Does WWP Help with Service Dogs

Hi everyone! 

We've got some questions about service dogs and if Wounded Warrior Project assist veterans with getting service dogs. 

Wounded Warrior Project does not have a Service Dog program nor provides veterans with assistance with getting service dogs.

However our resource center can help with referrals to organizations who could assist. 

If you are interested you can call our resource center at 877-832-6997 

My personal opinion is to do a lot of research when considering organizations who provide service dogs. 

With the rise in need and "popularity" of

Service Dogs, Theraphy Dogs, Comfort Dogs or Emotional Support Dogs. 

Many organizations are not getting the proper credentials and are asking veterans for outrageous amounts of money in order to get a dog. And some may not be properly certified or trained. 

So please do your research not only on the breed of dog and if it's the right type of dog for your lifestyle but also do extensive research on the organization credentials, dog training, and certifications. 

I hope this was helpful, 

Mentor Dee signing out, 

Being an 88 MIKE!

Hi everyone! 

So I would like to share a funny story on how I needed up as a 88Mike or heavy Wheeled Vehicle Driver or just good ol' TRUCK DRIVER! 

So when I enlisted in the Army I had no idea how anything worked, what the scores of the test meant and what it meant to be joining the military aside from me being able to get out of the little town of Yuma, AZ and being able to go to Germany. #europe #shopping #sorryimjustaprivateandaintgotnomoney 

So needless to say I could care less what job I got to do as long as my contract said I was going to Germany and that I was getting my money for college that's all I cared. 

So they told me I would be driving for Generals and important people and that basically I would just be a driver. 

So I said, but I m going to Germany right? #thatsallicaredabout 

So after boot camp and my training school to be "driver" I was off to Germany. The only question I had was, why do I need to learn to drive this big trucks? I don't think the Generals are going to jump in a truck?! 

But oh well, I was too excited thinking about being in Europe I could care less. 

Upon my arrival in Germany on Xmas Eve of 2001 and with everything that had transpired after 9/11 things where different. 

The real training started and missions driving big trucks across Europe started rolling in. I was touring Europe in style on a big Army truck hauling 5000 gallons of fuel. Still awesome! 

Things got real in 2003 with the Iraq invasion real Truck Driver missions started rolling in as we crossed the border into Iraq during the surge. Transporting supplies and fuel to infantry and special operations regiment was essential and I was one of those people doing that!  So I took pride in being a truck driver. 

Our unit became very close, our platoon became even closer and we became brothers and sisters. We were no longer driving trucks from point A to Point B for training. This was mission essential to continue to push forward into Iraq and to make sure our guys in the front Iinea had the supplies they needed to get the job done! 

So I guess you can say I enjoyed my job. 

In 2005 during my second deployment to Iraq things got a little different and truck drivers became "jacks of all trades" our unit was tasked as convoy patrol escort unit and we went from truck drivers to basically military police conducting convoy security all across Iraq. 

I went from truck driver to lead gun truck gunner and I LOVED IT!  The adrenaline rush is like nothing you will ever experience but it's also something you will never forget. 

Most of the people whom I deployed with in 2003, all of the rest of my fellow truck drivers where now part of gun truck crews and we we're inseparable. Once you had your crew you always went out on missions together and you trusted them with your life. A sort of Band of Brothers and 1 sister :) 

Altough initially my intentions were to tour  Europe and shop and basically be a tourist and drive Generals around as my side job. 

Life had a different plan for me. Life wanted me to grow up and mature faster than I had expected. It wanted me to see and experience things no one should ever have to experience so that I may become who I m today. 

So that I may serve and understand veterans and be a resource for them and their families and together fight thru recovery. 

I went into the Army as an 88Mike/Truck Driver but who I became does not have an MOS. 

Although there are good and bad days, I wouldn't change anything. I would go back and do it all over again. 

Hope this was helpful in sharing that no matter what your job is, it matters who you become because of the experiences your job puts you in. 

Dark Angel out! 

My Favorite Color!

Hi there!! 

So I wanted to share about my favorite color. I have to say this question threw me off for a moment as is not usually a question I would have expected. 😁 

But this was the question I had to put the most thought into it because I m not often asked about my favorite colors.

So....

