PTSD SERVICE DOGS FOR VETERANS

Bandidos Lead the Way!!!

There is a new program in the works that will provide dogs specifically bred to be service dogs for Veterans with a multitude of ailments, most importantly PTSD.  While the VA is supporting this program, private breeders are financing it in total.  This program is being started by a young lady and her husband, both Veterans, both 100% disabled, who are doing some of the breeding and helping with training and securing breeding commitments from breeders around the country.  The dogs are trained for “emotional support” and as Psychiatric (PTSD) Service dogs.

The animals used in this program are the Borzoi (aka Russian Wolf Hound) and the Belgian Sheep Dog.  Both breeds are known for their ability to operate independently.  The breeders are only using specific “bloodlines” of animals to insure that they are as problem free as possible.  The animal donations come from ethical breeders and are carefully screened for health, trainability & temperament (the parents, grandparents and so forth free of genetic disease or problems).  This is to insure that the dog’s bloodlines do not have a history of cancer, hip dysplasia and the myriad of other problems that are common with larger dogs.

The breeds selected have been proven to be great psychiatric Service Dog's.  They are large, quiet, long-lived (11-17 years), extremely healthy, and most importantly they are not blindly obedient or human reliant...they think for themselves.

As an example one of the first Borzoi service dogs placed went to a civilian who had severe PTSD, involuntary hospitalizations and the works.  She had been trying to obtain a service dog for nearly a year, but had gone with the traditional service breeds (German Shepherd, golden...) and basically it was a problem.  She would start having panic attacks, the dogs would too and become very aggressive to boot as they frantically searched over and over for a threat. On the other hand, the Borzoi placed with her would check the house on command but then come back to her and start soothing her on his own (nudges, hugs, licks, play).  She no longer gets hospitalized, she has resumed college and the dog is up for an AKC A.C.E. award for service dogs.

And now, the part you have been waiting for.  The dogs are free to any qualified Veteran.  A Veteran is considered qualified as long as his VA or VET Center PTSD counselor thinks it would benefit him/her and they are capable of the dog’s care or have help caring for the animal.  The donations of these dogs goes through the DAV (Tucson, Chapter 4), through the Bandido Charlie Association  or any recognized Veteran’s Organization that is a 501 (c) corporation, so that the breeder at least gets a receipt for their dog - and the Veteran is getting the dog from a source they know is not going to ask anything of him.  The breeders do welcome contact from the vets if they would like to talk - especially about their dogs.  The dogs are transported, in many cases, by Operation Roger or Pilots N Paws without cost to the Veteran.  In many instances, arrangements have been made with selected veterinarians through the SPCA who offer discounted (30%) health care services if needed

One of the best benefits is that as Certified Service dogs, the animal can remain with you at all times the same as a “Seeing Eye” dog can remain with its master.  That way, the dog is with you at all times, especially when you may need him most.  As a matter of fact, it is critically important that the dog be with his master as much as humanly possible so that the Veteran and the dog become co-dependent in each other’s comfort and welfare.  I have seen the Borzoi in action and it is an amazing animal.  The Vets I have spoken with say their Service Dog is better than any med they have ever taken!

OPERATION WOLFHOUND - FAQ's

PTSD SERVICE DOGS

The basics;

1. The dogs are free of charge.

2. The dogs are available to any veteran with a councilors recommendation and the ability to care for the dog, or assistance in caring for the dog.

3. Although the dogs have been trained in specific service tasks, the veteran must agree to continue the dog's training for a minimum of 6 months.

4. These dogs are NOT pets; they are dogs with a job (though having a good emotional attachment to the animal is necessary and they work for love and treats)

5. After the completion of a minimum of 6 months of training with the veteran, the dog will be registered with the IAADP.  The annual renewal of that registration is $30 USD. Registration with the IAADP provides the veteran with an ID card for the animal, various free or discounted medications/treatments (heart worm preventative, flea meds), discounted vet care all over the US and Canada and other very useful benefits. Coupons are available from IAMS for discounts on their food products. These coupons are only for service animals.

6. The owner must keep the dog clean, brushed and properly maintained.

7. The dogs should stay with their owner 24/7.  They cannot do their job if they are left at home or stuck in a crate.

8. The dogs are covered by the same laws as seeing eye dogs; they are allowed to go everywhere with their owner and even fly in the cabin of the plane with their owner (though you do have to tell the airline ahead of time).

Q: Why can't you just get dogs from the pound?

