Big congrats to my friend Major David Rozelle on his very recent pairing with Canine Companions for Independence Service Dog Domi.

Dave is currently the Army ROTC commander at the University of Colorado main campus in Boulder - saying he’s a very well known guy in the wounded warrior / competitive athlete world is an understatement. (Not to mention just being an all-around stand-up guy.)

“New CU Army ROTC commander served three tours in Iraq“

Among other things, Dave was the first amputee to return to Iraq as a commander, an experience that was the subject of his 2005 book, Back In Action:

He’s also a bigtime Challenged Athletes Foundation – Operation Rebound competitor to include being a Kona Ironman.

Lots more I could write here, but I think the first line in his CAF bio pretty much sums it up: “Major David Rozelle, a below-knee amputee, is an icon, resource, and inspirational figure for American soldiers injured in recent conflicts abroad.”

And yet another person I’m proud to call a friend – couldn’t have a better addition to the family.

Congrats again, Dave and Domi!  (And, as an aside for you NHL fans, she was named after Tie Domi, but that’s a story for another time.)

It’s really very nice to be able to post about a great placement like this, and I wish I could say it represented the majority of what I see in the service dog world, especially where veterans are concerned, but I can’t.

Unfortunately, my opinion of things overall hasn’t changed since my last post almost three months ago in July. In fact, that train’s still rolling down the track and things are only getting worse, just as I suggested there and for the very reasons I mentioned.

And so you still likely won’t be seeing me post much here at all because of that. 

Very good TEDx Talk video here from Jonathan Kuniholm, a retired Marine OIF veteran who lost his right arm to an IED and is very involved with advanced prosthetics work. (Can’t say I know Jonathan well, although I did actually have the pleasure of talking to him on the phone last year.)

“TEDxChapelHill – Jonathan Kuniholm – “We have the technology, right?”"

Maybe a little longer at 16+ minutes and with more detail than you care for unless you have an interest in prosthetics, but still great, nonetheless, and, if nothing else, I want you to key on one thing  – what he says at 3:30 in. It applies to many things (including service dogs, especially where veterans are involved), and you need to keep it mind with any story you see now.

The whole point of his talk is how the public’s perception of prosthetics is that they are much farther along technologically than is actually the case, and that the reason for that perception is this:

“This is a reflection, I believe, of a media bias. It’s not the bias that many of you might think – a left or right political bias. It’s, in fact, an affection the media has on our behalf for really good stories and really bad stories.”

He then goes on to talk about his appearance on 60 Minutes with an advanced prosthetic, and how that was portrayed vs the reality of the situation:

“In fact, here I am on 60 Minutes demonstrating some skin surface EMG sensing technology, and a hand that was supposed to come out last year and hasn’t come out yet. And even after I was very careful… I spent probably half the day telling 60 Minutes that the real story here was about the economics of providing arms, and what we got was a minute and a half of gee-whiz, thought-controlled arms. That’s something that’s very distressing to me.”

And I know why it’s distressing to him, too. Because of that story, people looking for a prosthetic like that come to him, and he has to be the “bad guy” and tell them they aren’t available yet.

While my situation is certainly not the same as Jonathan’s, I definitely know what it’s like to be the “bad guy”, because I’ve had to tell a number of people that something they’ve been led to believe by the media about service dogs isn’t exactly accurate, and it’s not a lotta fun.

I’m convinced that that feelgood factor – the unwillingness of the media many times to go beyond the superficial and do the hard research required to tell an accurate story – is perhaps the number one problem we have with service dogs. And the only way I know to fight it is for you to do what they (and most of the public) won’t -  go beyond the superficial, look deeper, do the hard research, get the real story.

Four videos in honor of the holiday and those who’ve paid the price so we can all enjoy it. Three I’ve posted before, the last is a new one from Thursday.

All four are Canine Companions for Independence veteran graduates, I’m proud to say I know all of these men personally, and, in each case, their injuries were sustained in the line of duty.

In addition, today is Sam Cila’s Alive Day – he was injured in an IED attack on July 4, 2005.

“Calvin Smith and Chesney”

“Sam Cila and Gillian”

“Jason Morgan and Napal”

“Jay Huston and Timo”

“Despite your injuries, you’re still a Marine and the Commandant has ordered you to cooperate with the doctors and therapists and get back in the fight.”

Saw this one over the weekend, again via Soldiers Angels Germany.

