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Battle Buddy app and VetLife pitch outreach, AI companion and benefits navigation for Michigan veterans
Summary
Joshua Parish of VetLife described the Battle Buddy app, an AI‑assisted benefits navigation and peer support tool, and outlined outreach strategies including in‑person events, partnerships and encryption safeguards to protect veteran data.
Joshua Parish, co‑founder of the nonprofit VetLife, told the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Military and Veterans Affairs that his organization’s Battle Buddy app is a one‑stop tool to connect veterans to benefits, mental‑health resources and local services.
Parish said VetLife has helped more than 43,000 Michigan veterans access benefits since 2018 and that the app — released two months earlier — had more than 43,000 downloads. He described an AI companion called “Sam” that is available 24/7 and said the app uses geofencing to connect veterans to nearby resources if the model indicates a user intends self‑harm.
Parish described Battle Buddy’s benefits navigation features: guided creation of an eBenefits account, an “intent to file” flow to lock in effective dates, a checklist of required documents and timed reminders to complete applications. He said the app is intended to move a veteran about “90% of the way” through an application before referring the veteran to an accredited veterans service officer (VSO) for final filing, noting Michigan’s local shortage of accredited VSOs.
On outreach, Parish said VetLife built a database through in‑person events (VetFest) that attract 3,500–4,000 attendees and that the organization partners with service organizations, gaming communities and county VSOs to get the app into veterans’ hands. Parish said financing has been primarily private so far (donations, grants, fundraising) and that VetLife has not received state or federal funding to operate the app.
Representative Rogers and others asked about AI safeguards and misinformation. Parish said the app uses a hybrid model combining a predefined decision tree and a large language model trained by the organization; he described media and education campaigns to explain how the AI works and to reduce stigma. Representative Cabot asked about data security; Parish said the platform is end‑to‑end encrypted and SOC 2 compliant and that monthly backend screening is performed to reduce the risk of leaks.
Parish said VetLife’s aim is upstream intervention — helping veterans navigate benefits and reestablish a sense of purpose — and urged partnerships with vetted providers to ensure referrals reach accredited services rather than search‑engine advertisers.