My favorite color is CLEAR- 

Yea I know the color clear is not really a color and I think that's why I like it. BUT "it is when light passes through an object. The light from what is below is reflected through said object, giving you transparency"

With a clear color you can create anything you want. You can mix in any color and blend it in you can match it with any other color and you will never be uncoordinated. But most importantly the color clear is I unbiased and transparent. 

What is MMR about? Being you correct? 

What is MMR focus? Giving you a forum wher you can be yourself without judgement. 

Who do we support? Anyone who at one point has had some type of life changing event or is going thru something "thus the light" to allow you to be comfortable in your own transparency! 

So to me transparency/clear is the best color! 

Have a good one ya'll! 

Mentor Dee signing out,

What does it mean to be an Outreach Coordinator

Hi there! 

Wanted to give you an insight about what does it mean to be an Outreach Coordinator.

The official response for an Outreach Coordinator at Wounded Warrior Project is: To Assist Wounded Warrior Project's (WWP) Alumni program's efforts providing support, networking opportunities, and education to new and existing WWP alumni (wounded, injured, or I'll service members and veterans), and their families around the country at military treatment facilities (MTFs), military installations, and in local communities. 

So basically I represent WWP in any and all military installations, military treatment facilities and VA facilities nationwide where the wounded receive care and treatment. 

I work directly with Warriors and their families to assist in their recovery and transition process. 

I network, plan activities to maintain warriors engaged and help build camaraderie and family bonding. 

I also locate wounded warriors who have not yet had contact with WWP and introduce WWP's programs and services. 

I m the point of contact for WWP Alumni and their family members and refer them to appropriate programs, staff and other organizations as resources. 

This is just a short synopsis of what my job Intels, but it can sometimes be more than that as every warrior and every case is different. 

Being an outreach coordinator is a very rewarding job as you get to work with the warriors everyday and you see them thru their recovery process. 

Witnessing the life changing moments in the life of a veteran who suffers from an injury is priceless and I couldn't be more honored to have this job. 

Truly a blessing! 

Mentor Dee signing out! 

How did I become an Outreach Coordinator with WWP

Hi everyone! 

It's been a long time and what can I say, that's the life of an OC and I LOVE IT!! 

I first started working for Wounded Warrior Project in April 2014. I knew of WWP from my time in Germany while on active duty. 

But I really got to know what the organization stood for even more when I had the opportunity to take advantage of it myself as a warrior and when I had the honor of connecting other warriors to their resources. 

After getting out of the Army I continued to serve as a Military Spouse and as a Federal Employee working as a (FRSA) Family Readiness Support Assistant for over 4 years. As and FRSA my job was to provide resources to families of deployed soldiers and to look providesupport  during and after deployments. 

This particular job gave me a lot of experience in working with military families the challenges they face and what they go thru before, during and after deployment. Working for WWP was only natural and the next best career move for me. 

I love working for the Military community and for our Veterans. As a combat veteran myself and a spouse of a combat veteran with multiple deployments I connect with our Alumni and Family on a more personal level and it makes things more natural and easy for me. So I guess you can say this is really not a "JOB" to me. 

Getting hired with WWP was not easy as they go thru an extensive interview and selection process because they want to make sure they have the right person for the job. But the wait is well worth it! 

WWP is an amazing organization to work for and they have an extensive list of job opportunities. 

For mor information on job opportunities with Wounded Warrior Project go to:

http://www. woundedwarriorproject.org/cool-careers.aspx

Hope this was helpful 

Mentor Dee signing out! 

The Dual Military Life

Someone asked was it hard being dual military...

And the answer is Yes, it was. But when I was in the Army was a little different. 

Deployments had just started and the Army wasn't quite as understanding of married couples as they are now. 

For us it was hard having to be separated for deployments and having to miss each other every year because we didn't have joint assignments. But the Army today will even take your marriage in consideration a LITTLE bit more by trying to assign you to the same units  with similar assignments so that your deployments or training assignments keep you guys together as much as possible. BUT REMEMBER to the Army or the Military MISSION comes first and they don't really care when it comes to getting the job done. 

And at the end of the day you did sign a contract so you should go in with that mind set and things would be a lot easier to deal with as they come. 

If you are thinking about joining to help your income and you have a degree. I would highly encourage you to look into going in as an officer. The pay is better and you have a little bit more leverage and say so on what happens to your military career than if you go in as enlisted and as a educated middle age private. It will drive you nuts! 

