Abattle buddy is a partner assigned to a soldier in the United States Army. Each battle buddy is expected to assist their partner both in and out of combat. A battle buddy is not only intended for company, but also for the reduction of suicide; since each watches their partner's actions, a battle buddy can save their fellow soldier's life by noticing negative thoughts and feelings and intervening to provide help. Most participating soldiers have reported satisfaction and have agreed that the Army should implement the system fully, although there have been cons reported as well.[1][2]
Evaluations of the battle buddy system have identified the following advantages:[2][3]
The following potential disadvantages have also been identified:[2][3][4]
Soldiers were asked to evaluate and rate their satisfaction with the "Battle Buddy Team Assignment Program" in order to gauge whether the program should be implemented by the Army. Surveys were created to assess:[2]
The following table displays soldiers' ratings of satisfaction with the Battle Buddy system:[2]
| Disliked Very Much | Disliked | Neither | Liked | Liked Very much |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5% | 4% | 10% | 31% | 50% |
This table shows soldiers' agreement that battle buddies are good Army practice:[2]
| Strongly disagree | Disagree | Neither agree nor disagree | Agree | Strongly agree |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5% | 5% | 22% | 24% | 44% |
Suicide prevention is a major objective of the battle buddy system. In 2006, the suicide rate in the U.S. Army increased by 37% and, by 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; military and legislative officials found the assignment of battle buddies to be an effective method of decreasing military suicide rates.[1]
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