 Experience is a thing. Some lessons aren't really taught on paper, lessons are taught on what you go through and what determines your character. Growing up I was just always fascinated with dogs, their demeanors, the way they acted towards me. So the moment that I found out that Security Forces had a career field dedicated to just working with dogs, I decided to join and go for it. So far I only work to military working dogs, military working dog Wunder and military working dog Velmo. Right around my fifth month mark, I'm doing the Wunder, shipped one of those canines, which prompted us needing to do a root canal, which is a pretty standard procedure because these dogs, they ship or break them all the time doing what they do, and unfortunately due to some unforeseen circumstances. He passed away on the table and I ended up getting sent home early. He was my first dog. I was his first handler. The moment I lost him, that's just my room. That felt empty. We deployed just two people from every squadron, my dog and myself, and returning home the whole way without Wunder with me was just excruciating honestly. And I felt like I left my squadron down and everything. I went back home on the side and didn't think I'd be working another dog anytime soon. It's my kennel master and my trainer at the time pulled me into their office and he decided to give her up for me to be able to work and press through those troubling times because an average military working dog handler's career, they could work anywhere from four to five dogs and I already lost my first one, which is mind-blowing. It's the day you wish never would happen. And Baker and Evans definitely helped me get back on the horse by working her and honestly never thought I'd be here again after what happened, but with all my and my peers make it a little bit better and a little bit easier. A lot of people don't understand what we go through with these dogs, the blood, sweat, tears, constant emotion that we go through training these dogs, building up this rapport. It's an average person who just looks like a dog, but we trust these dogs with our lives and other people's lives, so the bond is definitely much, you know, solidified. I know we joke about, like, Louisiana Indian Air Force, but a lot of people don't really realize how much that word really means to certain people. The fact that there's so many negative emotions in this place, the moment that I landed down, I actually had to go to the dental treatment facility the other month, the same exact table. But I lost in the VD Wonder and there was just a lot of mixed emotions with that place, but I'm a firm believer of everything happened for a reason. Finally, to close that chapter in my life and move forward, which is the epitome of resilience, stability, the bounce back better than ever. Don't get me wrong. I always carry that piece in my heart. For the longest time, before I decided to get help with talking about my emotions back home station, I cared about what other people thought about me, like, oh, you're going to go see mental health over a dog, the constant, oh, I need to be up and running so I don't look bad. It's okay to take a knee and make sure you take care of yourself first. I feel like Velma definitely helped me out through what happened because she's a really affectionate dog. She always has to be near you or have sight of you, so just having that unconditional love and comfort was a big role in my mental health during that time.