There’s lots you can take from this story – that comment really got a lotta people’s attention including mine. It’s another in a series of articles by Tony Perry of the LA Times, one of which I’ve previously linked here, and as MaryAnn Phillips at SAG says, he “has done some terrific reporting about the 3/5 Marines…”.

The other thing that stuck out for me was this, something I keep bringing up because we can’t lose sight of it:

“The number of troops suffering amputations and other catastrophic injuries is increasing as the U.S. counter-insurgency strategy requires them to leave the protection of heavily armored vehicles and do more foot patrols to help win support from Afghan civilians.

Also increasing are the numbers of personnel suffering a kind of wound — traumatic brain injury — that may leave no outward marks but can inflict lasting damage.”

I’ve written about Sam here before, and, as I’ve said, he’s a guy I (and a whole lotta other people) really look up to and I’m proud to call a friend. The most cursory Google search will give you lots to look at about Sam, but lemme give you the short version…

Deployed to Iraq with the New York Army National Guard in Oct 2004, was severly injured by an IED on July 4, 2005.  Went through 40 surgeries over three years in an attempt to save his left hand and forearm, finally said “Enough – take it.”, and moved forward in a big way with the help of A Step Ahead Prosthetics.  Became a bigtime competitive triathlete for Challenged Athletes Foundation – Operation Rebound in many events, capped off by finishing the first Kona Ironman he entered last October. Graduated from Canine Companions for Independence’s Northeast Regional Center with Service Dog Gillian in Feb 2010.

On top of all that, Sam is also one of the most straight-up guys you’d ever wanna meet, something I value more and more in life every day, and funny as can be, too.

And you know what else is funny (well, not really)? I just re-watched the video that was linked in that post above, and I forget – like I always do – how tough it was for Sam, Anna, and their family, and what they’ve come through, because I’ve never met a more focused, hard charging, always moving forward, positive couple in my life who are so much fun to be around.  Just in case you missed it there, I’m gonna embed it here as well.

You can read much more about Sam at his site, Multisport Soldier.

I’m looking forward to seeing Sam hammer the RAAM in June, just like he attacks and hammers everything else in life. Truly “the man”.

Now, thanks to Operation Finally Home and Jimmy Jacobs Custom Homes, Colton and his wife will be getting a new home near New Braunfels,TX. Ground was actually broken the week before last, but the story is in Air Force Times today: “Work begins on new home for senior airman”

More here as well:  “Reads Break Ground on New Home at Vintage Oaks in Time for Holiday Season”

Good reminder for all of us that there are things that happen to someone in the military that aren’t combat-related, but still tragic and very deserving of our efforts, and we have to be careful about using the nature of someone’s injury as a standard or dividing line.

Thank God for places like this and Homes For Our Troops, who I’m more familiar with and have written about here before.

“I’m probably the only person you’ll ever meet who opted to have their leg amputated so they could play hockey, and that was my whole goal. I spent two and a half years at Walter Reed, and everyone there knew that my first goal in life was to get back on the ice.”  – SFC Joe Bowser

Read the whole thing here: “The Warriors Way”

Read more here:
Double Amputee Skydives at Walter Reed
Dana Bowman

This is a huge placement and a major milestone for assistance dogs in the military medical world that’s been two years in the making – how very appropriate that it happened a little over a week before Memorial Day! What makes it so special is a combination of two things:

First, C5 is one of only three major active duty military medical centers where our most severely wounded warriors, primarily amputees, do their rehabilitation – Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC) in Washington, DC for those living back East; Center for the Intrepid at Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC/CFI) in San Antonio, TX for those living in the central US; and NMCSD/C5 in San Diego, CA for those living out West.

Second, CCI Facility Dogs are really a class unto themselves among dogs in the rehabilitative hospital environment. You can read more detail in the story I’ve provided in the links section below, but basically that’s because (1) Facility Dogs go through the same two-year process and learn all but three of the same commands as all other CCI assistance dogs, and (2) they are integrated into the ongoing daily rehab program and are trained to respond to the instructions of the therapists conducting that program.

(BTW, I realize that trying to differentiate Facility Dogs from other dogs can be very confusing for those not involved with assistance or therapy dogs, and can also seem disrespectful to those other dogs.  As someone with a Delta Society complex-qualified therapy dog who visits in a military hospital, that is definitely not my intent, but it’s essential to understand that difference – all the dogs are wonderful and do great things, but there’s really no comparison.)

Put those two things together and you have a truly one-of-a-kind combination.  Ideally, though, it won’t be that way much longer – I’m hoping that, on top of all the great work he is already doing, Tommy will be the breakthrough who will make it much easier to get this idea across now, and we will see CCI Facility Dogs in the other rehab centers as well.

