--- title: Battle Buddy url: https://warriorwod.org/volunteer-battle-buddy/ date: 2026-10-02T11:21:31+00:00 modified: 2026-10-02T12:56:43+00:00 lang: en_US --- # Battle Buddy Battle Buddy veteran mentor program # The Battle Buddy Program: Walk One Veteran Through Six Months The Battle Buddy program pairs an active duty service member or veteran with one Warrior for all six months of the program. You text every week, call every two weeks, and check in face-to-face as often as you can. You don’t need a counseling background. You need to have served, and you need to keep showing up when month three gets hard. [Apply to Be a Battle Buddy](#apply) [Am I eligible?](#eligible) ![Gardea C., Marine veteran and WarriorWOD Battle Buddy veteran mentor, smiling in a WarriorWOD shirt at a gym](https://warriorwod.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/gardea-c-battle-buddy-veteran-mentor-warriorwod.webp) > “I connected with WarriorWOD as a battle buddy to support other veterans in rebuilding their strength and resilience, knowing how fitness can transform lives and seeing how WarriorWOD made that a primary focus.” *Gardea C. · USMC Veteran · Battle Buddy* Who can apply ## Who can join the Battle Buddy program Battle Buddies are active duty US military service members and US military veterans. All are [VA S.A.V.E.](https://learn.psycharmor.org/courses/va-s-a-v-e)-certified. You don’t have to be a WarriorWOD graduate. Some Battle Buddies came through the program and some didn’t. Every one of them completes VA S.A.V.E. suicide prevention training and commits to the full six months: a text every week, a call every two weeks, and face-to-face check-ins as often as distance allows. 01Are you active duty US military or a US military veteran? 02Will you complete VA S.A.V.E. suicide prevention training? 03Can you commit to six months of weekly texts, a call every two weeks, and in-person check-ins when you can? [#apply](#apply) The cadence ## How often a Battle Buddy shows up One Warrior, intake to graduation. TextEvery week Low pressure. Just enough to stay in touch. CallEvery 2 weeks Open questions, real listening, and a safety check. Face-to-faceAs often as you can A workout, a walk, or coffee. In-person check-ins carry the most weight. Contact logWithin 24 hours Every text, call, and visit gets a short log so the Program Director knows who needs more support. ▸ Silent weeks If your Warrior goes quiet, contact goes up, not down. Three low-pressure touches across five days. Two silent weeks in a row, and the Program Director gets looped in. ### How the 26 weeks go Your Warrior Intake. An InBody scan, the first Monthly Survey, and 12 orientation modules to work through. New gym, new people, and plenty of reasons to walk back out the door. You Coffee before anything else. Ask what they actually want out of this. Swap numbers and backup contacts, set the first call, and put the first face-to-face on the calendar. Your Warrior Gym twice a week at a Preferred Partner Gym, sessions with their Nutrition Coach, and a Monthly Survey every month that includes the PCL-5 and C-SSRS. You Text every week, call every two weeks, and get face-to-face whenever you can. Back up the habit their Nutrition Coach set that week. Your Warrior The Program Director reviews their monthly PCL-5 and C-SSRS scores with them. The early energy is gone, and this is the stretch when people think about quitting. You If they go quiet, you lean in. More contact, not less. This is the stretch where showing up counts most. Your Warrior Final Monthly Survey, a graduation InBody scan, a final score review with the Program Director, and graduation with their Warrior Class. Same start date, same finish line. You Be there for it. Then ask whether they want to be a Battle Buddy for the next Warrior Class. > “You are not a therapist. You are the person a Warrior actually picks up the phone for. That is not a small thing.” *The Battle Buddy Handbook* Scope ## What a Battle Buddy veteran mentor does, and what they don’t Yours - Showing up, listening, and encouraging. - Texting your Warrior every week, calling every two weeks, and checking in face-to-face as often as you can. - Reinforcing the Nutrition Coach’s habit of the week. - Grounding tools like box breathing and the 5-4-3-2-1 senses check. - The S.A.V.E. suicide response. - A warm handoff to your Warrior’s clinical provider. - Kickoff, midpoint, and graduation with the Warrior Class. Not yours - Therapy, counseling, or trauma processing. - Medical or nutrition plans. - Giving the PCL-5 or C-SSRS. Staff does that. - Being a 24/7 crisis line. 988 is. - Sharing a Warrior’s story anywhere without written consent. - Any money changing hands with a Warrior. Why peer mentorship ## Veterans don’t distrust treatment. They distrust people who weren’t there. Tsai et al. (2016) found veterans with peer mentors show 35% greater PTSD symptom reduction and 27% less depression than those without. That’s why the Battle Buddy veteran mentor role is one of three parts of the [six-month veteran PTSD program](https://warriorwod.org/program/), alongside exercise and nutrition coaching. Progress is tracked with the [PCL-5](https://www.ptsd.va.gov/professional/assessment/adult-sr/ptsd-checklist.asp) every month. 