When I began my journey with the Paws for Peace program, I like many of my peers felt some degree of nervousness.  It was for me as for them a new experience – something akin to that feeling you got on your first day at a new school.  Except for me, it was not so much a new school as much as it was a new year at a school I had attended before.  Sure, I was meeting new people and about to learn some new material but I also felt a large degree of confidence and comfort in what I was about to undertake.  While some of the material would be new, a whole lot of it was quite familiar. 

     I joined the Navy shortly after 9/11 when the Master-at-Arms force swelled from several hundred to several thousand.  For those unfamiliar, sailors in the Master-at-Arms rating are the services military police officers charged with carrying out law enforcement and security functions.  My first duty station was at NSA Bahrain, home to one of the largest military working dog (MWD) kennels in the Navy at the time.  After only one month on the job, I was offered the extremely rare opportunity (at the time) to go directly to MWD school and become a K-9 handler.  It was an area I had always wanted to specialize in and a key reason I opted to become an enlisted sailor versus going the officer route having completed college four years prior.  I went on to handle four MWDs at two commands during my five years of active duty service.  I worked with explosive detection and drug detection dogs, all trained in controlled aggression work.  During a four month stretch while serving as the kennel supervisor at NAS Brunswick, I had the extremely rare opportunity to certify and work two dogs at the same time – one trained to find explosives and the other to sniff out drugs.  After serving another five years as a reservist, I hung up my neckerchief for good but not my leash.

     In 2013, I was recruited by a defense contractor and continued my work in the field as a contract working dog (CWD) handler with the Department of State.  In this capacity, I had the opportunity to work with some of the best K-9 trainers and handlers in the country.  Though I had never met Tracy Shaw prior to joining this program, we are familiar with the work of some of the same people and no doubt have met a number of the same individuals in the working dog community.  After stints at US Embassy Baghdad and US Consulate Basra, I was ready to come home for good and settle down.

     Immediately I found I missed working with dogs.  Some years back after being diagnosed with PTS, my counselor had highly recommended I look into obtaining a service dog to assist me with my various symptoms.  It would appear that while working with my CWDs, though not specifically trained to assist with PTS, they nonetheless helped alleviate my symptoms.  Now at home by myself, I felt the absence of that sense of comfort they had provided.  It was at that moment that I began considering a service dog for myself and ultimately found the Paws for Peace program.

     This experience has been a very enjoyable journey.  My skillset prepared both me and Shiloh well for the challenges we have faced.  I have raised Shiloh since she was a pup so we were already pretty close going into the program and I feel this experience has further solidified that bond.  Whereas some struggle with the transition from pet to service animal, I obtained Shiloh fully intending to train her as a service dog so for the most part, the nature of our relationship has not changed much.  While I was confident going into the program having laid a solid basic obedience foundation with the dog, we are never done learning and I have certainly learned some new skills and training techniques along the way.  Dogs never fail to amaze me and this experience has been no different.  I take great solace in knowing that unlike in the MWD and CWD worlds where the partnership between dog and handler is temporary, Shiloh and I will be a team for life.  It has also been nice to once again feel that sense of camaraderie with my fellow veterans that most who have never served simply cannot understand.  I am truly grateful and blessed for having had the opportunity to participate in this experience.