Buddy and lay statements (Form 21-10210)

Form 21-10210 is for people OTHER than the veteran to submit statements supporting the claim. Buddy statements from fellow service members can corroborate in-service events. Spouse, family, and coworker statements can document ongoing symptoms and functional impact.

Who to ask

• Service buddies who witnessed the in-service event or symptoms (especially for un-documented incidents)
• Squad leaders, NCOs, or officers who can speak to performance changes
• Spouse — for ongoing symptoms, mood changes, sleep disturbance, sexual dysfunction
• Parents and siblings — for pre/post-service changes
• Coworkers and supervisors — for current functional impact at work
• Therapists, AA sponsors, religious leaders — for behavioral changes

What makes a strong buddy statement

• Specific dates, locations, units, events. “In late summer 2010, somewhere south of Kandahar…”
• First-person observation. “I saw…”, “I was present when…”, “I lived next door to him after he came home and…”
• Specific symptoms or events, not characterizations. “He woke screaming three times in the week I stayed with him” beats “He has bad PTSD.”
• The writer’s relationship to the veteran and basis for knowledge.
• Signature and date.

One form per witness. If multiple people are submitting, each fills out a separate 21-10210.

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