Buddy Statements: What They Are and How to Write One for a VA Claim

Structure of an Effective Buddy Statement

While there's no required format, the most effective buddy statements follow a logical structure:

1. Introduction. State your full name, relationship to the veteran, and how you have personal knowledge of the events or conditions described.
   Example: "My name is [Name]. I served with [Veteran's Name] in [Unit] from [dates] at [location]. I am writing this statement based on my personal observations during our shared service."
2. What you witnessed. Describe the specific event, injury, exposure, or symptoms you observed. Include dates or approximate timeframes, locations, and circumstances.
   Example: "In approximately [month/year], while deployed to [location], I witnessed [Veteran] [specific observation]. I remember this because [reason the memory is reliable]."
3. Impact you observed. Describe how the condition affected the veteran — changes in behavior, physical limitations, complaints of pain, missed duties, or need for medical attention.
   Example: "After this incident, I noticed that [Veteran] had difficulty [specific activity]. He/she frequently [specific observable behavior]."
4. Ongoing observations (if applicable). If you've maintained contact with the veteran after service, describe any ongoing symptoms or limitations you've observed.
5. Certification. Include a statement that the information is true and correct to the best of your knowledge.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Being too vague. "He was hurt during deployment" doesn't help. "I saw him fall from the back of a 5-ton truck during a convoy stop near Fallujah in March 2005 and land on his left shoulder" does.
• Making medical diagnoses. Lay witnesses should describe symptoms ("he limped," "she couldn't raise her arm above her head," "he woke up screaming several times a week") rather than diagnoses ("he has PTSD" or "she tore her rotator cuff").
• Speculation. State what you saw and observed, not what you think might have happened or what the veteran told you happened (unless you're specifically documenting what the veteran reported at the time).
• Form letters. Generic, template-style statements that could apply to anyone are less credible. The statement should be specific to this veteran and this situation.
• Inconsistency with the record. If the statement contradicts other evidence (wrong dates, wrong location), it undermines credibility. Verify dates and details before writing.

The Legal Weight of Buddy Statements

The VA is legally required to consider lay evidence, including buddy statements, in adjudicating claims. Key legal principles:

• Lay evidence is competent evidence. Lay witnesses can testify to facts within their personal knowledge and observation. The VA cannot reject a buddy statement simply because the witness is not a medical professional.
• Competence vs. credibility. A witness is "competent" to describe observable facts (what they saw, heard, or experienced). "Credibility" is whether the adjudicator believes the witness. The VA must explain why it finds a statement not credible if it discounts it.
• Symptoms vs. diagnosis. Lay witnesses can describe symptoms (pain, limitation of movement, sleeplessness, behavior changes). They generally cannot provide medical diagnoses or nexus opinions, because those require medical expertise.
• Combat veteran presumption. Under 38 U.S.C. § 1154(b), lay testimony from a combat veteran about in-service events consistent with combat is accepted as sufficient evidence, even without official documentation.

VA Form 21-10210 (Lay/Witness Statement)

The VA provides a standardized form for buddy statements: VA Form 21-10210. While using this form is not required (a plain letter works), using the form ensures you include the required elements and the certification language. The form asks for:

• The witness's identifying information
• The veteran's identifying information
• The relationship between the witness and the veteran
• A narrative description of what the witness observed
• A certification that the statement is true and correct

How Buddy Statements Support Nexus Letters

Buddy statements and nexus letters work together. The nexus letter provides the medical opinion; the buddy statement provides the factual foundation. A nexus letter that references and relies on corroborating buddy statements is stronger than one that relies solely on the veteran's own account:

• A fellow service member's statement about the in-service event corroborates the veteran's description that the nexus letter relies upon.
• A spouse's statement about years of symptoms supports the continuity of symptomatology argument in the nexus opinion.
• A coworker's statement about functional limitations supports the severity assessment in the nexus letter.

The physician writing the nexus letter should review available buddy statements as part of the records review and reference them in the opinion when relevant. This demonstrates that the opinion is based on a complete evidentiary picture, not just the veteran's self-report.

Tips for the Veteran Requesting Buddy Statements

• Reach out early. It takes time to track down former service members and for them to write a thoughtful statement.
• Don't write it for them. It's appropriate to explain what information is helpful, but the statement should be in the witness's own words. Identical language across multiple statements looks coordinated and reduces credibility.
• Provide context, not a script. Tell them what the claim is about and what they might be able to address, then let them write what they remember.
• Get multiple statements if possible. One buddy statement is good; two or three corroborating statements are significantly stronger.
• Social media can help. Military Facebook groups, unit alumni associations, and veteran networks can help locate former service members who may be willing to write statements.