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So I'm not entirely sure how long ago this term came into use (it was sure as hell before my cherry ass joined), but I recall it being beaten into my head in Basic. Everybody around you was your "battle" and you couldn't go anywhere without a "battle buddy" and you'd get the life smoked out of you if you went anywhere without one within arms reach of you.
Then AIT rolled around, and since then, I haven't heard this term except in passing when I'm in some sort of large-scale brief with SMs from all sorts of MOS.
Are there certain MOS that love this term? All the 11Bs I've ever been around wouldn't be caught dead saying it, and I'm pretty sure you'd get laughed out of the hangar if you used it in a hangar (or anywhere that's primarily aviation personnel).
What are your experiences with the term "battle buddy" and how do you feel about it?
Then AIT rolled around, and since then, I haven't heard this term except in passing when I'm in some sort of large-scale brief with SMs from all sorts of MOS.
Are there certain MOS that love this term? All the 11Bs I've ever been around wouldn't be caught dead saying it, and I'm pretty sure you'd get laughed out of the hangar if you used it in a hangar (or anywhere that's primarily aviation personnel).
What are your experiences with the term "battle buddy" and how do you feel about it?
Posted in these groups: 
Accountability
Accountability
Posted 9 y ago
Responses: 36
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- BLUF: love the concept, hate the term.
- "Battle Buddy" is meant to convey the concept that the Army is a team sport, not an individual sport, and that the lowest echelon (team) we have is the two person team who are to look out for each other 24/7 whether in combat or in garrison.
- This concept must be initiated during BCT/AIT and continually reinforced through out a Soldier's career.
- Several 2nd/3rd order impacts of this concept to include but not limited to: never leave a Soldier behind, taking care of each other is an imperative not a suggestion, and standards/discipline need to be internalized but also enforced.
- Failures to properly execute the concept results in issues that we are seeing today such as suicides, accidental deaths, and sexual assault/harassment.
- The term "battle buddy", however, is not the best term to articulate and visualize this concept.
- "Battle Buddy" is meant to convey the concept that the Army is a team sport, not an individual sport, and that the lowest echelon (team) we have is the two person team who are to look out for each other 24/7 whether in combat or in garrison.
- This concept must be initiated during BCT/AIT and continually reinforced through out a Soldier's career.
- Several 2nd/3rd order impacts of this concept to include but not limited to: never leave a Soldier behind, taking care of each other is an imperative not a suggestion, and standards/discipline need to be internalized but also enforced.
- Failures to properly execute the concept results in issues that we are seeing today such as suicides, accidental deaths, and sexual assault/harassment.
- The term "battle buddy", however, is not the best term to articulate and visualize this concept.
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SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
COL Jason Smallfield, PMP, CFM, CM, well said and eloquently expressed!
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Childish and unprofessional. What it really means is that "enlisted" soldiers are not adult enough to stay out of trouble so they need a babysitter. Have you ever seen an officer with a battle buddy?
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MSG (Join to see)
Thank you! I always felt like a child when someone told me to have a battle buddy!
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1LT Nick Kidwell
CW3 Craig Linghor
Babysitter? Nope. Watching each others' backs? Absolutely. Wingman? Definitely.
CPT Michael Potoczniak - We didn't have that in Chem OBC...must be a Medical Services thing.
Babysitter? Nope. Watching each others' backs? Absolutely. Wingman? Definitely.
CPT Michael Potoczniak - We didn't have that in Chem OBC...must be a Medical Services thing.
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SGT (Join to see)
treat soldiers like children, and they will act like children. bring back personal accountability and see what happens.. its a simple concept. people will adapt to their environment. the problems the army is seeing today is a direct result of lazy leadership and coddling
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