Where did you serve and what did you do?
Capt Laura Andrade, USAF, Retired. Served in Afghanistan in 2006. Detention Operations, Personnel and Finance Officer Mentor for the Afghan National Army Detention Operations.
Tell us how your dog is helping you continue #StillServing in your community.
Tramp and I take every opportunity to educate the community about the training, duties, and importance of Service Dogs and Veterans. I also take the opportunity to share my experience at Warriors Heart, a rehabilitation center in Bandera,TX. Warriors Heart serves Active Duty Military, Veterans and first responders. They have the Warriors Heart K-9 Academy which allows clients to train and adopt a service dog or emotional support dog.
Why do you do it?
My Service Dog, Tramp, and I trained together while I was at Warriors Heart rehab treatment center. I’m in recovery for my alcohol addiction. Tramp is a key factor in my recovery. Ever since my deployment in Afghanistan, I’ve had severe social anxiety. I was crippled with anxiety and often avoided public places. It kept me from attending my four kid’s academic and sporting events. I used alcohol to cope with my anxiety. Now that I have Tramp, I am never alone. He will “hug” me when he feels my anxiety begin to elevate. He can feel my anxiety rising before I do. I can now be a functioning mom and support my amazing family once again.