‘Simple, so profound’: Battle Buddy program helps veterans transition to civilian life

Mass. — Veterans Day is a time to remember and honor those who devoted themselves to defending freedom.

Many veterans have a tough time when they leave the service and come home.

Sometimes one good friend can make that transition smoother.

Kris Ferrell was in a shelter when he first met J.R. Moock.

He had a hard time after he left the US Coast Guard.

He knew he needed a friend.

“I needed to know people outside of the shelter because people that are in the shelter are just there periodically, and I needed long-term friends, long-term networking.”

The two men met through the Battle Buddy program, which is run by the Massachusetts non-profit Frost Call.

“This is kind of the heart of what we do, which is really about bringing veterans together in a 1-1 peer support program,” said Wesley Sanders, Ph.D., the founder and executive director of Frost Call which sponsors the Battle Buddy program.

“This is two veterans connecting and finding that camaraderie that was missing from their service.”

Sanders is a veteran of the US Marine Corps and a clinical psychologist who specializes in treating patients with PTSD.

Moock understood where Ferrell was coming from because he had successfully overcome his own struggle after leaving the US Army.

“I spent six months living out of my stuff like that.”

At first, Moock didn’t think the Battle Buddy program was a good fit for him, but finally agreed to give it a try.

Now he and Ferrell are the best of friends.

“He was at our wedding,” said Moock. “There were only about 10 people there because it was a COVID wedding, but Kris was there.”

Ferrell added, “He was one of the first friends I made here, and ever since I’ve known him, he’s been on my side, been a motivator.”

Frost Call bases much of its programming around gaming, using that as an ice breaker to get younger veterans to socialize.

The Battle Buddy program can be a good first step in getting veterans to socialize.

“We know the default is to kind of pull back and isolate just in general in our society, and so we have to provide something that gets someone out there to do something that is a little bit vulnerable,” said Sanders.

Positive socialization can be a powerful tool to overcome problems associated with life after service.

“Reintegration stress and the challenges of adjustment to that post-military life are mental health struggles, and there’s a lot of risk of suicide risk out there. There’s risk for depression, anxiety, other challenges,” said Sanders.

Overcoming those obstacles is what makes the Battle Buddy program so special.

“Seeing someone show up to their second, third, or fourth event brings such a reward to what it is we do, and we know the mission is alive and it is thriving”, said Cory Hasselmann, a Marine veteran and board of director member at Frost Call.

“I can’t recommend the Battle Buddy program enough,” said Moock. It’s so simple and yet so profound.”

Kris Ferrell exemplifies that statement.

He’s now in stable housing, studying at UMass-Boston, and thinking about a career in the music industry.

Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW

©2025 Cox Media Group