Col. (Ret.) David Rabb spent his 41-year military career helping others. As a retired VA Social Worker and U.S. Army Reserve Colonel, Rabb spent decades in positions of leadership and mental health—specifically treating those affected by operational and combat stress, battle fatigue, traumatic experiences, grief and loss, and moral injuries.
Rabb enlisted in the Marine Corps at the age of 17 and served four years active duty before being discharged from the service as an O311 Infantryman (E-5). From there, he went on to earn his bachelor’s (Illinois State University) and master’s degrees (University of Chicago).
After a 10-year break in service, in 1985 Rabb returned to the military as a licensed clinical social worker for the VA and the U.S. Army and Army Reserves.
Rabb’s assignments included serving as Commander of two Combat Stress Control units: The 785th Medical Company from Fort Snelling, Minnesota, that deployed (2004-2005) to Iraq; and the 113th Medical Detachment from Garden Grove, California, that deployed (2011-2012) to Afghanistan.
Other highlights in Rabb’s career included serving as Director of Psychologist Health for the 63rd Regional Support Command in Mountain View, Calif.; U.S. Army Western Regional Medical Command Transition and Care Coordinator; and National Director, Veterans Health Administration Diversity and Inclusion Office, Washington, D.C.
Achievement after achievement. And then in 2015, life changed: Rabb had a massive stroke and was unconscious in the ICU for a week. The doctors told his wife, Kim, he had a seven-percent survival rate. But Rabb didn’t get the memo.
One week later, Rabb opened his eyes. He had lost partial vision in one, he couldn’t walk, he couldn’t talk, he couldn’t do much of anything, but he was alive.
“I, essentially, had to learn everything all over again. I spent a ton of time in rehab. That was tough for me—a huge role reversal for me—there I was, relying solely on others,” said Rabb.
Rabb says he wouldn’t be where he is today without the love and care from all those who helped him—from the hospital and rehabilitation staff to his wife, Kim, and his caring family. And as of 2017, WCC’s Gunny Quail, Rabb’s service dog—a doting yellow Lab.
“Our relationship has evolved—it’s dynamic, it’s beautiful, it’s centering, it’s fun, it’s sharing, it’s a lot of love, and it’s a lot of learning about each other,” says Rabb. “We explore the world together … it’s nice to have a partner; he helps me, he centers, and he helps ground me.”
Rabb and Quail, who he nicknamed “Gunny,” as a nod to his service in the Marine Corps, graduated as part of Warrior Canine Connection’s class of 2019.
Rabb had met Rick Yount, WCC founder and executive director, many years earlier at the Palo Alto VA, and he reached out all those years later to get involved in WCC’s service dog training program.
The two can be found together just about everywhere. In April, Rabb and Gunny Quail joined other Minnesotans outside in a memorial gathering during George Floyd’s memorial. Many others assembled around them, drawn in at the site of an adorable yellow Lab, who Rabb says brought calm and joy during a dark and tense time.
“He [Gunny] engages … a lot of people who want to pet him—people just want to touch him and connect,” said Rabb. “He creates safe spaces. It offers an opportunity to reach out and really connect with the world.”
Rabb and Gunny Quail can be found together during their daily walks or side-by-side while the Colonel works on his poetry, a hobby for which he’s won several awards. Together, they tackle whatever comes their way.
“Well, with Gunny, what makes things better is that there are no worries,” said Rabb. “We’re in sync. We’re on a mission together.”
Veteran Service Dog Team Spotlight: David Rabb & WCC’s Gunny Quail
Rabb enlisted in the Marine Corps at the age of 17 and served four years active duty before being discharged from the service as an O311 Infantryman (E-5). From there, he went on to earn his bachelor’s (Illinois State University) and master’s degrees (University of Chicago).
After a 10-year break in service, in 1985 Rabb returned to the military as a licensed clinical social worker for the VA and the U.S. Army and Army Reserves.
Rabb’s assignments included serving as Commander of two Combat Stress Control units: The 785th Medical Company from Fort Snelling, Minnesota, that deployed (2004-2005) to Iraq; and the 113th Medical Detachment from Garden Grove, California, that deployed (2011-2012) to Afghanistan.
Other highlights in Rabb’s career included serving as Director of Psychologist Health for the 63rd Regional Support Command in Mountain View, Calif.; U.S. Army Western Regional Medical Command Transition and Care Coordinator; and National Director, Veterans Health Administration Diversity and Inclusion Office, Washington, D.C.
Achievement after achievement. And then in 2015, life changed: Rabb had a massive stroke and was unconscious in the ICU for a week. The doctors told his wife, Kim, he had a seven-percent survival rate. But Rabb didn’t get the memo.
One week later, Rabb opened his eyes. He had lost partial vision in one, he couldn’t walk, he couldn’t talk, he couldn’t do much of anything, but he was alive.
