Warrior Stories Archives - Page 4 of 4 - Warrior Canine Connection

Veteran Spotlight: Kody & Derek

February 2, 2020

When Kody Jorgensen’s wife, Quatie, approached him with the idea of getting a service dog, he wasn’t sure that it was for him. ‘How will it help?’ and ‘Will it create more work for me?” were among Kody’s questions and concerns.

Five years later, and Kody says he can’t imagine his life without black Lab and Warrior Canine Connection service dog Derek.

“It’s a different experience for everyone, and for me, it took some time to bond with Derek,” said Kody. “It wasn’t immediate but, slowly yet surely, he got me doing things and learning about things I wouldn’t do before I got him. He’s made such a big difference in my life and my relationships that I have with other people. Now, I never want him to be away from me.”

Kody, who served in the Air National Guard for 14 years, served two deployments — the first in Iraq in 2009 and a second in Afghanistan in 2012. During the second deployment, Kody was part of a special 10-man agricultural team tasked with teaching sustainability best practices to the local villagers in Logar and Wardak Provinces. It was during a mission in Logar Province that Kody was wounded in a mortar round blast and sustained a traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Quatie was informed of the blast and Kody’s injuries, but it wasn’t until he got home from Afghanistan that she could tell that things weren’t right; he experienced debilitating migraines, nightmares and flashbacks, all of which were impacting his ability to work, sleep and function.

Shortly after, Kody went to the National Intrepid Center of Excellence in Bethesda for treatment. It was there that Kody participated in WCC’s service dog training program. Quatie said she could see a change in him when he interacted with the dogs, and that’s when she urged him to consider getting a service dog for himself. Although resistant at first, Kody filled out an application with WCC.

“Before Derek came along, it got to the point where Kody was pretty paranoid and was scared to leave the house,” said Quatie. “When I left for work, he would shut all the blinds and lock the door — going out to dinner or to church was pretty nonexistent. Derek has been phenomenal, he’s helped Kody more than any medication ever has, it’s been incredible.”

Since being matched with Derek five years ago, Kody has gone on to finish his Master’s in Animal Science at Oklahoma State — a pursuit he abandoned years before due to his daily battle with PTSD and TBI.

More recently, the duo has traveled with nonprofit Samaritan’s Purse to help with disaster relief efforts, where Kody says Derek is always a big hit.

“Even though he’s my service dog, he helps other Veterans in the process of working these events,” said Kody. “You can see the joy on their faces when they get to interact with him. Everyone enjoys getting to play with Derek and hug on him when we have some downtime.”

And Derek has impacted the entire family in a way they never imagined.

“We got to meet the real Derek’s [namesake] Mom,” said Quatie. “It was so phenomenal to meet her and just hear more about her son’s life. It gives us an opportunity to continue to say his name and talk about the special person Derek was named after — it’s just incredibly special to us.”

When asked to describe the impact Derek has had on Kody, he simply replies, “He’s like a kid and a spouse merged into one; I never go anywhere without him.”

Quatie adds, “We love having him [Derek] in our home. It’s amazing to see Kody and the progress he’s made with Derek in his life; there’s no way he would be where he’s at today without a service dog. It’s been a real healing journey and has made him a better husband and dad.”

Kevin and Clifford: From Cap & Gown to Courtroom

October 4, 2019

Kevin and his trusty pal Clifford, a Warrior Canine Connection facility dog, are just one of the Veteran Service Dog Teams that graduated in September as part of Warrior Canine Connection’s class of 2019. The two have been training and working together for almost two years but recently, Clifford’s leash was passed to Kevin, marking the official beginning of their pairing.

The duo is also a regular fixture at the Buncombe County Veterans Treatment Court (VTC) in Asheville, N.C., where they help Veterans involved in the legal system navigate a way to bettering their lives.

And who better to help fellow Veterans than Kevin? You see, Kevin is also in long-term recovery, himself. While in the Marine Corps, after sustaining severe combat wounds during his deployment in Iraq, he became addicted to opioids and pain pills he was prescribed while recovering from his physical wounds. Kevin credits the support of the VA and community providers with getting his life back on track, completing graduate school, and becoming a licensed social worker. Now he’s helping other Veterans on their recovery journey.

