Where did you serve and what did you do?
Jodi served 9 years in the Air Force as a medic including 1 deployment during the Gulf War and 4 humanitarian missions to Saudi Arabia. Since her honorable discharge, Jodi has devoted her professional life to the service of others in the medical and social work fields.
Jodi has previously served as VSO for Newaygo County and Service Officer (SO) for the Hesperia American Legion. Jodi is a member of both the Newaygo and Hart VFW and currently serves on the Michigan Veterans Trust Fund Board of Trustees where she has been active for over 6 years.
Tell us how your dog is helping you continue #StillServing in your community.
Jodi currently serves as a VSO for the County of Oceana where she works with veterans daily, having an emotional support dog with her gives her and the veterans that come to see her emotional support. Cassie, a 5 month old chocolate lab jumps to attention each time someone new walks into Jodi’s office. “Having Cassie here with me relaxes veterans and promotes a calm environment. I love what I do, but not every veteran that walks through this door is happy, but everybody loves a dog.”
Why do you do it?
Jodi has found that with the stresses that come with being a county VSO, and her hypervigilant personality, having a service dog promotes comfort.