“I, essentially, had to learn everything all over again. I spent a ton of time in rehab. That was tough for me—a huge role reversal for me—there I was, relying solely on others,” said Rabb.
Rabb says he wouldn’t be where he is today without the love and care from all those who helped him—from the hospital and rehabilitation staff to his wife, Kim, and his caring family. And as of 2017, WCC’s Gunny Quail, Rabb’s service dog—a doting yellow Lab.
“Our relationship has evolved—it’s dynamic, it’s beautiful, it’s centering, it’s fun, it’s sharing, it’s a lot of love, and it’s a lot of learning about each other,” says Rabb. “We explore the world together … it’s nice to have a partner; he helps me, he centers, and he helps ground me.”
Rabb and Quail, who he nicknamed “Gunny,” as a nod to his service in the Marine Corps, graduated as part of Warrior Canine Connection’s class of 2019.
Rabb had met Rick Yount, WCC founder and executive director, many years earlier at the Palo Alto VA, and he reached out all those years later to get involved in WCC’s service dog training program.
The two can be found together just about everywhere. In April, Rabb and Gunny Quail joined other Minnesotans outside in a memorial gathering during George Floyd’s memorial. Many others assembled around them, drawn in at the site of an adorable yellow Lab, who Rabb says brought calm and joy during a dark and tense time.
“He [Gunny] engages … a lot of people who want to pet him—people just want to touch him and connect,” said Rabb. “He creates safe spaces. It offers an opportunity to reach out and really connect with the world.”
Rabb and Gunny Quail can be found together during their daily walks or side-by-side while the Colonel works on his poetry, a hobby for which he’s won several awards. Together, they tackle whatever comes their way.
“Well, with Gunny, what makes things better is that there are no worries,” said Rabb. “We’re in sync. We’re on a mission together.”
Warrior Canine Connection Achieves Accreditation by Assistance Dogs International
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 28, 2021
Boyds, Md. – Warrior Canine Connection, a nonprofit dedicated to breeding, training and placing highly skilled service dogs for Service Members and Veterans with visible and hidden wounds, is pleased to announce that it has achieved its 5-year reaccreditation by Assistance Dogs International (ADI). ADI is the leading authority in the Assistance Dogs industry. It establishes and promotes standards of excellence in all areas of assistance dog acquisition, training and partnership.
“Assistance Dogs International is the global authority on assistance dogs, and we are immensely proud to have received the organization’s renewed stamp of approval,” said Rick Yount, founder and executive director. “We are proud to breed, train and place highly specialized service dogs with Veterans in need. We are thankful for ADI’s leadership and commitment to ensuring high standards throughout the service dog industry; they are providing a powerful impact on Veterans and many others who benefit from the love, companionship and assistance from service dogs.”
Warrior Canine Connection uses a Mission Based Trauma Recovery (MBTR) training model that harnesses the healing power of the Warrior Ethos and the human-animal bond to reduce symptoms of combat trauma whereby Warriors with combat stress train the dogs to assist another Veteran with visible and/or invisible wounds. The model provides recovering combat Veterans with a sense of purpose while they are recovering and is designed to remediate their symptoms of combat stress, such as isolation, emotional numbness and re-experiencing. Each dog can positively impact up to 60 Veterans during the training process.
To date, WCC has placed a total of 94 assistance dogs with Warriors and military families. Another cadre of service dogs, WCC’s largest class since its inception, will be paired with their forever Veterans and will graduate together this September.
Once accredited, a program becomes a member of ADI. Member programs must complete a reaccreditation every five years to comply with ADI’s Standards of Practice. ADI accreditation is a peer-review process conducted by a trained ADI assessor over a period of 2-4 days. Currently there are 136 ADI accredited service dog programs in the world.
For more information, please contact Beth Bourgeois, Warrior Canine Connection, at beth.bourgeois@warriorcanineconnection.org.
About Warrior Canine Connection
Warrior Canine Connection is a pioneering organization that utilizes a Mission Based Trauma Recovery model to empower returning combat Veterans who have sustained physical and psychological wounds while in service to our country. Based on the concept of Warriors helping Warriors, WCC’s therapeutic service dog training program is designed to mitigate symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, and other challenges, while giving injured combat Veterans a sense of purpose, and help in reintegrating back into their families and communities. For more information, visit www.warriorcanineconnection.org.
About Assistance Dogs International
Assistance Dogs International (ADI) is a worldwide coalition of non-profit organizations that raise, train and place assistance dogs. The objectives of Assistance Dogs International are to:
●Facilitate communication and learning among member programs
●Educate the public to the benefits of Assistance Dogs and ADI membership.
For more information, visit www.assistancedogsinternational.org.
