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Life Before Chuck

Dian served nine years in the Air Force; she spent half of those years as a bioenvironmental engineering technician and the other half as a Ceremonial Guardsman with the Air Force Honor Guard in Washington, D.C. Her station assignments included March Air Reserve Base, Riverside County, California; Bolling Air Force Base, Washington, D.C.; and the Bentwaters Royal Air Force Base (now known as Bentwaters Park), near Woodbridge, Suffolk in England.  

It was during her last tour of duty in the UK that she met, Mark, a DoD firefighter, the love of her life and husband of 31 years now. That was also about the time Desert Storm started. She and Mark both volunteered to travel to support U.S. military efforts, but both were held at their respective duty stations to help support staff.

In 1991, Dian felt it was time to get out and move on to something different; she left the Air Force and moved stateside. She became a veterinary technician, where she worked for a while, then she went back to bioenvironmental engineering as a DoD employee for several years.

In 1994, she and Mark had their son, Shannon Mark, who is now a DoD firefighter on the same crew her husband used to run all those years ago.

Life was moving on, but Dian wasn’t. She found herself experiencing severe anxiety and depression that prevented her from doing a lot of things. She sought help from medical experts. 

“I was dealing with PTSD for many years and didn’t know it until I finally got diagnosed by the VA,” said Dian. “The diagnosis was a shock … I was floored. I had internalized a lot of things I had gone through in the military and didn’t even realize it.” 

A doctor recommended she get a service dog. Not being a post 9/11 Veteran, she said she didn’t realize a service dog was an option for her. Her research yielded Warrior Canine Connection (WCC). It took a while but after applying, Dian was matched with Chuck, or rather, as she says, ‘Chuck picked her’ in February 2020.

Life After Chuck

“He’s been such a blessing, I can’t even begin to tell you how much he’s changed my life,” said Dian. “I wouldn’t go anywhere without a safety, which would mean a friend, so I didn’t leave my house unless I was with one of those 2-3 people, and one of them was my husband, and he’s a firefighter and he works 48 on, 48 off, and he teaches around the country, so I am alone a lot. Then I got Chuck, and I can go anywhere now. I can go to Costco … I can go anywhere, do anything because I have him. Being able to focus on him, helps me deal with my issues.” 

Dian still participates in therapy and says Chuck is the perfect complement to all of them. 

“Because I have Chuck, using the tools I’ve learned from my doctors, coupled together is much more effective,” said Dian. “When I’m stressed, he recognizes that and alerts me by nudging my hand with his nose. If I don’t react to that, he’ll jump up and let me know. We’re just so in-tune with each other.” 

Flying? That wasn’t an option without medication before Chuck. Now, it’s a safe space with him by her side. 

When he’s not working, Dian says Chuck’s a regular dog who enjoys playing with her other two pet dogs, Sawyer and Tallulah. But no matter what, Chuck’s always somewhere nearby. The two can regularly be found at church together, where the duo manages guest services and they also volunteer with another local program that helps others through equine therapy. 

Dian says life is a beautiful journey and that she wouldn’t trade her earlier experiences for the world but that she’s happy to be in a good place — with Chuck right by her side every step of the way. 

You can follow Chuck and Dian’s adventures together on Facebook. This month marks Chuck’s fourth birthday, so be sure to follow along, as Dian promises there will be a celebration complete with homemade doggie cookies and plenty of birthday photos. 

Links:

• Chuck's Facebook Page
• WCC Website
• Visit the WCC 24-Hour Live Puppy Cam

While many of us enjoyed a holiday season surrounded by loved ones, hundreds of thousands of Veterans are still struggling to find a way back “home.” A fear of crowds. Depression. An overwhelming sense of isolation. Recurring nightmares. Unexplained feelings of guilt or resentment. The invisible wounds of war can manifest in various ways, but they all have something in common—the Veteran experiencing them feels isolated from their community and sometimes their families.

For many Veterans struggling with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or Traumatic Brain Injuries, they feel disconnected and miss the sense of purpose that Military Service provided. Fortunately for our Nation’s heroes, many are finding an ally to help them reconnect—a furry battle buddy with four paws and a wet nose.

A retired Army Reserve Colonel, David knows the strain of the mental load from combat all too well. Not only did he experience it first-hand during his deployments in Afghanistan and Iraq, but also as a retired VA social worker. With 41 years of military service, David dedicated his life to helping Veterans deal with their own invisible wounds of war—combat stress, battle fatigue, traumatic experiences, grief, loss, anxiety, anger and depression. After suffering his own brain injury in 2015, David knew he needed a partner to help.

In 2019 David received Quail, a yellow Labrador Service Dog, from Warrior Canine Connection (WCC), whom he affectionately calls “Gunny” in a nod to his Marine Corps days. David and Gunny are just one example of the dozens that have made a connection through WCC. Already, WCC has trained and placed 100 assistance dogs, providing all at no cost to wounded Service Members and Veterans.

But Gunny has helped far more Veterans than just Colonel Rabb. Throughout the dog’s two-year training program, WCC enlists wounded Warriors in a therapeutic mission to help train the dogs for fellow disabled Veterans. By doing so, 5,500 wounded Warriors have already received the treatment they need—and deserve—to heal. One in five Veterans is dealing with PTSD. Far too many are taking their lives. Our work is far from done!

Thank you for being an important part of this work to support our nation's wounded Veterans. As you likely already know ... more than just a lovable face, service dogs are an ally on the mission to recovery!

Links:

• Visit the WCC 24-Hour Live Puppy Cam
• WCC Website
• WCC on TV Show Small Town Big Deal