This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Community Corner

Supporting Our Troops

What follows is a first hand personal story of a former combat marine currently living in the Homes For Heroes” on Western Highway in Tappan. It is an un-edited story released to you with his permission.
I am so moved that I am not only asking everyone to donate a few dollars to help this veteran help others. And maybe  bring the program to Rockland. Judge for yourself. 

I am a Combat Veteran of the Armed Forces with 5 overseas tours between Afghanistan and Iraq.  It was the best and worse time of my life and I would do it all over again if asked to.  It has been an honor and a privilege to serve and protect my country.  I have recently separated from the Military and have been diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress (PTSD).  In my search to get better I have been going through therapy as well as regulating my symptoms with the assistance of medications.  I have been very fortunate to have received a Service Dog that can assist me when I have a sudden and severe onset of my symptoms.  Some of these symptoms can completely paralyze me and at times completely control my life.  However, since Savannah has come into my life I suffer from less nightmares and I am not afraid of having a sudden onset of my symptoms.  I know her training will take over and do what needs to be done so that I can be safe.  Be it turning the lights on and awakening me from a nightmare or guiding me to a seat when I am having a flashback. 

There are many organizations out there that train service dogs for military veterans suffering from PTSD at no cost to the Veterans.  Speak with any Veteran and they will tell you how a trained service dog  has improved their way of life.  They have helped them reintegrate into society, control fears caused by overstimulation (hyper vigilance) and even help them focus and get back into a routine.   I can speak of my own experience and symptoms and I will tell you that without Savannah I would not have a reason to wake up every morning.  She has impacted my life so much that she has become a part of me.  The positive mental attitude that I have acquired has helped me in my therapy sessions and my reintegration into civilian life.  Let's face it it's hard enough reintegrating back to society without having to struggle with medical issues.

Find out what's happening in Pearl Riverwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The organizations that train the dogs and then give them to their Veteran are a great asset and are funded purely by donations from great people that honor us and make us feel welcomed in the community.   These organizations do great things for the Veteran community yet they are limited in the audience they can reach.  One of the largest limitation is geographical location, in other words if there are no organizations that perform the task of training dogs within the Veterans state then their options are limited.  The Veteran must travel outside of their state and sometimes across the country.  Another limitation is the amount of time and qualified personnel to train these great animals.  In other words the demand is high and the supply is low.  That is where this one organization is changing the rules and paving a path towards the future. 

The Veterans Service Dog Program is a non-profit that empowers Veterans to take care of themselves and assist other Veterans in the process.  The key difference is that this program will teach the Veteran at no-cost how to become a certified professional PTSD/MOBILITY DOG TRAINER.  Veterans would come from all over the country and learn how to train and certify a Service Dog to perform Psychological/Mobility support.  Then the Veteran returns to his community and is able to use his new skills to improve the lives of Veterans in their community.

Find out what's happening in Pearl Riverwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

 

Now to the facts, this program is at no-cost to the Veteran however, the Veteran must be able to travel to the site and provide his own meals.   Therein is my reason to ask for your sponsorship and support.  I would like to be able to raise $1500 to pay for my transportation and meals while I am at the school.  Oh did I mention the school is in Petosi, MO.  I know it is tough everywhere but I pledge that I will return and train 1 Service Dog a year for as long as I am able to perform the task and donate it to a Veteran in need at no-cost to the Veteran.  If you have more questions about the program I can refer you to the source of the program or better yet visit the site yourself and contact the program manager directly. 

http://www.veteransservicedogprogram.com/

If you can help me reach my goal it will be greatly appreciated.  If you are able to donate please visit my site at:

http://www.gofundme.com/Servicedogtrainerscourse

or mail a check to Homes For Heroes % Loeb House, One Blue Hill Plaza, 5th Floor,Pearl River, NY 10965note  Veteran’s Service Dog Training

Endorsed by John Murphy, President of Homes For Heroes and a former Marine.
We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?