Where did you serve and what did you do?
I served through Desert Storm and then OIF as contractor embedded in local units performing Aircraft maintenance on Army Blackhawks spent time in Fallujah with 82nd, Al Taji with 1st Cav/45th Medevac and Mosul with TN National gaurd.
Tell us how your dog is helping you continue #StillServing in your community.
We have Golden retrievers that although never formally trained as service dogs have innate capability to trigger on cues. They have been vital to healing and coping with the stresses of returning home. We have begun breeding these dogs due to their temperament and offering them as companion animals to Gold Star Families.
Why do you do it?
When I returned from Iraq in 2005 I struggled to return to “Civilian life” my Golden retriever was a constant source of strength and stability for me. After we lost him, we got another golden Sadie. Her temperament and intuitive behavior amazed us and we decided to breed her expressly for the family of soldier who was KIA. We noticed that all too often a Gold Star Family got a check, a folded flag and phone calls for a few months. So we Started Gold Star Golden Retrievers to assist Gold Star Families also inclusive of police and first responders lost in the line of Duty