2021 Virtual Graduation
Mark Your Calendar Now for Warrior Canine Connection’s Graduation Celebration on Saturday, September 25, 2021!
WCC happily invites current and past graduates, their parents, caregivers, family, and everyone who wants to rally behind this larger-than-ever graduating class, to join us for an inspiring online celebration.
For those who wish to continue the celebration from online to in-person, WCC will also host a post-graduation ceremony reception later that day. Please refer to your local, State of Maryland, and Montgomery County guidelines as they relate to vaccinations, travel, and any restrictions before booking and planning your trip.
The Virtual Graduation Ceremony starts online, Saturday, Sept. 25th at 11 a.m. Eastern Time. The Post-Graduation Reception will follow at the WCC Healing Quarters in Boyds, Maryland, on Saturday, Sept. 25th at 12:30 p.m., Eastern Time.
Click here for a digital version of our Graduation Program to follow along during our live event.
T-Shirt Artwork Design Contest
HOW TO SUBMIT A DESIGN
Be a part of Warrior Canine Connection graduation history by designing a limited edition t-shirt celebrating the Virtual Graduation Class of 2021! The contest is open to everyone of all ages and the winning designer will receive a FREE t-shirt featuring their artwork and bragging rights.
GUIDELINES
· Design should not exceed three ink colors
· Design for back of t-shirt only
· If submitting a hand drawing, please submit no larger than 8.5 x 11-inch size
· Multiple designs may be submitted
SUBMISSION DEADLINE: JULY 14, 2021
Design submissions can be emailed as an attachment to info@warriorcanineconnection.org. Hand-drawn submissions are accepted and can be scanned in and submitted as an email attachment.
Acceptable submission formats include *.jpg, *.png, *.ai, *.eps. If designed in Illustrator, Photoshop, or other software, we will request original artwork file if selected.
Once the submission date has closed, WCC will select the winning design and announce it on our Facebook page. We also look forward to sharing a gallery of everyone’s submissions this summer.
FINE PRINT
By submitting a design, the designer consents that his/her design is their own original artwork and that he/she has all the necessary rights and permissions to use included elements. Please do not use elements or designs created by someone else. Images that are not submitted in vector format will need to be recreated. Warrior Canine Connection reserves the right to make adjustments and alterations to the winning entry to ensure that the reproduction of the image is the best quality. The winning designer releases all exclusive rights to the artwork to be used for Virtual Graduation 2021 material. The winner will be rewarded with a WCC graduation t-shirt featuring his/her design.
10 Activities You May Not Know That Help with PTSD
June 10, 2021 – More than 350 million war survivors around the globe suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, according to a 2019 report by the European Journal of Psychotraumatology.
And while there are many types of psychotherapy treatments, such as Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) and medication that can help treat PTSD, did you know that caring for bees, taking a swim with dolphins and donning a pair of hockey skates can help as well? Read the full story in the U.S. Veterans Magazine here.
Partner Spotlight: The Patriot Fund—Providing Veterans with the Best Support Possible
The Patriot Fund is all about connecting Veterans and Military Families to Patriots who can help. This year, WCC is delighted to have the Fund as a new partner in helping us train and place service dogs with Veterans in need. The Fund presented Warrior Canine Connection with a $30,000 gift in February of this year.
“We are honored and thankful to have the support of The Patriot Fund, an organization that is wholeheartedly committed to helping our nation’s Veterans and their families,” said Rick Yount, executive director and founder, Warrior Canine Connection. “This gift is not only a magnificent gesture of support for our programs, it’s also a testament to all this amazing organization is doing in support of our Service Members, Veterans, and their families.”
The Patriot Fund cites research on new Veterans, which found that nearly two-thirds said they faced a difficult transition to civilian life in one way or another. That’s one reason the nonprofit turned its support WCC, to help expand its available Mission Based Trauma Recovery (MBTR) training program for Veterans who can benefit from it. The unique program enlists Service Members and Veterans to train service dogs for their fellow Warriors. In doing so, the Veteran can also benefit from skills development in communication, confidence building, accountability, emotional regulation, and patience to promote an act of service while receiving a therapeutic benefit. Each dog can impact up to 60 Veterans during the training process.
“Thanks to Warrior Canine Connection, our American Heroes who made it possible for us to enjoy the comforts of home are connected with the dogs who are now Heroes keeping our Military Veterans safe at home,” said Major General (Ret) Steven Hashem, co-founder & vice president on The Patriot Fund’s Executive Committee. “The Patriot Fund shares the same commitment as WCC to do the right thing for the right reasons for our Veterans.”
The Patriot Fund will host the 2021 Patriot Invitational, its annual golf event and biggest fundraiser of the year to raise money for other deserving nonprofits serving Veterans, this October.
Please join us in thanking The Patriot Fund for its support of WCC!
