U.S. Army · 2009–2011
101st Airborne, 2-327 IN BN "No Slack"
- Suicidal ideations reduced by over 70%
- Zero suicides during a combat deployment
- 18 KIA, 200+ Purple Hearts across 800 soldiers
- Culture shift sustained beyond the rotation
Flagship Program
Warrior's Keeper
A peer-led, platoon-level mental health program. Each unit elects its own Keeper — a trusted teammate trained to catch early signals, hold the line on the small stuff, and escort soldiers to professional care before the crisis arrives. Built in the 101st Airborne. Proven in frontline units in Ukraine. Now scaling.
The Origin
The unit leading the Army in suicides became the unit with none.
In February 2009, Chaplain Justin Roberts reported to the 2-327th Infantry Battalion of the 101st Airborne Division, "No Slack." On his second day, a soldier died by suicide. A week later, another. Within months, the battalion was leading the entire Army in suicides. One of the most battle-tested units in the military had become one of the most broken.
The prescribed training was not working. The more they talked about suicide in formal settings, the more suicides they had. Roberts and the battalion command team did something different: they went to the barracks. They asked soldiers what was actually happening. Isolation. Drinking. Divorce. Fear. The soldiers were not asking for another PowerPoint. They were asking for brotherhood and sisterhood.
From those conversations, a system took shape. Each platoon elected its own Keeper — the person they already turned to. Together, they wrote their own Code: battle drills for personal crises. Soldiers started stepping in for each other before crises hit. They escorted each other to the chaplain instead of waiting for the breakdown. They rewrote what it meant to be strong.
Then came the deployment. 800 soldiers. 18 killed in action. 200 Purple Hearts. Zero suicides. Suicidal ideations dropped by 75%. The culture had changed. They had built a tribe.
How It Works
Five steps. Operated by the platoon, sustained by clinicians.
- 01
Election
Each platoon elects its Keeper — the person soldiers already turn to when life gets hard. The Keeper is not appointed by command, not assigned by MOS, not the chaplain by default. Trust is the only qualification, and it is the only one that matters.
- 02
The Code
Keepers convene with their platoon to write their own Code — battle drills for the personal crises that hollow out units: grief, addiction, divorce, financial collapse, isolation. The Code belongs to the platoon. It is read aloud, signed, and lived.
- 03
Training
Keepers complete a certification curriculum delivered with the unit's chaplains and behavioral health team. They learn what to watch for, when to act, how to escort a soldier to professional care, and how to keep themselves from carrying the weight alone.
- 04
Sustainment
Keepers meet in regular huddles — sometimes weekly, always recurring — with clinical staff. They surface trends, share what's working, flag soldiers who need more than peer support, and refresh themselves. This is not a one-time school. It is an ongoing practice.
- 05
Cultural shift
Over time, the conversation about strength changes. Soldiers stop hiding what's wrong. Leaders stop seeing personal crises as discipline problems. The platoon becomes a unit that watches its own — not because of a slide deck, but because of a code they wrote themselves.
What Changes
Centralized systems vs. peer-led platoons.
Warrior's Keeper does not replace psychologists. It strengthens their reach. Keepers identify problems earlier, get soldiers to professional help faster, and serve as a bridge between the platoon and the clinician. Here is what the daily reality looks like before and after.
Before
After
Care lives in the clinic, an appointment away.
Care lives in the platoon, an arm's length away.
Specialists meet soldiers after the crisis arrives.
Peers catch early signals weeks or months earlier.
Programs are appointed and command-imposed.
Keepers are elected by the soldiers who will lean on them.
Doctrine is generic and centrally written.
The Code is specific and written by the platoon.
Training is a slide deck. Compliance is the metric.
Training is a practice. Retention and lives are the metrics.
Where It Has Been Proven
Combat-tested. Scalable. Ready for your formation.
Ukraine · Frontline Units
Sustained Combat Operations
- Tested under continuous combat tempo
- Same consistent results across language and doctrine
- Adapted to small unit structure and operational tempo
- Validation that the model is not unique to U.S. Army units
California Army National Guard · 2026
Pilot Discussions with J9
- Active engagement with CalARNG J9 directorate
- Certification-driven, digitally sustained model
- Train-the-trainer architecture for scale
- Ready to drop into a battalion or brigade footprint
Bring This to Your Unit
Tell us where your formation is. We'll show you what implementation looks like.
We work with battalions, brigades, and Guard formations who want a working alternative to centralized mental health programs. Pilots are scoped to your manning, tempo, and existing behavioral health resources.