Written by Spc. Rick L. Rzepka, 101st Airborne Division
Sunday, 03 February 2008
Ever had a Sergeant 1st Class lick your face?
For many Soldiers at Contingency Operating Base Speicher, this is not an odd event, but a regular occurrence.
Sgt. 1st Class Boe is the newest member of the 85th Medical Detachment Combat Stress Control unit at COB Speicher and is one of two K-9 therapists being used by the Army to help prevent and control the stresses of living in a combat zone.
Along with Staff Sgt. Mike Calaway, an Occupational Therapy Assistant with the Combat Stress Control unit, Boe is part of a new Army program, which encourages Soldiers to interact with dogs in order to help relieve the psychological stresses of war.
The first camp ever devoted to Animal Assisted Therapy – a weekend of workshops, presentations, training sessions, and special events for dogs and handlers -- will be held October 19 – 21 in Valley Cottage, NY on the campus of The Tolstoy Foundation. The camp is being conducted by the Hudson Valley Humane Society Visiting Pet Program.
The goal of the weekend is to improve the dog/handler bond and make every aspect of pet therapy safer, more effective, and more rewarding. With an impressive faculty roster, the weekend will be filled with invaluable information and interactive events for both dogs and handlers. Each day will feature interesting topics, hands-on workshops, debriefings, Q&A sessions, lively discussions, book signings, door prizes, and plenty of networking and information-sharing opportunities.
The PDSA Dickin Medal was recently presented to eight year old black Labrador, Sadie, a Royal Army Veterinary Corps (RAVC) arms and explosives search dog, for her gallant exploits in Afghanistan. In November 2005, Sadie located a booby-trap bomb concealed in a pressure cooker. The bomb was concealed behind a two-foot thick concrete blast wall within the United Nations compound in Kabul, Afghanistan. Rebels planted it under a pile of sand bags and planned to kill rescue workers minutes after a suicide bomb blast.
The "secondary" device was packed full with high explosives and attached to a remote-control detonation device. After the initial explosion, Sadie and handler Lance Corporal Karen Yardley, 26, were rushed in to search and secure the area. Sadie found the bomb then sat by it so that Karen could assess the situation. Her discovery saved possibly hundreds of soldiers and civilians from death and serious injury.
Many experiences have led me to this point in my life where I now have the opportunity to become involved with animal assisted activities. Yet, at the same time, looking back over the past 2 years to where I began, it is though circumstances presented themselves in a synchronized order of which I was unaware. I for one believe in events happening for a reason, and many times we have no idea why they do so.
This is my experience with animal assisted activities.
Having grown up with always having a cat or dog in our household, pets were a part of our family. I remember the only time I saw my Dad cry was at the death of our family cocker spaniel. I guess I thought everybody had a pet, as they were a part of growing up for all children. To this day, I can’t imagine a household without some form of a pet.
Ever had a Sergeant 1st Class lick your face?
The first camp ever devoted to Animal Assisted Therapy – a weekend of workshops, presentations, training sessions, and special events for dogs and handlers -- will be held October 19 – 21 in Valley Cottage, NY on the campus of The Tolstoy Foundation. The camp is being conducted by the Hudson Valley Humane Society Visiting Pet Program.
The PDSA Dickin Medal was recently presented to eight year old black Labrador, Sadie, a Royal Army Veterinary Corps (RAVC) arms and explosives search dog, for her gallant exploits in Afghanistan. In November 2005, Sadie located a booby-trap bomb concealed in a pressure cooker. The bomb was concealed behind a two-foot thick concrete blast wall within the United Nations compound in Kabul, Afghanistan. Rebels planted it under a pile of sand bags and planned to kill rescue workers minutes after a suicide bomb blast.
Many experiences have led me to this point in my life where I now have the opportunity to become involved with animal assisted activities. Yet, at the same time, looking back over the past 2 years to where I began, it is though circumstances presented themselves in a synchronized order of which I was unaware. I for one believe in events happening for a reason, and many times we have no idea why they do so.
