In 2024 a record 4,624 American Legion posts used Buddy Checks to reach more than 340,000 veterans.
As The American Legion continues to stem the tide of veteran suicides through its Be the One suicide prevention mission, a key component of that mission also continues to grow throughout the organization.
The American Legion’s Buddy Check program – the simple act of reaching out to a veteran either by phone, text, email or in-person visit – saw another year of growth. While Resolution No. 18, passed during the 2019 Spring Meetings, encourages Buddy Check activities during Veterans Week and around The American Legion Birthday in mid-March, many posts have conducted them more often.
In 2024, 4,624 Legion posts conducting Buddy Checks, reaching 341,049 veterans. The number of posts conducting Buddy Checks was an increase of 168 from 2023 and more than 940 since the program started in 2019.
The number of veterans reached increased dramatically last year, with 47,551 more veterans contacted than in 2023. Since the inception of Buddy Checks as a national program, the number of veterans contacted has risen by 91,904. Since 2019, a total of 1.4 million veterans have been reached through American Legion Buddy Checks.
Over the first four years of its existence, Buddy Checks have reached 1,431,061 veterans, according to the reports.
American Legion posts who haven’t conducted Buddy Checks but want to do so can get assistance through our downloadable Buddy Check Toolkit. More information about the Buddy Check program, including promotional materials, can be found here.
- Buddy Check