Veteran’s Post — Check On Your Buddies

Grab your calendar, including the new one for 2027, and on the 22nd of every month through the year, make a note for that day: Buddy Check.

The reason: veteran suicides.

The VA has taken major steps to address veteran suicides. Last year alone they fielded 1.3 million chats, texts and calls to the Veterans Crisis Line. They've launched Risk ID, a program that evaluates veterans and spots the red flags for at-risk veterans. They've spent millions on grants for suicide prevention programs.

But they can't do everything.

Buddy Check 22 was started years ago as a reminder that the rate of veteran suicides was shockingly high — the latest report indicates that we're still losing 17 veterans per day to suicide — but we can do something about it. And that includes you.

The note on your calendar will be your reminder to reach out to another veteran and check in. It's not hard. You can give them a call and ask how they're doing. You can send a text message saying you're thinking about them. You can invite them out for coffee or lunch. You can stop by and take a tray of coffee and donuts to snack on while you get caught up.

Pull in your friends, too. Enlist their help in expanding the list of veterans that are contacted every month.

If something doesn't sound (or feel) right when you check on a fellow veteran, you can provide resources for help.

To learn more about Buddy Check 22, see militaryveteranproject.org/buddycheck22.

Take a look at the American Legion's Buddy Check information legion.org/advocacy/be-the-one/buddy-check.

Learn how to spot the danger signs and what to do about it.

Keep this information below in your wallet for when you need to support another veteran:

VA Crisis Line number: Dial 800-273-8255, then press 1. (Or dial 988.) Open 24/7. Veteranscrisisline.net: Chat online or send a text to 838255.

As a reminder, you don't need to be enrolled in VA healthcare to get help there.

(c) 2026 King Features Synd., Inc.