A: Although we would like to be able to take dogs in from the pound, not just any dog can be a psychiatric service animal.  The dog must possess the ability for independent thought, must be self directed, must be protective without a hint of aggression, be a fairly quiet animal, and of a significant size.  The animal also must be less than 4 years old, have a clean bill of health, not be prone to genetically based illnesses and be likely to live a long time.

A person, who is vulnerable emotionally, cannot deal well with a chronic illness or early death of their service animal.  The genetic history of dogs in the pound is generally unknown and unlike most borzois, their bloodlines have not been screened and selected to be free of disease.  Additionally borzois have longer life spans than is
typical for such large breeds.

Q: What is so special about the temperaments of these dogs?

A: Borzoi are quiet, loyal and when well socialized (as all of these dogs are) are very gentle without being cowards.  The most important trait of the dogs though, is their breed's emotional independence and self-direction.  These dogs do not blindly obey, which makes them a challenge to train, but it is that very trait that makes them such excellent psychiatric service dogs.  A German Shepherd or similar working breed will panic if their owner panics and will frequently respond to an owners fear with aggression.  They end up escalating the situation instead of soothing it.

Basically, a borzoi is just about as likely to spontaneously play fetch, beg or roll over on command as a cat, but they do make up their own mind about any given situation and will respond as they have been trained to do.

Q: What does a psychiatric service dog do - how do they specifically help veterans?

A: These dogs are very effective in treating PTSD.  They help reduce hyper-alertness because the veteran can rely on the dog's superior senses to alert them to any threats or disturbances.  They can and will wake the veteran from nightmares, soothe and ground the veteran experiencing a flashback or panic attack through deep pressure stimulation, nudges, leaning hugs.  They can check a house for threats on command, help discern between hallucinations and reality.  They can brace a veteran unsteady from medication or with aid with walking by serving in place of a cane.  The dogs will prevent random jostling by serving as a barrier between the veteran and other people.  The dog can and will 'watch your back' to prevent people from coming up behind the veteran.

The dogs can also do specialized tasks from bringing medication, to alerting a vet with hearing loss to phone calls or door knocks.  The dogs can be trained to open doors, lift latches, get help, call 911, alert to seizures or even open a window.  The dogs can even be trained to act badly on a secret signal so that the veteran can use the dog as an excuse to get out of a normally inescapable social situation.  They can be trained for tasks to help with the challenges & frustrations of traumatic brain injury as well.

Q: Do you all accept monetary donations?

A: In a word - no!   Although we may grow to a size in the future where such donations will become necessary, at the moment we are trying to avoid that complication for as long as possible.  Right now members of the Borzoi Club of America donate the dogs and volunteers do the training and transportation.  If these donations are no longer enough to keep up with the demand, we will begin accepting monetary donations.

If you would like to donate a ride for a dog, or your expertise in training a dog, or help by donating goods or services, please contact us.  We need people all over the country as we have veterans all over the country.  We currently accept donations through the DAV or through Bandido Charlie's Associations support organization.  “Bandidos lead the way!”

Q: How do I get a dog if I am a veteran?

A: Talk with your councilor.  If they support you getting a Psychiatric Service Dog, then either they or you should contact us with a list of your specific needs.  That's it.

Q: I have a friend who is a veteran and needs a dog; can I get them one of yours?

A: No. Obtaining and training a service dog is something they must commit to and is a highly personal choice that will impact their life for years to come.

Q: I am not a veteran, but would benefit from a Psychiatric Service Dog, can I apply for one?

A: Although we sympathize, this is an organization by and for veterans.  We would be happy to share information, trainer and breeder recommendations but must limit our dogs to fellow veterans.

Q: How long will it take to get a dog?

As a rule of thumb, it takes two to four months. We rely on donations from breeders and trainers; rides donated by pilots and drivers and very rarely, breed a litter for service potential ourselves.  Because of all those factors, it takes time to organize everything.

Q: What kinds of training do the dogs have when they are placed?

A: The dogs are given basic training, such as for a CGC certificate from the AKC, socialization with animals and people of all sorts, orientation to basic wheelchair manners and basic off lead training.  The dogs are then trained for a minimum of 50 additional hours to do basic service tasks like brace, block, hand signals, pull up, wake and soothing stimulation.  After that, the dog will be placed with the owner and they both will do an additional 6 months of training for that person’s specific needs and signals.

If you have interest in this program, you may contact me (Ken Costich) at bandidocharlie6@gmail.com  or through the program originator, Alicia Miller at admin@lundr.com .

"Post Traumatic Strength"

MG (Ret) Robert H Scales

MG(Ret) Robert Scales Speech at the Truman Library

From the National Review Online:

Hero of the Week [Michael Ledeen]

I love this speech by Gen. Robert Scales, especially the part about "Post Traumatic Strength." It is so true.  The worst way to think about veterans is to call them "victims." The military are now the best institution in American society, and our soldiers are the bravest and smartest Americans - contrary to the conventional stupidity.

