Update II:
My good (cyberspace) friend and psychotherapist, Mary Jane Hurley Brant, has a neat piece on dogs in general and on her own “Beauty” here.
She includes a Woodrow Wilson quote that I think — as a dog lover — is so apt (but may be a little contentious to others):
“If a dog will not come to you after having looked you in the face, you should go home and examine your conscience.”
—Woodrow Wilson (28th President of the United States)
Update I:
Unbeknownst to me, today is National Dog Day.
Photo below shows Defense Secretary Ash Carter shaking hands/paws with Pvt. Truman, a working dog assigned to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., at the Pentagon, Aug. 26, 2016, to recognize National Dog Day. DoD photo by Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Tim D. Godbee
Original Post:
Military working dogs — our four-legged warriors — are an integral part of military life as are long family separations, the latter hopefully always followed by those heartrending welcome-home hugs.
Military working dogs — and their brethren: comfort dogs, service dogs, therapy dogs etc. — and those homecomings are among my favorite subjects.
Some images below.
But first, some good news from the Department of Veterans Affairs(VA).
Last week the VA announced that, in a pilot program, it is providing veterinary health benefits “for mobility service dogs approved for Veterans with a chronic impairment that substantially limits mobility associated with mental health disorders.”
The VA has already been providing veterinary benefits to “Veterans diagnosed as having visual, hearing or substantial mobility impairments and whose rehabilitation and restorative care is clinically determined to be optimized through the assistance of a guide dog or service dog.” Currently 652 veterans receive veterinary benefits under the existing program.
The new pilot program is anticipated to provide the veterinary service benefit to up to 100 additional Veterans.
The VA veterinary service benefit includes comprehensive wellness and sick care (annual visits for preventive care, maintenance care, immunizations, dental cleanings, screenings, etc.), urgent/emergent care, prescription medications, and care for illnesses or disorders when treatment enables the dog to perform its duties in service to the Veteran.
For additional information please click here.
First, the Hugs — some at homecomings, some for other reasons.
Coast Guard Petty Officer 1st Class Justin Pearl reunites with his family after arriving on the Barque Eagle at the Coast Guard Yard in Baltimore, Aug. 19, 2016, after a four-month mission.
Hug of Gratitude:
Army Sgt. David J. McGarrity, left, receives a hug from a resident in Denham Springs, La., Aug. 19, 2016, during his roving patrol of the area. Army National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Scott D. Longstreet.
Getting ready to hug:
A sailor reunites with his family in Bremerton, Wash., after returning home from a seven-month deployment to the Asia-Pacific aboard the USS John C. Stennis, Aug. 14, 2016. Navy photo by Petty Officer Cole C. Pielop
Some may call this a hug:
Service members grapple during a Teufel Hunden, or Devil Dog, challenge at Camp Lejeune, N.C., Aug. 12, 2016. During the event, Marines and sailors competed in sprint relays, pugil-stick fighting, a pullup and pushup competition, ground fighting and a high-intensity tactical training course. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Brianna Gaudi
Finally, more than 7,000 John C. Stennis Strike Group Sailors returned to San Diego following a seven-month deployment to the Indo-Asia-Pacific region, Aug 10.
Aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) pulls into San Diego Bay after completing a seven month deployment. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Austin R. Clayton)
Here is one of those more than 7,000 homecoming hugs — a very special one:
Damage Controlman 2nd Class Devin Bingley meets his child for the first time after returning from a seven-month deployment. Carrier Air Wing 9 is disembarking from John C. Stennis in San Diego before the ship returns to its homeport in Bremerton, Washington. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Andre T. Richard)
Now the dogs.
Army Spc. Mariah Ridge, a military working dog handler, and her dog, Jaska, ride a hoist to a UH-60L Black Hawk helicopter during K-9 hoist evacuation training at Soto Cano Air Base, Honduras, Aug. 15, 2016. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Siuta B. Ika
Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Abbie Johnson gets a kiss from Kona, her military service dog, after competing in a swimming during the 2016 Department of Defense Warrior Games at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, N.Y., June 20, 2016. DoD photo by Roger Wollenberg
Army Spc. Mariah Ridge sits with her dog, Jaska, during K-9 hoist evacuation training at Soto Cano Air Base, Honduras, Aug. 15, 2016. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Siuta B. Ika
Lead photo: Nick, a military working dog, jumps over an obstacle during a military working dog demonstration at Fort Meade, Md., Aug., 2, 2016. DoD photo by EJ Hersom