35%greater PTSD symptom reduction with a peer mentorTsai et al., 2016 27%less depression with a peer mentorTsai et al., 2016 14.42point PCL-5 reduction among WarriorWOD completersIndependently verified by the [College of Charleston](https://warriorwod.org/veteran-ptsd-recovery-program-research/) (pre 43.37, post 28.95; p\<.001, d=1.33). Peer review pending. Not reviewed by WarriorWOD before release. Backup ## You’re not carrying this alone 01 ### Trained first Battle Buddy training and VA S.A.V.E. suicide prevention certification come before any match. 02 ### A cadre behind you A weekly cadre call with other Battle Buddies, a monthly one-on-one with the Program Director, and a quarterly case review. 03 ### One-hour escalation Any safety concern reaches the Program Director within an hour. Licensed clinical care sits behind them. You connect. Professionals treat. 04 ### Rest is part of the job Need a week off calls? Take it. The program holds coverage. Off-hours crises go to the [Veterans Crisis Line](https://www.veteranscrisisline.net) first, then you. Apply ## Apply to be a Battle Buddy Three short steps. We confirm your service, get you into Battle Buddy training and VA S.A.V.E. certification, and match you when the next Warrior Class starts. Looking for support yourself? [Apply to the Warrior Class](https://warriorwod.org/veteran-ptsd-program/). Not military? You can still [volunteer at events or with professional skills](https://warriorwod.org/volunteer/). ✓ ### Application received. Thanks, . Someone from the team will reach out about VA S.A.V.E. training and your match. FAQ ## Battle Buddy program questions Something not covered? Email [info@warriorwod.org](mailto:info@warriorwod.org). Last updated October 2, 2026 What is a Battle Buddy program for veterans? WarriorWOD’s Battle Buddy program pairs one trained veteran or active duty service member with one Warrior for the full six-month veteran PTSD program. The Battle Buddy texts every week, calls every two weeks, and checks in face-to-face as often as possible. Every Battle Buddy completes VA S.A.V.E. suicide prevention training first. Who can become a Battle Buddy? Active duty US military service members and US military veterans who complete VA S.A.V.E. suicide prevention training and commit to the full six months with one Warrior. Do I need to have gone through WarriorWOD myself? No. Some Battle Buddies are WarriorWOD graduates and some are not. Every Battle Buddy has served, completes VA S.A.V.E. training, and commits to the full six months. What training do Battle Buddies need? Every Battle Buddy completes Battle Buddy training, including VA S.A.V.E. suicide prevention certification, before being matched with a Warrior. How much time does it take? You stay with one Warrior for the full six months. You text every week, call every two weeks, and check in face-to-face as often as you can. You also join a weekly cadre call with other Battle Buddies. Do Battle Buddies provide therapy or nutrition plans? No. Battle Buddies are trained peers, not clinicians. You reinforce the habits your Warrior’s Nutrition Coach sets and make a warm handoff to their clinical provider when needed. Staff administer the PCL-5 and C-SSRS. How am I matched with a Warrior? WarriorWOD matches you with a Warrior in an upcoming Warrior Class once your service and training are confirmed. What if my Warrior is in crisis? Dial 988 and Press 1 for the Veterans Crisis Line, and stay with them. Then contact the Program Director within one hour. Battle Buddies are trained in the S.A.V.E. protocol and are never expected to handle a crisis alone. Are Battle Buddies paid? No. Battle Buddies are trained volunteers. For veterans ## If you've been through the VA and it didn't work, you're not alone. --- A lot of us have been there. WarriorWOD isn't therapy, and it's not a gym membership. It's six months of exercise, nutrition coaching, and a Battle Buddy who's already walked this road. It costs you nothing. You pick the gym. You start with the next Warrior Class. Apply. It takes ten minutes. You can stop there. If tonight is the hard part, this page can wait. Dial [988](tel:988) and press 1, or text [838255](sms:838255). Someone who gets it picks up. Come back to us tomorrow. [Apply to the Warrior Class](https://warriorwod.org/veteran-ptsd-program/) ### Who the program is for - ▸US military veterans, any era, any branch - ▸Living with PTSD, suicidal ideation, or substance misuse - ▸Able to take part in structured fitness at least twice a week - ▸Ready to commit to six months, a shared start date, and a shared graduation ### What you get, at no cost to you - ▸Six months of training at a Preferred Partner Gym you choose - ▸Certified nutrition coaching for all six months - ▸A VA S.A.V.E.-certified Battle Buddy who finished the program - ▸InBody scans at intake and graduation, plus a check-in every month Acceptance is application-based. 100 to 120 veterans enroll each year across the Warrior Classes. Join the Mission ## $22 a month. A real part of one veteran's recovery. --- They served. You serve them back. For $22 a month, you're in a veteran's corner for every workout, every check-in, and every Battle Buddy call of the six-month program. Over a year, your $264 covers more than a sixth of one veteran's complete recovery. Veterans pay nothing. Donors like you cover all of it. **88**more veterans a year if 500 Warrior Supporters give $22 a month Every dollar is tracked to a measured outcome. The PCL-5 is scored every month. The data belongs to the literature, not to us. Nutrition coaching**$600** Gym membership**$575+** Programming**$125** InBody assessments**$100** Support**$75** Mentorship**$25**