Truman Library Speech
http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=NWY0MGYzNzdjZjAxMTBlZmQyNTZiODJjYjMxZmE1OTc= 

September 12th 2009
MG (Ret) Robert H Scales

Mr. Skelton, Mr Cleaver, distinguished guests and, most importantly, fellow veterans. What a great thrill it is see my comrades in arms  assembled here so many years after we shared our experiences in war.

Let me give you the bottom line up front: I'm proud I served in Vietnam. Like you I didn't kill innocents, I killed the enemy; I didn't fight for big oil or for some lame conspiracy I fought for a country I believed in and for the buddies who kept me alive. Like you I was troubled that, unlike my father, I didn't come back to a grateful nation. It took a generation and another war, Desert Storm, for the nation to come back to me.

Also like you I remember the war being 99 percent boredom and one percent pure abject terror. But not all my memories of Vietnam are terrible. There were times when I enjoyed my service in combat. Such sentiment must seem strange to a society today that has, thanks to our superb volunteer military, been completely insulated from war. If they thought about Vietnam at all our fellow citizens would imagine that fifty years would have been sufficient to erase this unpleasant war from our conscientiousness. Looking over this assembly it's obvious that the memory lingers, and those of us who fought in that war remember.

The question is why? If this war was so terrible why are we here? It's my privilege today to try to answer that question not only for you,
brother veterans, but maybe for a wider audience for whom, fifty years on, Vietnam is as strangely distant as World War One was to our generation.

Vietnam is seared in our memory for the same reason that wars have lingered in the minds of soldiers for as long as wars have been fought. From Marathon to Mosul young men and now women have marched off to war to learn that the cold fear of violent death and the prospects of killing another human being heighten the senses and sear these experiences deeply and irrevocably into our souls and linger in the back recesses of our minds.

After Vietnam we may have gone on to thrilling lives or dull; we might have found love or loneliness, success or failure. But our experiences have stayed with us in brilliant Technicolor and with a clarity undiminished by time. For what ever primal reason war heightens the senses. When in combat we see sharper, hear more clearly and develop a sixth sense about everything around us.

Remember the sights? I recall sitting in the jungle one bright moonlit night marveling on the beauty of Vietnam. How lush and green it was; how attractive and gentle the people, how stoic and unmoved they were amid the chaos that surrounded them.

Do you remember the sounds? Where else could you stand outside a bunker and listen to the cacophonous mix of Jimmy Hendrix, Merle Haggard and Jefferson Airplane? Or how about the sounds of incoming? Remember it wasn't a boom like in the movies but a horrifying noise like a passing train followed by a crack and the whistle of flying fragments.

Remember the smells? The sharpness of cordite, the choking stench of rotting jungle and the tragic sweet smell of enemy dead...

I remember the touch, the wet, sticky sensation when I touched one of my wounded soldiers one last time before the medevac rushed him forever from our presence but not from my memory, and the guilt I felt realizing that his pain was caused by my inattention and my lack of experience.

Even taste is a sense that brings back memories. Remember the end of the day after the log bird flew away leaving mail, C rations and warm beer? Only the first sergeant had sufficient gravitas to be allowed to turn the C ration cases over so that all of us could reach in and pull out a box on the unlabeled side hoping that it wasn't going to be ham and lima beans again.

Look, forty years on I can forgive the guy who put powder in our ammunition so foul that it caused our M-16s to jam. I'm OK with helicopters that arrived late. I'm over artillery landing too close and the occasional canceled air strike. But I will never forgive the Pentagon bureaucrat who in an incredibly lame moment thought that a soldier would open a can of that green, greasy, gelatinous goo called ham and lima beans and actually eat it.

But to paraphrase that iconic war hero of our generation, Forrest Gump, "Life is like a case of C Rations, you never know what you're  going to get." Because for every box of ham and lima beans there was that rapturous moment when you would turn over the box and discover the bacchanalian joy of peaches and pound cake. It's all a metaphor for the surreal nature of that war and its small pleasures....those who have never known war cannot believe that anyone can find joy in hot beer and cold pound cake. But we can...

Another reason why Vietnam remains in our consciousness is that the experience has made us better. Don't get me wrong. I'm not arguing for war as a self improvement course. And I realize that war's trauma has damaged many of our fellow veterans physically, psychologically and morally. But recent research on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder by behavioral scientists has unearthed a phenomenon familiar to most veterans: that the trauma of war strengthens rather than weakens us (They call it Post Traumatic Growth). We know that a near death experience makes us better leaders by increasing our self reliance, resilience, self image, confidence and ability to deal with adversity. Combat veterans tend to approach the future wiser, more spiritual and content with an amplified appreciation for life. We know this is true. It's nice to see that the human scientists now agree.