If your husband is active duty I would also look into any available scholarships available to help pay for student loans prior to joining if this is your main reason for joining. 

But the military is not a bad place to be. I loved it! I loved doing my job and if I could go back I would go back in a heart beat! But is not for everyone, and you should know that times are different and a lot more should go into the Tought of joining the military. 

Joining the military today should include an acceptance of going to war. Not of MAYBE going, but GOING to war. Because it will be a matter of time and you have to be ready for that. 

Are your student loans high enough for you to put your life on the line to pay them? 

When I joined, I joined for the money for college. My family didn't have enough money for me to go to college and I wasn't smart enough to know how to get a loan and probably wouldn't have qualified. 

So I joined for college money. But there wasn't a war going on. So no one told me I would be going to war. They said I would be driving Generals around. 

Instead, I never got to go to college while on active duty. I never drove a General. 

I was the lead vehicle into Iraq during the Invasion in 2003. And in 2005 I was the lead gunner for hundreds of patrols and escorts missions in Iraq. 

I got out in 2006 and I just finished my BA in Psychology in 2013. 

All of this happened while my husband and I were married and missing eachother on deployments. But the Military since then has realized that they can't do that. So they are trying to station married couples together and even schedule deployments where they are not separated for that long. 

I know a few couples who are making it work and they have a successful marriage. Most of them met while on active duty. Some of them didn't and one  of them joined the other half way they their marriage to increase their income and their careers. And it works. But just like everything. It takes work and understanding from both parties. 

There is going to be things neither of you can control and that's is just how the military works. 

I hope someone finds this helpful when making a decision of joining the military in today's age and turning a family into a dual military family. 

Thank you for your service! 

Dee

Does Optimism Matters?

Today I want to talk about Optimism,

So... I have this friend who I call when I need a BOOST of OPTIMISM! I try to be the cheerleader for everyone most of the time but sometimes you tend to start running out of fuel and you need a BOOST yourself. And that is ok, as long as you recognize that you are human and that you also sometimes need a little BOOST!

Like our Mantra say's "IT GETS BETTER" you will get thru it, If we all give each other a little BOOST every now and then, we will fill up  each other's tank so that we can continue to motivate/be that cheerleader to others.

So, I wanted to share some information on Optimism and how Optimistic thinkers vs. Pessimistic thinkers can affect our daily lives and start to weigh heavy on us or start to in the case of optimistic thinkers can lift us up.

And I say, have a few OPTIMISTIC THINKERS on your FRIENDS LIST. That one person who you can call on to get your BOOST! Forget that random person you haven't heard from in years but sent you a friend request and you accepted it anyways  but all you see on their newsfeed is RANTS about politics or religion or complaints about how life is horrible or they hate everything they are doing and the world is just against them! Just UNFOLLOW THEM! that is just TOO MUCH DRAMA!! Get your DRAMA from the REAL HOUSEWIVES!  At least you get to see a reunion with that! :)

The information below was taken from a set of training slides from a Master Resiliency Training I had the pleasure of taking part on. This model is used by the Army, but it was instructed to Wounded Warrior Project Alumni to better understand and learn Resiliency techniques.

Enjoy!

OPTIMISM MATTERS 

Optimistic Thinkers compared to Pessimistic Thinkers:

–Are happier and have less depression

–Are healthier (fewer illnesses, faster recovery, live longer)

–Are seen as better leaders

–Have stronger relationships

–Do better in sports and perform better under pressure

–Are more successful in school and work

How Does Optimism Do All That:

–Focus on solutions when change is possible; acceptance when it is not

–Are more accurate about how much control they have

–Take better care of themselves

–Are more likely to try new strategies when current ones aren’t working

–Learn from failure and find meaning in setback

So...

Even if you take one thing out of this list. I encourage your to challenge yourself to be more optimistic about ONE thing and see the change in your life in that aspect. Let me know if it works. But you have to be truthful and focus on the "Solutions when change is possible and ACCEPTANCE when CHANGE IS NOT POSSIBLE"

I know is hard, TRUST ME! I know. I m still working on it. But as long as you make a constant effort you will be in a much better place than you were the day before for trying.

And what was my first blog about? Every Day you get another chance at trying again. At being better at it and in this case at being more Optimistic about the things you can not change.

Thanks for Reading,

Asta la proxima,

Dee,