READY TEAMS
CAMPAIGN

The Ready Teams Campaign is an initiative from the Office of Command Climate and Well-Being Integration (OCCWI) within the Department of War.

It gives Service members and leaders practical tools to build trust, improve communication, reinforce accountability, and drive mission readiness. The campaign focuses on specific daily actions that build a peer safety net like how to mentor a teammate, share critical resources, and change the tone around asking for help.

The Department of War launched the Ready Teams Campaign to strengthen primary prevention across the force and address recommendations from the Independent Review Commission on Sexual Assault in the Military. Its purpose is to increase readiness, reduce distraction, and create conditions that can address risk factors before they lead to harmful outcomes including suicide, sexual assault, harassment, or domestic abuse.

The campaign empowers leaders and teams with practical tools to build trust, improve communication, address challenges early, and fortify team culture.

Related Department policies and guidance include:

DoDI 6400.09 - Integrated Primary Prevention of Self-Directed Harm and Prohibited Abuse or Harm
DoDI 6400.11 - Integrated Primary Prevention Policy for Prevention Workforce and Leaders

Ready Teams supports prevention by turning unit cohesion into a shield. When an environment is built on mutual support and the freedom to speak up without fear of penalty, it creates a protective barrier against everyday stress and crisis. The campaign provides tools to enforce standards, normalize help-seeking as mission critical, and respect family sacrifices.

By putting the core qualities of a Ready Team into action every day, we actively shape a peer safety net that works to reduce the conditions that lead to harmful behaviors, eliminate mission distractions, and keep Service members deployable. Leaders are encouraged to work with their Integrated Primary Prevention Workforce to apply these resources locally.

A Ready Team is a highly cohesive unit where Ready Leaders and Ready Teamers refuse to let friction compromise the mission. Built on a healthy unit climate that strengthens readiness, the team takes care of the hard stuff early, shares the weight of the mission and the well-being of its members, and adapts without losing focus. These behaviors create positive outcomes that help the team withstand the everyday grind, so the team is unbreakable when it’s time to fight.

The qualities of a Ready Team are:

• •  Integrity: Ready Teams speak up and step up.
• •  Trust: Ready Teams have each other's six.
• •  Accountability: Ready Teams own it, fix it, and move forward.
• •  Respect: Ready Teams show up for each other.
• •  Camaraderie: Ready Teams stand shoulder to shoulder.
• •  Adaptability: Change happens. Ready Teams respond.

For actions tied to each quality, visit the Qualities webpage.

A Ready Leader clears the path. They remove the everyday obstacles that drain the team’s focus, trust, and readiness. They know that the team’s well-being is a tactical priority. Examples include:

• •  Using what you learn from daily check-ins.
• •  Connecting your team with support resources before they’re needed.
• •  Helping resolve issues that could distract from the mission, such as pay, leave, or housing.

A Ready Teamer shows up, communicates honestly, and holds the line for the team. They bring their skills, share the load, and protect the well-being of the person to their left and right. Examples include: 

• •  Offering a hand when a teammate is juggling too much.
• •  Sharing lessons learned and resources that help keep the team in the fight.
• •  Speaking up when you notice early signs of stress in a teammate.

The campaign serves Service members, commanders, unit leaders, installation leaders, Integrated Primary Prevention Workforce, Prevention and Quality of Life partners, and clinical and non-clinical support personnel.

Treat the campaign like a tactical playbook for unit cohesion. Use these resources where the real work happens: in daily huddles, safety briefs, and mentorship sessions. They provide words and actions that can shift unit cohesion, solve problems at the lowest level, and keep a Ready Team locked in on the mission.

We don't mail printed materials. You can download, print, and share all campaign resources from the Ready Teams website.

Go to the Resources webpage to access campaign materials.

Yes. We'll add new resources to the website. Check back for updates.

If you have feedback on current materials or ideas for future resources, please email us.