and knowledge that relate to specific useful competencies. It forms the core of apprenticeships and provides the backbone of content at institutes of...
and combatCombatCombat, or fighting, is a purposeful violent conflict meant to establish dominance over the opposition, or to terminate the opposition forever, or drive the opposition away from a location where it is not wanted or needed.... - Improves communicationCommunicationCommunication is the activity of conveying meaningful information. Communication requires a sender, a message, and an intended recipient, although the receiver need not be present or aware of the sender's intent to communicate at the time of communication; thus communication can occur across vast...
for soldiers not fluent in EnglishEnglish languageEnglish is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria... - Promotes better leadershipLeadershipLeadership has been described as the “process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task". Other in-depth definitions of leadership have also emerged.-Theories:...
skills
The following potential disadvantages have also been identified:
•Personality conflicts can cause tension and decrease positive effects
•Adds extra responsibilities
•Interference with desired activities
•Requires the commitment
Promise
A promise is a commitment by someone to do or not do something.In the law of contract, an exchange of promises is usually held to be legally enforceable, according to the Latin maxim pacta sunt servanda.- Types :...
of caring for another person
Evaluations
Soldiers were asked to evaluate and rate their satisfaction with the "Battle Buddy TeamTeam
A team comprises a group of people or animals linked in a common purpose. Teams are especially appropriate for conducting tasks that are high in complexity and have many interdependent subtasks.A group in itself does not necessarily constitute a team...
Assignment Program", in order to gauge whether the program should be implemented by the Army
Army
An army An army An army (from Latin arma "arms, weapons" via Old French armée, "armed" (feminine), in the broadest sense, is the land-based military of a nation or state. It may also include other branches of the military such as the air force via means of aviation corps...
. Surveys
Statistical survey
Survey methodology is the field that studies surveys, that is, the sample of individuals from a population with a view towards making statistical inferences about the population using the sample. Polls about public opinion, such as political beliefs, are reported in the news media in democracies....
were created to assess:
•The role of personality
Personality psychology
Personality psychology is a branch of psychology that studies personality and individual differences. Its areas of focus include:* Constructing a coherent picture of the individual and his or her major psychological processes...
variables
•Self-assessments of successes due to Battle Buddies
•Potential situational influences
•Buddy interactions/assessments
The following table, for example, displays soldiers' ratings
Evaluation
Evaluation is systematic determination of merit, worth, and significance of something or someone using criteria against a set of standards.Evaluation often is used to characterize and appraise subjects of interest in a wide range of human enterprises, including the arts, criminal justice,...
of satisfaction
Contentment
"Contentment" seems realistically defined as "enjoyment of whatever may be desired". That definition is realistic because the more contented an individual or community becomes the less extreme so more acceptable their desires will be...
with the Battle Buddy system:
| Disliked Very Much | Disliked | Neither | Liked | Liked Very much |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5% | 4% | 10% | 31% | 50% |
This table, on the other hand, shows soldiers' agreement that Battle Buddies are good Army
Army
An army An army An army (from Latin arma "arms, weapons" via Old French armée, "armed" (feminine), in the broadest sense, is the land-based military of a nation or state. It may also include other branches of the military such as the air force via means of aviation corps...
practice:
| Strongly disagree | Disagree | Neither agree nor disagree | Agree | Strongly agree |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5% | 5% | 22% | 24% | 44% |
Military Suicides
Suicide prevention is a major objective of the Battle Buddy system. In 2006, the suicide rate in the United States ArmyUnited States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
increased by 37%, while in 2009, there were 344 completed suicides by military personnel (211 of whom were members of the Army
Army
An army An army An army (from Latin arma "arms, weapons" via Old French armée, "armed" (feminine), in the broadest sense, is the land-based military of a nation or state. It may also include other branches of the military such as the air force via means of aviation corps...
). In response, efforts to identify suicide prevention initiatives have increased, and military and legislative
Legislature
A legislature is a kind of deliberative assembly with the power to pass, amend, and repeal laws. The law created by a legislature is called legislation or statutory law. In addition to enacting laws, legislatures usually have exclusive authority to raise or lower taxes and adopt the budget and...
officials have found the assignment of Battle Buddies to be an effective method of decreasing military suicide rates.