Links:

Official website of Naval Medical Center San Diego, Comprehensive Combat and Complex Casualty Care:

http://www.med.navy.mil/sites/nmcsd/Patients/Pages/ComprehensiveCombatandComplexCasualtyCare.aspx

“Tommy Time” – fantastic interview with Tommy’s puppy raisers with many background details at Ross’ DogBlog:

http://www.thedenverchannel.com/family/19458606/detail.html

Short but detailed article about Scully, a CCI Facility Dog at WakeMed Rehab Hospital in Raleigh, NC, that will tell you everything you need to know about Facility Dogs:

http://www.wakemed.org/body.cfm?id=832

Pictures from the graduation:

Ken Sergi: 

http://www.shutterfly.com/pro/KenSergi/ccigrad051609

Carol-Ann DeMaio Goheen:

http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0AZN2jJq4YtGLCWg

What I can do, though, is give you the official OEF/OIF casualty numbers and go from there:  almost 35,000 wounded warriors with varying levels of injuries, including around 900 amputees.

( http://siadapp.dmdc.osd.mil/personnel/CASUALTY/gwot_reason.pdf and http://www1.va.gov/vetdata/docs/4X6_fall08_sharepoint.pdf )

Now, if I just arbitrarily say the number of people who need service dogs is 1% of that total number – and, again, I have no way of knowing if that’s accurate, it’s just a seemingly conservative “pull it out of the air” number to start from – that’s roughly 350 dogs.  Shoot, let’s say it’s just half a percent – that’s still about 175 dogs.

Either way, in case it’s not obvious, that’s a lotta dogs when you are talking fully-trained service dogs.  To put it in context, the largest organization of the bunch graduates about 200 dogs a year.

Those casualty numbers have stayed fairly constant for a while now, so I’ve had plenty of time to think about them, and there are a coupla things that jump right out at me.

First, I’d expect to see a lot more demand for service dogs coming from this population, which is why I harped on the subject of education so hard in my last post.  But, hey, maybe I’m just flat wrong and there’s not anywhere near the kinda need I think there is.

But if I’m not wrong, even at the low percentages we’re talking about, that’s a huge additional need. And while I don’t think the larger service dog organizations are prepared to handle a load that large if it materializes, I also don’t think there’s any way we get close to handling it without them.

For me, that means I’m gonna continue to spend my time and effort supporting those places because I believe they offer the best hope to make the biggest and most effective positive impact on the largest number of people. Others have a different view and believe they can be more effective through supporting smaller programs or doing things individually.

Personally, I think it’s gonna take a combination of large places, small places, individual trainers, and maybe even some people training their own dogs, just as it does now.  And I think there’s a place at the table for everybody, as long as they are up to the standard and make good placements, which is why I harp on that subject so hard.

That’s not a new discussion, it’s been going on for a long time, I’m familiar with it, and I certainly have no problem with respectful disagreements. That’s to be expected – organizations and trainers focus on different areas of need, feel competent in some areas, not competent in others – and there are great places of every kind – big, small, individuals, you name it.

Unfortunately, the pattern has been for that discussion to deteriorate into attacks on the larger organizations. Let me forewarn you – given the track record, I fully expect to see that same thing happen in the veterans area if it hasn’t already, so don’t be surprised when things turn ugly.

You’ll know that’s started when you see certain things.  Look for a pattern – the first sign will normally be when you hear someone say something like “the big guys suck, I know better than they do, and I can do a better job training a dog”.  As the discussion goes on, I’m willing to bet that at some point a person making those statements will say that either they were looking for a dog for themselves and the place couldn’t meet their need, or they were involved with the organization and became disillusioned with it over time.

Nothing wrong with either of those things per se – that stuff happens, and that’s how many great new ideas, products, companies, and organizations have come about in many areas.  Where the problem starts is when there are attacks about the competency, motives, and sometimes even the character or integrity of the people working with those organizations.

Me? I don’t have time for any of that stuff. I’m focused on getting more top-notch dogs placed with all these young veterans who’ve done so much for all of us, and anything that doesn’t further that goal or, even worse, gets in the way of it (and the kinda stuff we’re talking about here definitely falls under that heading), I just don’t have time for.

What I’m looking for is more people to get on the bus with me and make this happen. The numbers here tell me that we have a potentially huge job ahead of us, and that’s where we need to be concentrating our time and effort.