K-9 Tems

I’m from Blaine Minnesota. I joined the MN guard in 2017, I shipped off to Iraq late 2019 to late 2020. I came back with PTSD but I didn’t want to admit it, and I felt ashamed because I don’t feel like I went through enough to have PTSD in comparison to others. I kept it to myself for years hoping it would solve itself with only medication. It’s time I stop and actually take care of myself instead of thinking I’m protecting others by keeping it to myself. During my deployment there was a drone strike on an Iranian general that sparked a lot of attacks on our base. We were rocketed, and mortared several times. I had some extremely close calls that lead to survivor’s guilt. I have issues with loud bangs, whistles, and a white noise tone our incoming alert would play before the incoming calls. It started affecting my daily life. I chose not to go through the VA because I don’t want to lose the opportunity to keep serving. I’m now seeking help on the private side now that I have insurance that will cover it and with the support of Soldier’s 6. The aforementioned triggers take me from reality back to Iraq for minutes before my mind figures out I’ve been home for years. I reached out to Soldiers 6 for a service dog that can recognize when I’m lost in my own world and can bring me back to reality. I’ve really appreciated that Soldier’s 6 is more than just an organization that places dogs with vet’s and first responders, but they have connections for all needs. Things are looking up for the first time in what feels like forever. I’m very excited to go through this process with Soldier’s 6.