Honorable Battle Buddies
Demonstrating the effectiveness of this program in preventing suicide, several soldiers have been saved from suicide by their Battle Buddies. For example, in August 2008, while the pair was deployedDeployment
Deployment may refer to:* Deployment flowchart, a process mapping tool used to articulate the steps and stakeholders of a given process* System deployment, transforming a mechanical, electrical, or computer system from a packaged form to an operational state* Software deployment, all of the...
in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
, Specialist
Specialist (rank)
Specialist is one of the four junior enlisted ranks in the U.S. Army, just above Private First Class and equivalent in pay grade to Corporal. Unlike Corporals, Specialists are not considered junior non-commissioned officers...
Albert Godding prevented his Buddy, Specialist Joe Sanders, from shooting himself in the head. Having recently learned that his wife wanted a divorce
Divorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
, Sanders put an M-4 carbine under his chin and pulled the trigger, but the gun failed to fire: Godding, noticing that his Battle Buddy was distraught, had removed the firing pin
Firing pin
A firing pin or striker is part of the firing mechanism used in a firearm or explosive device e.g. an M14 landmine or bomb fuze. Firing pins may take many forms, though the types used in landmines, bombs, grenade fuzes or other single-use devices generally have a sharpened point...
earlier in the day, thus disarming the weapon and saving Sanders' life.
Godding would eventually receive the Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal
The Meritorious Service Medal is a senior level military decoration presented to denote acts of meritorious service worthy of recognition. This medal can be awarded in a combat or non- combat theatre...
for his actions. After the thwarted attempt, Sanders sought counseling. Two years later - at which point he had been promoted and gone on to continue a successful military career - Sanders, speaking publicly about the experience, expressed gratitude for his Buddy's actions: "If it wasn't for him I wouldn't have gotten to experience my fiancée. I wouldn't have gotten to lead troops, or attend schools and learn. Those are things I love to do.".
The Army has also reported another Battle-Buddy success story involving Specialist James V. Dunz and another soldier named Eddie. Noticing that Eddie was on the ground, being bullied by a group of other soldiers, Dunz intervened and helped Eddie up to his feet. Dunz and Eddie would eventually become Battle Buddies. Years later, at Eddie's retirement
Retirement
Retirement is the point where a person stops employment completely. A person may also semi-retire by reducing work hours.Many people choose to retire when they are eligible for private or public pension benefits, although some are forced to retire when physical conditions don't allow the person to...
ceremony, he revealed that he had been planning to commit suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
before Dunz intervened to help him. In his retirement
Retirement
Retirement is the point where a person stops employment completely. A person may also semi-retire by reducing work hours.Many people choose to retire when they are eligible for private or public pension benefits, although some are forced to retire when physical conditions don't allow the person to...
ceremony
Ceremony
A ceremony is an event of ritual significance, performed on a special occasion. The word may be of Etruscan origin.-Ceremonial occasions:A ceremony may mark a rite of passage in a human life, marking the significance of, for example:* birth...
speech
Speech
Speech is the human faculty of speaking.It may also refer to:* Public speaking, the process of speaking to a group of people* Manner of articulation, how the body parts involved in making speech are manipulated...
, Eddie stated: "Retirement is a time to thank those who helped you make it through all the tough years: your parents, your family
Family
In human context, a family is a group of people affiliated by consanguinity, affinity, or co-residence. In most societies it is the principal institution for the socialization of children...
, even your sergeants—but mostly your friends. I am here to tell all of you that being a Battle Buddy to someone is the best gift you can give him."
See also
- Suicide preventionSuicide preventionSuicide prevention is an umbrella term for the collective efforts of local citizen organizations, mental health practitioners and related professionals to reduce the incidence of suicide....
- Suicide methodsSuicide methodsA suicide method is any means by which one or more persons purposely kill themselves. Suicide methods can be classified according to two modes of interrupting life processes: physical or chemical. Physical modes of interruption typically act by incapacitating the respiratory system or the central...
- United States Armed ForcesUnited States armed forcesThe United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.The United States has a strong tradition of civilian control of the military...
- Buddy systemBuddy systemThe buddy system is a procedure in which two people, the "buddies", operate together as a single unit so that they are able to monitor and help each other.-Advantages:...
External links
- Military.com, Finding Your Battle Buddy, Tara Crooks, 11 December 2007