Battle Buddy

Wake up, zero-five-thirty, boots on the floor,

Same green walls and the same damn war,

Not overseas, but it’s still a fight,

Carryin’ everybody else every day and night.

“Hey, cover CQ.” “Need you on staff.”

“Need one more body.” “Need you fast.”

Always the first one they throw in line,

‘Cause they know I’ll grind every single time.

Motor pool soaked in diesel rain,

Fixing deadlined trucks till my hands feel pain,

Everybody disappears when the work gets rough,

But somehow they think one man’s enough.

Yeah, they call you “brother” in the smoke pit light,

Say “we’re family” every Friday night,

But the second your demons start creepin’ in,

That brotherhood gets real damn thin.

I’m everybody’s battle buddy when the mission goes wrong,

Everybody needs me to stay strong,

But when my mind gets dark and my soul worn thin,

Ain’t nobody checkin’ how I’ve been.

Spent my whole enlistment carryin’ this weight,

Put my own pain off just to keep the squad straight,

Funny how the strong ones get stretched too far,

Till they’re dyin’ quiet behind the bars.

Ruck on my back and stress in my chest,

Haven’t slept right in a couple months yet,

Phone full of contacts, nobody calls,

Till they need a favor or somebody stalled.

First-line says, “Soldier, just push through.”

Actin’ like pain’s what we’re born to do,

So I crack a joke and I fake that grin,

While fightin’ a war nobody can see within.

Barracks room, late-night silence,

Thoughts in my head turn loud and violent,

Everybody says, “Reach out if you need,”

But nobody notices the ones who bleed.

Yeah, we salute the strong and praise the grind,

But broken men get left behind,

And the ones holdin’ everybody together

Usually hurt the worst under pressure.

I’m everybody’s battle buddy when the mission goes wrong,

Everybody needs me to stay strong,

But when my mind gets dark and my soul worn thin,

Ain’t nobody checkin’ how I’ve been.

Spent my whole enlistment carryin’ this weight,

Put my own pain off just to keep the squad straight,

Funny how the strong ones get stretched too far,

Till they’re dyin’ quiet behind the bars.

Maybe I ain’t weak for needin’ help,

Maybe even soldiers break themselves,

‘Cause camo don’t hide every scar,

And rank don’t fix who you are.

Now I’m learnin’ I can’t save every man,

While drownin’ myself just to follow commands,

And if they only love me when I sacrifice,

Then maybe that brotherhood’s built on lies.

Yeah, I was everybody’s battle buddy all this time,

Carryin’ their burdens while hidin’ mine,

But a soldier ain’t a machine made of steel,

Even warriors break when nobody heals.

Morning formation… head down low…

Another tired soldier nobody really knows…

Still standin’…

Even when nobody stands for him.