Buddy Check Day reminds Texas veterans to check in with other veterans

AUSTIN, Texas - It's almost Buddy Check Day.

Buddy Check Day happens on the 11th day of each month. It is a monthly reminder for Texas veterans to check in with other veterans. Buddy Check can be as simple as picking up the phone, just to talk, text, or visit.

"Of course, it’s a good idea to check on each other more often; but sometimes we forget. So set your alarm and program a reminder for the 11th day of every month as Buddy Check Day," said Laura Koerner, Texas Veterans Commission Chairwoman and U.S. Navy Veteran.

In this week's FOX 7 Care Force, Thomas Palladino, the executive director of the Texas Veterans Commission, joins Mike Warren to talk about Buddy Check Day and how by getting in touch with others, veterans may enjoy comradery, check on each other’s well-being and connect another veteran with a service they can use.

MIKE: In the FOX 7 Care Force we have seen over the years how much of the time it is veterans helping veterans and what we are talking about today is a perfect example. It's called Buddy Check Day. Here to talk about that is Thomas Palladino, the executive director of the Texas Veterans Commission. What is Buddy Check Day?

THOMAS: Buddy Check Day was a bill from Senator Lucio and it designated the 11th day of every month as a day for vets to check on their military buddies that they've served with or know to check their mental and physical well-being to see how they are. Veterans Day is the 11th of November so it came from that... So they check on each other.

MIKE: What's the idea behind it?

THOMAS: There are some vets with mental health issues and veteran suicide is way too high, so the motivation behind this is to check on vets mental health and the other things that contribute to stress in their lives, and we want to solve those issues and connect them with services.

MIKE: How do veterans get involved?

THOMAS: We push this out on social media online, so vets can put it on their calenders and check on each other. So vets don't have to sign up for anything. Just call your buddy, and we hope to help vets get signed up for services and, hey can do that on the Texas Veterans Comission page and there's a form and we can contact them by phone.

MIKE: Thomas Palladino, thank you.

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