“My experience working with Clifford has meant the world to me,” said Kevin Rumley, coordinator, Buncombe County VTC. “As a combat-wounded veteran, I struggle to remain regulated and calm in high-stress situations. Clifford brings joy and happiness to the courthouse, and anywhere he goes. From providing snuggles to traumatized youth in the courtroom (during difficult G.A.L Trials), to supporting justice-involved Veterans (in Veterans Court), Clifford is having a positive impact on every person he meets.”

The Buncombe County VTC program, a non-adversarial, treatment-based diversion program, is overseen by Judge Marvin Pope. The program is designed to help Veterans with legal issues, focuses on recovery through a coordinated effort amongst the VA and community mental health providers. In fact, if Veterans get help and do the work, upon completion of the program, Veterans can petition to have their charges dismissed.

Their partnership with Warrior Canine Connection has proven especially beneficial to all parties involved. Veteran participants in the court receive their VTC-required community service hours by training the WCC puppies, and once the puppies graduate after two years, they are paired with a combat-wounded Veteran.

“All this time I have been training these dogs, I thought I was teaching them, but in all actuality, the dogs were teaching me,” said Robinson Moore, VTC participant.

Kevin and Clifford don’t just help in the courtroom, they also assist Veterans with finding meaningful employment, housing, educational pursuits, custody cases, and everything in-between. Kevin talks about the sense of community that comes from working with Veterans during their recovery process.

“When we served together, it was a single unit, a tribe,” said Kevin. “Everyone was looking out for each other. We believe that this is just as important now that we are out of the service. It is through connection and service to others, including with the service dogs, that we are empowered to not only recover — but to thrive.”

Kevin is excited for the continued partnership with WCC, saying “We have already seen the positive impact Clifford has had on the Courthouse community. My hope is to continue to bring WCC to those places of greatest need… the healing that comes from working with these dogs is incredible.”

Dogs Making a Difference: Ryan & Luke

May 30, 2019

Ryan Garrison is many things to many people. He’s a husband to beloved wife, Julie. A father of two. Retired U.S. Air Force Staff Sergeant E5. And most recently, a college graduate; this spring, Ryan completed his degree in organizational leadership from Wright State University. And soon, he will be the president of a nonprofit he’s launching to help Veterans like himself.

Ryan Garrison enlisted in the U.S. Air Force right after watching the Twin Towers fall on 9/11. He was a self-described “floundering” fifth-year senior in college working on his third major at the time and was planning on joining the Reserves, but that fateful day compelled him to change his course. He dropped out of school to enlist in the Air Force, where he served until 2016, including three deployments.

Ryan comes from a family steeped in military tradition: his grandfather was in World War II; his other grandfather — Vietnam; his brother is a Master Sergeant E7 in the Air Force; his uncles and cousins have all served in different branches of the Armed Forces. So, the career move felt like a natural fit for Ryan, only it was shorter lived than originally planned.

In 2006, Ryan was in Iraq working on the flight line. He was working on the K-loader, essentially a cargo lift, and while inspecting the load, a sheep farmer who had been paid by local insurgents, ran up and shot an RPG over the fence, which hit the K-loader and the blast was so hard, it blew Ryan off the vehicle. He sustained serious injuries, including fractured and torn disks in his back, which have resulted in numerous surgeries, chronic pain and anxiety.

His wife, Julie, who, at the time, was a music therapist at the National Intrepid Center of Excellence (NICoE), suggested Ryan explore getting a service dog. Ryan says he saw fellow Veterans there helping to train service dogs, as well as how WCC service dog Cadence had impacted his friend Rod and his family for the better, so he decided to apply for a dog through WCC.

“I wanted to find another way to deal with the issues I was going through, so I learned a lot about the service dog program,” said Ryan. “I learned all I could, but it wasn’t until I witnessed others with the dogs firsthand that I really realized their power.”

