By Jennifer Wilder | Director of Development and Communications
On September 23, 2023, Former Secretary of Defense, General (Ret.) James Mattis, a distinguished military leader renowned for his strategic brilliance, unwavering leadership, and deep commitment to national security, delivered the keynote address for Warrior Canine Connection's 2023 virtual graduation ceremony.
General Mattis’ illustrious career includes serving as a four-star Marine Corps general, culminating in his appointment as the 26th Secretary of Defense, and as an author. His strategic acumen and profound dedication to the security and well-being of our nation have earned him widespread acclaim both nationally and internationally.
General Mattis also has a more personal connection to WCC, as he is the namesake for WCC’s “Mattis,” a facility dog trained and placed by the organization in 2022. Upon being nominated for the honor, General Mattis shared, “By training dogs for fellow Veterans, Warrior Canine Connection carries on that finest American tradition of assisting one another through the tough times in life,” said General James Mattis.
This year's graduation was WCC's largest-ever class of Veteran-Service DSog Teams. In total, 21 Veterans were honored and received skilled assistance dogs from the organization.
In addition to a virtual ceremony, WCC hosted an in-person celebration at its Healing Quarters in Maryland. Despite very rainy conditions, more than 350 members of this year’s and prior graduating classes attended the celebration, as well as puppy raisers, namesake families who have dogs named after them or a loved one, and Veterans who helped to train WCC's dogs through the organization's Mission Based Trauma Recovery (MBTR) training.
WCC's MBTR program engages Warriors in recovery who learn to train mobility service dogs for fellow Warriors as a means of addressing their own symptoms of combat stress. Already more than 8,600 Veterans have benefitted from this unique form of Animal Assisted Therapy.
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