I'm proud that our service left a legacy that has made today's military better. Sadly Americans too often prefer to fight wars with technology. Our experience in Vietnam taught the nation the lesson that war is inherently a human not a technological endeavor. Our experience is a distant whisper in the ear of today's technology wizards that firepower is not sufficient to win, that the enemy has a vote, that the object of war should not be to kill the enemy but to win the trust and allegiance of the people and that the ultimate weapon in this kind or war is a superbly trained, motivated, and equipped soldier who is tightly bonded to his buddies and who trusts his leaders.

I've visited our young men and women in Iraq and Afghanistan several times. On each visit I've seen first hand the strong connection between our war and theirs. These are worthy warriors who operate in a manner remarkably reminiscent of the way we fought so many years ago. The similarities are surreal. Close your eyes for a moment and it all comes rushing back...In Afghanistan I watched soldiers from my old unit, the 101st Airborne Division, as they conducted daily patrols from firebases constructed and manned in a manner virtually the same as those we occupied and fought from so many years ago. Every day these sky soldiers trudge outside the wire and climb across impossible terrain with the purpose as one sergeant put it "to kill the bad guys, protect the good guys and bring home as many of my soldiers as I can."  Your legacy is alive and well. You should be proud.

The timeless connection between our generation and theirs can be seen in the unity and fighting spirit of our soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. Again and again, I get asked the same old question from folks who watch soldiers in action on television: why is their morale so high?  Don't they know the American people are getting fed up with these wars? Don't they know Afghanistan is going badly? Often they come to me incredulous about what they perceive as a misspent sense of patriotism and loyalty.

I tell them time and again what every one of you sitting here today, those of you who have seen the face of war, understand: it's not really about loyalty. It's not about a belief in some abstract notion concerning war aims or national strategy. It's not even about winning or losing. On those lonely firebases as we dug through C ration boxes and drank hot beer we didn't argue the righteousness of our cause or ponder the latest pronouncements from McNamara or Nixon or Ho Chi Minh for that matter. Some of us might have trusted our leaders or maybe not. We might have been well informed and passionate about the protests at home or maybe not. We might have groused about the rich and privileged who found a way to avoid service but we probably didn't. We might have volunteered for the war to stop the spread of global communism or maybe we just had a failing semester and got swept up in the draft.

In war young soldiers think about their buddies. They talk about families, wives and girlfriends and relate to each other through very personal confessions. For the most part the military we served with in Vietnam did not come from the social elite. We didn't have Harvard degrees or the pedigree of political bluebloods. We were in large measure volunteers and draftees from middle and lower class America. Just as in Iraq today we came from every corner of our country to meet in a beautiful yet harsh and forbidding place, a place that we've seen and experienced but can never explain adequately to those who were never there.

Soldiers suffer, fight and occasionally die for each other. It's as simple as that. What brought us to fight in the jungle was no different than the motive force that compels young soldiers today to kick open a door in Ramadi with the expectation that what lies on the other side is either an innocent huddling with a child in her arms or a fanatic insurgent yearning to buy his ticket to eternity by killing the infidel. No difference. Patriotism and a paycheck may get a soldier into the military but fear of letting his buddies down gets a soldier to do something that might just as well get him killed.

What makes a person successful in America today is a far cry from what would have made him a success in the minds of those assembled here today. Big bucks gained in law or real estate, or big deals closed on the stock market made some of our countrymen rich. But as they have grown older they now realize that they have no buddies. There is no one who they are willing to die for or who is willing to die for them.

William Manchester served as a Marine in the Pacific during World War II and put the sentiment precisely right when he wrote: "Any man in combat who lacks comrades who will die for him, or for whom he is willing to die is not a man at all. He is truly damned."

The Anglo Saxon heritage of buddy loyalty is long and frightfully won. Almost six hundred years ago the English king, Henry V, waited on a cold and muddy battlefield to face a French army many times his size. Shakespeare captured the ethos of that moment in his play Henry V. To be sure Shakespeare wasn't there but he was there in spirit because he understood the emotions that gripped and the bonds that brought together both king and soldier. Henry didn't talk about national strategy. He didn't try to justify faulty intelligence or ill formed command decisions that put his soldiers at such a terrible disadvantage. Instead, he talked about what made English soldiers fight and what in all probably would allow them to prevail the next day against terrible odds. Remember this is a monarch talking to his men:

This story shall the good man teach his son;

From this day ending to the ending of the world,

But we in it shall be remembered;

We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;

For he today that sheds his blood with me shall be my brother;

And gentlemen in England (or America) now a-bed

Shall think themselves accursed they were not here,

And hold their manhood's cheap whiles any speaks

That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day.

