While her work with the South Dakota National Guard has taken her across the world and earned her national recognition, Flandreau resident Maj. Bridget Flannery is back home hoping to change lives one conversation at a time.
Flannery, who returned last year from an assignment in Arkansas where she was developing a national sexual assault prevention program for the military, is the creator of Buddy Aid, a trauma-informed response program born from her deployment to Afghanistan in 2013.
What began as a few PowerPoint slides meant to train fellow soldiers on how to respond to sexual violence has evolved into a growing national initiative that could soon be standard training across every branch of the military.
“Buddy Aid is designed to teach service members how to respond to sexual assault the same way they would to any battlefield injury — calm, direct, informed,” Flannery told the Moody County Enterprise as she worked to establish the program back in 2022.
“It’s about having the right response, at the right time, from the right person. Because one good response can save a life.”
She’ll share that insight, along with personal experiences and tools for prevention and healing, during a special event at the Moody County Resource Center on Thursday, April 24 at 6 p.m. The community presentation is part of National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month.
Flannery currently serves as the full-time Victim Advocate for the 114th Fighter Wing and chairs the Mental Health Council at the Sioux Falls Regional VA. But her reach extends far beyond the region. Just weeks from now, she’ll speak at a national conference for VA clinicians about Buddy Aid and holistic trauma-informed care. This summer, she’ll also serve in a fellowship at Purdue University, adding to a growing list of high-profile invitations to share what she’s learned.
“There’s a clear connection between sexual assault and long-term mental health,” Flannery said. “Victims experience some of the most severe and long-lasting symptoms of post-traumatic stress. And they’re ten times more likely to develop an addiction. That should be a wake-up call for all of us.”

What makes her program unique is its simplicity and humanity. Buddy Aid gives people tools they can use immediately—what to say, what not to say, what to do, and how to act when something doesn’t seem right.
Flannery says even outside of the military, there are two easy things anyone can do to help protect themselves and others:
“First, always travel in groups of three when you’re out. It reduces vulnerability. But that doesn’t help when someone hurts you in your own home — which is often the case,” she said.
“Second, have a ‘guardian angel.’ Just like a designated driver, this is someone sober whose job is to watch out for everyone else. If we made that part of our social SOP, we’d see a lot less pain.”
The Buddy Aid program was first tested when Flannery was deployed with a battalion of 1,200 soldiers. After implementing the training, a soldier outside of her unit came to her and said, “I heard it was safe here.”
That moment stuck with her.
“We practiced our response,” she said. “We didn’t get it perfect, but we tried. And someone noticed. That’s what mattered.”
Since returning home from Afghanistan in 2014, Flannery has continued to build out Buddy Aid, earning support from the National Guard Bureau, clinicians, and leadership across the military. She submitted the curriculum to the Warrior Resilience and Fitness Innovation Incubator in 2019, and the program was selected as a national pilot. It’s now in the process of being scaled and integrated into training nationwide — and has even been introduced to the U.S. Air Force.
Despite the scale of her work, Flannery says she feels most called to serve by showing up locally, here at home, and one conversation at a time.
“There are so many people touched by this — more than the CDC numbers say. One in three women, one in four men — I think those numbers are low,” she said.
“You start to hear people’s stories, and you realize how many walking wounded are out there. This is how I can help.”
If someone is struggling, whether military or civilian, Flannery wants them to know they are not alone.
“When they’re ready, if they need a voice or an advocate, I’ll be here. And if you love someone who struggles with mental health, you’re not alone either. You’re a vital part of their healing.”
To learn more or to connect with Flannery, call (605) 864-1691.