Are you a veteran?

Do you know a veteran?

Do you know 10 veterans?

In Alabama, the answer to these questions is often yes, but even if you could answer only one with an affirmative, the third week of October is important for you and those who have served our nation.

The Strong Veterans Act of 2022 requires the United States Department of Veterans Affairs — the VA — to conduct an annual Buddy Check Week. During this week, Oct. 16-20 this year, all veterans are encouraged to complete peer wellness, resiliency and other training, and to commit to talking to 10 veterans, their families and caregivers, or survivors.

The goals of the VA initiative are not easy to achieve, but together they encompass a vital mission: to advance access to VA health and benefits, to help improve mental health, to decrease isolation, to support peer networking and to increase suicide prevention awareness.

Connecting veterans to other veterans and those who care for them makes sense. Empathy, understanding, trust and a shared sense of service are inherent building blocks that can more quickly facilitate conversations for those in need.

But this doesn’t mean that those who make the pledge to check in with 10 buddies are on their own.

The Veterans Wellness Alliance offers services through Connect with Peers in addition to organizations such as Team RWB, Travis Manion Foundation, Team Rubicon, Elizabeth Dole Foundation, Team 43, Student Veterans of America, The Mission Continues and Wounded Warrior Project.

Additionally, assistance for those who want to connect with a veteran’s family, caregiver or survivors can find help at the American Red Cross Military and Veteran Caregiver Network and the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors.

In fact, links to all of these resources and a week kickoff webinar at noon CT Oct. 16 can be found in one place at VA News: https://news.va.gov/124570/veterans-organizations-support-buddy-check-week/.

You may not be a veteran, but the odds that you know one are high and, if so, this is the time to ask if they know about Buddy Check Week. If they do, encourage them to reach out.

If not, share the resources.

In the end, we all have a duty to support our veterans.