You all here assembled inherit the spirit of St Crispin's day. You know and understand the strength of comfort that those whom you protect, those in America now abed, will never know. You have lived a life of self awareness and personal satisfaction that those who watched you from afar in this country who "hold their manhood cheap" can only envy.

I don't care whether America honors or even remembers the good service we performed in Vietnam. It doesn't bother me that war is an image that America would rather ignore. It's enough for me to have the privilege to be among you. It's sufficient to talk to each of you about things we have seen and kinships we have shared in the tough and heartless crucible of war.

Some day we will all join those who are serving so gallantly now and have preceded us on battlefields from Gettysburg to Wanat. We will gather inside a firebase to open a case of C rations with every box peaches and pound cake. We will join with a band of brothers to recount the experience of serving something greater than ourselves. I believe in my very soul that the almightily reserves a corner of heaven, probably around a perpetual campfire where some day we can meet and embrace... all of the band of brothers throughout the ages to tell our stories while envious standers-by watch and wonder how horrific and incendiary the crucible of violence must have been to bring such a disparate assemblage so close to the hand of God.

Until we meet there thank you for your service, thank you for your sacrifice, God bless you all and God bless this great nation...

Doug Bley, Minnesota State Captain, Patriot Guard Riders, Honors the Bandidos

Doug Bley, was made an Honorary Bandido, in recognition of the work he does, with the Minnesota Patriot Guard.

www.mnpatriotguard.org

My friend Ron "BandidoMack" Mackedanz presented me with a Bandido Charlie Challenge Coin along with a certificate of authenticity.  I was very proud to have received it from Ron and I decided to frame it.  Not being able to decide which side to show I asked Ron if it was possible to obtain another one so that both sides could be seen.  After he said he wasn't sure he could do that I had it framed with one side showing.

As luck would have BandidoMack was able to get me another one just as I picked the frame up!

Pondering what to do next I asked Ron where I could get some unit patches to add to the frame.  He suggested I contact Al Herrera who was able to send me a Bandido Charlie, subdued First Division, and 16th Infantry patch to add to the frame.  I am very proud to to have this hanging in my living room in honor of the Bandido Charlies.  You guys are my heroes!

Born in 1961 I was to young to understand what the Vietnam Vets went through.  Listening to Ron tell stories, and reading your books and stories, have given a much deeper appreciation of the sacrifices you made.  Thank you for your service and I am glad you made it home.
Doug Bley, Honorary Bandido
Minnesota State Captain
Patriot Guard Riders

In memory of my friend John Gorman - Rangers 2bn - Dog Company - WWII
"Rangers Lead The Way!"

News From Bandido Don Frazier

As chairman of the "Dance for a Wish" committee, I wanted to pass on some news about what we're doing out here in Washington.

We are sending Fisher House another checkfor $10,000 this year. That makes four in a row. Our cowboy community continuesto support our efforts in behalf of Fisher House.

In addition, this year weinvited a bunch of troops from the Phoenix Warrior Transition Battalion to the dance as our guests. Amongst them was a wounded warrior named SGT Roy Plumb. We secretly flew in his family(wife, daughter, and two sons) and reunited them right in front of our four hundred cowboy and cowgirl guests. The place went crazy. SGT Plumb could not speak for about five minutes. We sent them to spend the night at a local hotel on the water in a two room suite, the next night was spent at Fisher House, and the third night we sent the family to Grand Mound, WA to stay at the Great Wolf Lodge, which is an indoor waterparkand an amazing place.

We contribute to other causes each year(Camp Agape' afamily cancer camp, and the Make a Wish Foundation, along with Bra's for a Cause, and our own scholarship foundation.)but this was the very best ever andfilled my cowboy heart to the very top.

We have another event coming up March21st at Ft. Lewis...some sort of chili cookoff thing and I'm bringing some of the boys to put on an improtu dummy roping contest...Should be fun.

The dance committee goes out of its way to make sure we are doing something special for our military each year. We support a lot of charities that are here locally and in the last four years have put about $140,000 back in to our community through donations and scholarships. Next year we plan to help some of the Navy programs here at Bangor and Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. I do this in memory of my time as a Bandido. I mean that from the bottom of my cowboy heart.

Bandido Don Frazier