“Out Of Everything I’ve Done To Try And Improve My Life, Nothing’s Even Come Close To Getting My Service Dog, Napal”
I’ve written about my friend Air Force veteran Jason Morgan and his Canine Companions for Independence service dog Napal before here, here, and here.
This short news video from KXAS in Dallas yesterday pretty much speaks for itself and really captures them very well.
“Local Veteran’s Life Changed By A Dog”
One Of These Things Is Not Like The Others
In case it’s not real obvious which one (or you’re just a wiseguy): one of us hasn’t been to space – me.
It was my great privilege and honor to spend a large portion of Monday and Tuesday this week with three astronauts from Space Shuttle mission STS-131 who just returned from space April 20th – Commander Navy Capt Alan Poindexter, Pilot Air Force Col Jim Dutton, and Mission Specialist Dottie Metcalf-Lindenburger.
Warrior Games – More Thoughts
I’ve been trying to come up with a way to sum up the Warrior Games experience of the last coupla weeks, and I’m really having a hard time – it was one of the most wonderful experiences of my life and truly a first-ever event in more ways than one.
Warrior Games Opening Ceremonies
Having gone to the opening ceremonies today, I can tell you it’s already become apparent on the very first day that the Warrior Games is a unique and very special event, and it’s not gonna be possible for me to even begin to keep up with it here.
So, I’ll just give you a coupla neat things to look at which, given my military background, not surprisingly have a definite Air Force bent.
Air Superiority At The Warrior Games: Air Force’s Jason Morgan And Napal
It’s been my great privilege over the last three days to spend a lot of time around the Air Force team that’s here in Colorado Springs to compete in the first-ever Warrior Games, including Canine Companions for Independence graduate Jason Morgan and his service dog Napal II, who I wrote about a few days ago in this post.
Jason and Napal visiting with Lt Ryan McGuire at the Air Force Academy track.
Canine Companions for Independence Graduate Competing in Warrior Games
Here are two brand new videos with quick glimpses of the Canine Companions for Independence graduate team of Air Force wounded veteran Jason Morgan and Service Dog Napal II training here in Colorado Springs for the inaugural Warrior Games next week.
They can be seen zipping around the track at the one minute point of this Today Show video:
And also about 30 seconds into this local news story from KOAA Channels 5 and 30:
Schriever Air Force Base Takes Note Of Its Namesake Assistance Dog In Training
Nice official Air Force follow-up story today about one of the dogs in the KSDS military litter I mentioned last month (“KSDS Names Future Assistance Dog Litter After Military Installations “).
Schriever Air Force Base here in Colorado Springs has a new article both online and in the printed edition of their base newspaper this week about – who else? – their namesake dog, Schriever:
(Click on the image for a nice giant high-resolution version.)
OK, So All Cats Aren’t Worthless – Even Military Working Dogs Like This One
Max, a 21-pound (!) tabby at the Luke Air Force Base clinic in Phoenix, is so cool even the military working dogs like him.
- Max, a 21-pound gray tabby cat, and Kisma, 56th Security Forces military working dog, greet each other at the Luke Air Force Base Veterinary Clinic in Glendale, Ariz. (U.S. Air Force courtesy photo – click for larger).
‘Clinic cat on orders to Luke’
“Seventy-pound Labrador retrievers take up half the bed.”
I cracked up when I read that in this story today about military working dogs at Joint Base Balad in Iraq:
“MWDs ‘out of the doghouse’ at JBB”
U.S. Army Specialist Chris Belville, 25th Infantry Division dog handler, spends time with his canine, Cookie, in his living quarters here Aug. 28.
It doesn’t surprise me – I know enough handlers to know how they are about their dogs, and the stories over the years about them sleeping with the dogs, usually under hostile conditions in the field, are legion.
Air Force Coach Troy Calhoun Visits Wounded Warriors
I don’t know Coach Calhoun personally (just missed him during his days as a cadet at the Academy), but I have a number of close friends who do, and this very much tracks with what they’ve told me about the kinda guy he is:
Air Force Coach Troy Calhoun (in blue) and Ohio State Coach Jim Tressel visit Henry Bautista at a U.S. military hospital in Landstuhl, Germany.
About Me
I'm very active with Canine Companions for Independence as a former member of the Veterans Task Force and puppy raiser. Retired US Air Force Chief Master Sergeant with my last assignments at the Air Force Academy as the Fourth Group Sergeant Major and Dean of Faculty Superintendent.
I'm actively looking for a paid position doing what I already do full-time as a volunteer.
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