I’m dismayed by the recent news that a 33-year-old American citizen went to fight for the Syrian terrorist group, ISIS, the same group that murdered American journalist James Foley. Now Douglas McCain, who was born in Chicago and lived in San Diego, is dead, and his posthumous fame provides a sick example to other disenchanted, […]
Stop Terrorist Recruitment at the Source Read Post »
Is there anything a SEAL can’t do? The only answer I can come up with is “give birth.” No SEAL has done that yet, but once women are permitted to try out for the Teams, starting in 2016, that could definitely happen. Where regular people see limitations, a Navy SEAL sees challenges. Take Navy SEAL
Navy SEAL walks onto Northwestern Football Team Read Post »
There’s a pup in my house–a husky/blue-heeler mix–who sparked my imagination and led me to write Look Again, A novella featuring a wounded Navy SEAL veteran and the dog (and woman) who changed his life for the better. Researching the use of therapy dogs taught me about dogs used in military service (See my last blog
Military Dogs, A Bond of Brotherhood Read Post »
These days the relationship between man and dog has evolved into something truly special. Service dogs transform the lives of psychologically and physically injured veterans of war. They bring quality of life back to young people who have had it snatched away from them, as service dogs can perform tasks frustrating for the injured or
This month’s edition of National Geographic spotlights some present-day hero dogs and what happens to them when they’re retired from the military. The cover of the magazine features Kayla, a Belgian Mallinois, who took four point-blank shots from an AK-47 and still subdued her attacker, saving the lives of several soldiers. Kayla lost a leg
May and June are devoted to Hero Dogs Read Post »
On my recent cruise to the Western Caribbean, I met a true heroine, a woman of strength named Bobbi Jo Bottomley. Bobbi Jo is a dog behavior expert who runs a business called Tri-State K9 University, based out of Indiana. Not only does Bobbi Jo take in abused, mistreated, and homeless animals—including a seven-foot, red-tailed
Today The Health Journal featured former Mrs. Virginia, Amber Wandtke, a Navy Petty Officer who uses her position as a pageant winner to raise awareness of PTSD and to fight for better treatment. Amber was first introduced to the horrors of PTSD when her husband, also active duty, returned from Iraq with symptoms of the war-related
Miss Eastern States Educates about PTSD Read Post »