Enter Luke, a handsome black Lab and trained mobility service dog. He was paired with Ryan in 2016 and the two have been virtually inseparable ever since.

“I really can’t say enough about what Warrior Canine Connection and my service dog Luke have done for me,” said Ryan. “Thanks to Luke, my anxiety is under control, I’ve significantly decreased the medication I take, and he’s really helped me with my mobility. It’s not just that though — since being matched with Luke, I have a whole different outlook on life — a positive one.”

Garrison’s wife, Julie, couldn’t agree more. She says Luke isn’t just man’s best friend, but a member of their family, and that their two sons, Mitchell and Maxwell, simply adore him.

“He’s [Luke] just like one of my children… sometimes it’s a toss–up for who listens the best, sometimes it’s Luke, somethings it’s Mitchell, and sometimes it’s Maxwell,” said Julie. “Although, as great as he is, I don’t always trust him with unsupervised food (laughter). His [Ryan’s] dry wit that I fell in love with years ago has returned. It’s just joyful now — because of that soft presence of Luke.”

In fact, Ryan says his experience with Luke and Warrior Canine Connection partially inspired his next challenge — Valor Therapeutics, a nonprofit he and Julie will soon be launching to serve active duty Service Members, Veterans and first responders in Dayton, Ohio and the surrounding area. They plan to provide alternative forms of therapy to individuals who’ve seen and experienced trauma, such as music, art and movement therapies.

“I was inspired by my experience with Warrior Canine Connection,” said Ryan. “To receive a service dog at no cost to me, with no expectations of me and it was a stress-free process… we want to provide something similar to Veterans through our nonprofit.”

Ryan adds that he one day hopes to add a therapy dog to the offerings that Valor Therapeutics will provide.

Sugar-Coated Angel Making Life So Much Sweeter

April 3, 2019

Army Veteran Sandy Wilson and husband Nick have lived in their current neighborhood for 25 years. It wasn’t until last year that Sandy got to know her neighbors. That’s when she was paired with her service dog Barb, and they began walking together every morning.

During one walk, a neighbor nicknamed Barb “Sugar-Coated Angel,” and Sandy says it has stuck. A Golden Retriever, Barb has a beautiful, long white coat. Not just that, Sandy says she’s been a true angel in her life.

Trained as Military Police (MP) at Fort McClellan, Alabama (which has since closed), Sandy took the opportunity to participate in One Station Unit Training, where she graduated second in her Company. In fact, Sandy was one of the first women to train and graduate as a combat MP in the ‘70s.

After serving at Fort Bragg with the 65^th MP Company, Sandy then joined the National Guard and served with the 29^th Light Infantry Division at Fort Belvoir. During that same timeframe, she attended Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) to study police science and trained loss prevention personnel for major retail companies — all while also raising a toddler.

Sandy took a break from law enforcement and passed her real estate broker’s exam in West Virginia and spent several years selling homes. She says some years passed between careers and there was no denying that she needed help from Veterans Affairs. A doctor recommended a service dog, so she applied for a dog through Warrior Canine Connection. The process took a little while, but Sandy says it was well worth it and that she couldn’t imagine a better match than she has in Barb.

“The career path I chose took its toll on me,” says Sandy. “It used to be hard to be in public and in large groups — and still sometimes is — but Barb has helped me release past pain. She has enhanced my life and my husband’s… I can’t imagine my life without her.”

Every day, their routine is to spend some time training together so Barb will be prepared for next year’s public access test (it’s annual test to evaluate and ensure all service dogs remain compliant with the skills and techniques required for public access). Sandy says Barb loves her training time, because “there’s lots of treats and hugs for a job well done.”

Barb also enjoys spending lots of time with Sandy and Nick’s daughter and her husband, Nicole and Mike, and their granddaughter, Tori, along with their dog, Jake. Barb and Jake have become fast friends and can often be found enjoying the outdoors together.

Since becoming a team last year, Sandy says her “Sugar-Coated Angel” has helped her spark many a conversation, open many other doors and, generally, has just made life much *sweeter* overall.

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