Fallujah vet turns Medal of Heroism into a healing mission for fellow warriors with service dogs program
Marine veteran Anthony Longo is acutely aware of the inner battles many veterans face long after leaving the combat zone. He has also experienced the healing that can come from having "man's best friend" as a companion.
That is why Longo, who served in Fallujah, Iraq, and earned the Department of State's Medal of Heroism in Afghanistan, founded the Warriors Choice Foundation in 2016 with the mission of helping fellow veterans heal.
In an interview with Fox News Digital, Longo explained that rather than relying solely on medications or a one-size-fits-all approach to treatment, his foundation tailors care to individual veterans through counseling, wellness retreats and a truly unique treatment called "cognitive K9 rehabilitation."
Through Warriors Choice K9 rehabilitation program, the group matches veterans with Belgian Malinois breed service dogs specially bred and trained to help people suffering from PTSD and other combat-related mental health challenges.
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Since 2018, Warriors Choice has helped 72 veterans and matched 46 with their own service dog.
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The group has even bred a service dog named "Trump," who Longo said was "the best" and the hardest one to let go." "Trump," the service dog, is now the companion to a 20-year special operations veteran, and Longo said he feels "blessed" to be a part of "what that dog has helped that man through."
"You're seeing complete lives transferring 180 degrees into a new direction," he said. "It's man's best friend for a reason. I can appreciate my dog sometimes a lot more than humans. And to have that connection and the ability to work through complicated issues together, it was a good fit."
While the K9 treatment program is not for everyone, Longo said that he has seen incredible results, transforming veterans' lives.
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Sitting by him during the interview was his own K9 companion, "Bourbon," who he said has "set the tone" in his own healing journey as well as laid the foundation for Warriors Choice's K9 program.
"That dynamic between handler and canine, I think it adds just a sense of more responsibility beyond ourselves," he explained. "There are times when I wanted to be just completely left alone and isolated and not have to do anything, but someone's got to take the dog out. Someone's got to put food on the table. There are things that have to be done, I have to go do the training, I have to go maintain a level or a standard that I've imposed on myself to essentially hold myself accountable for my actions and what I'm doing in my day-to-day."
Beyond that, Longo explained that Bourbon has helped him gain a "true understanding of what I needed to do for myself."
Though Longo said that fighting against issues like veteran PTSD and suicide can feel like "trying to move a mountain," he explained that the need could not be more urgent. According to Warriors Choice, veterans are 1.5 times more likely to die by suicide.
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"At the end of the day," said Longo, "you're here not for yourself, you're here for your brother."
"You're here to provide somebody with an opportunity and a chance who's reaching out for help. And all you got to do is just grab on, hang on, and give your best effort in assisting them in a time of need because you've been there with them. You understand what it's like to be in those situations. You know the – I hate to say it – the cognitive fog of what it's like to be overseas and to be here and to be more comfortable overseas than you are at home."
"I wouldn't be able to do it unless there was success involved with it. And that's seeing guys staying out of the ground."
Longo urged any veteran struggling with PTSD to reach out, saying, "We'll be happy to communicate with you and assist you in mapping out what is going to be the best path and direction forward."Original article source: Fallujah vet turns Medal of Heroism into a healing mission for fellow warriors with service dogs program
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