Program helps veterans with PTSD through service dog training
June 3, 2021 – BOYDS, Md. — Dole is a rambunctious black Labrador and loves being outdoors. He’s a service dog-in-training and is still getting schooled.
“Well, he’s a little bit of a goof, which is probably why they matched him with me,” said retired U.S. Air Force Col. John Bryk. Watch the full story on WMAR News 2 in Baltimore here.
In Memory of Dee Greenly
“Every once in a while, a dog enters your life and changes everything.”
– Anonymous
Kathryn Greenly says that quote is particularly true for her husband, Dee Greenly, who passed away in December 2020. On June 14, Kathryn, along with family members and friends, will celebrate Dee’s life. And there will be a lot to celebrate—as Dee lived a very purposeful and inspiring 86 years.
Dee’s eight-plus decades on earth are marked by significant accomplishments, milestones, and his passions. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1950-1954, where he was stationed aboard the U.S.S. Rochester. He also spent 31 years working at NASA, where he served in several capacities tied to safety, reliability, and quality. He shared almost three decades of marriage with his wife, Kathryn; April would have marked their 30th wedding anniversary. He was also a father to two children, Jeffrey Dee, and Lisa Anne, from his previous marriage. And he was devoted to his faith; he spent several years doing mission work.
As Kathryn will tell you, another one of his great passions was Abraham or “Abe”—the dog that came into his life and changed everything.
“Dee had a purpose for living after he got Abe,” says Kathryn. “I was working, and Dee was retired, and he was kind of lonely. Getting Abe gave him a new purpose. He would walk with him, care for him and it gave him a desire to stay active and keep physically fit.”
Abe was from the Golden Rule Assistance Dogs Program, which Rick Yount, executive director and founder of Warrior Canine Connection, started and ran back in Morgantown, West Virginia many years ago—prior to starting WCC.
Abe was a puppy from a litter that Rick’s dog and muse, Gabe, sired—the sole male in the litter of seven. Dee was the first Veteran that Rick matched with a service dog based on the chemistry he saw between Dee and Abe.
Rick says Dee inspired him and the teens who helped to train Abe at the Alternative Learning Center (ALC), as Dee devoted his time to form connections with all Abe’s teen trainers. Rick also added that Dee’s gratitude to the kids in the ALC helped many of them to see themselves differently, realizing the positive impact that they were making in their community.
After Abe and Dee “graduated” from boot camp in 2004, Abe was Dee’s faithful helper and companion for more than 12 years.
“Abe was a gentleman … he was calm, he was just such a loving dog … so many people knew Abe but didn’t even know us—he was just that kind of dog,” said Kathryn.
In fact, he was so special of a dog, that Dee told Kathryn he wanted to be buried with his special dog’s remains. On June 14, Dee and Abe will be interred at the Grafton National Veterans Memorial cemetery together.
Rick, who will attend the ceremony in Grafton, the small W.Va. town where Gabe was born, shared, “It will be an honor to be a part of Dee’s celebration of life and reflect on his influence on my life’s path. I was blessed to witness Dee’s and Abe’s Warrior Canine “connection” from the beginning and now when they will rest together at the Grafton National Veterans Memorial Cemetery. I would love to name a future WCC puppy, “Dee,” to honor Dee Greenly and his service to all of us.”
New Faces at WCC
Pictured here with his beautiful family, Freddy joined WCC as its new part-time Digital Communications Specialist in April. In his role, Freddy will use his photo and video journalism expertise to help WCC share its powerful stories of using the human-animal bond to assist Service Members and Veterans with visible and invisible wounds.
Freddy is a member of the U.S. Air Force Reserves at Joint Base Andrews, where he focuses on air transportation and logistics. He also runs his own media company that specializes in video production work and is currently pursuing a degree in graphic communications at the University of Maryland.
He says he came to WCC for an opportunity to marry his professional media skills with a personal passion to help fellow Service Members and Veterans.
“I definitely feel like I am on the right team and on the right side of history here at WCC,” said Freddy. “It’s a great place to be and all the people are so educated, friendly, and doing great things. I get to not only see the impact these dogs have but also the people supporting and training them … it’s just great, I love it here.”
Freddy lives nearby in Frederick, Maryland, with his wife, Eliana, their two adorable children, Emma, 5, and Nolan, 2, and their dog, Toby.
Farewell to Frankie
May 26, 2021 – This is not a eulogy. Frank, named after U.S. Army Air Corps Lieutenant Francis Misciagna, is a dog I’ve been helping to train as part of Warrior Canine Connection, a non-profit that trains service dogs for wounded veterans. He’s finished with training and is moving on to be a facility dog at a veterans homeless shelter, so last weekend I had him over for a sleepover to say goodbye. Read the full story in The Stanford Daily here.