gyrofry
gyrofry
Kurdt
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Service dog lends comfort to soldiers who suffered sexual assault
The soldier was hysterical and couldn't talk about the sexual assault.
Second Lt. Amber Garfoot listened as the woman instead talked about a dog she had known as a child. Also listening to the soldier who had stopped at the Wisconsin National Guard's Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office was Falcon, a black Labrador retriever, who sat at her feet.
"We left the meeting that day without information (about the assault) — she wasn't ready to talk yet," Garfoot said Tuesday at an event introducing Falcon at National Guard headquarters in Madison. "But she later called and asked for a meeting with me and Falcon."
Since the PTSD service dog started his tour of duty with the Wisconsin National Guard last fall, the response has been overwhelming with a growing number of people feeling more comfortable about visiting the office to talk about sexual assault and domestic violence.
As the number of service members reporting sexual assaults has skyrocketed, U.S. military leaders are leading a push to combat sexual assaults and harassment within their ranks.
"We've had some sobering statistics," Maj. Gen. Donald Dunbar, the Wisconsin National Guard adjutant general, said at Tuesday's event.
The Department of Defense reported last year that about 26,000 men and women in the military were sexually assaulted in 2011, up from 19,000 in 2010. The figures came from a survey of 1.4 million active-duty service members.
The survey did not include National Guard or reserves members. Sexual assaults among National Guard members are handled by local law enforcement because guard units are not under the federal Uniform Code of Military Justice.
Troops coping with invisible wounds often have difficulty discussing their problems, but Garfoot said service dogs like Falcon put people at ease and quickly establish trust. Sometimes it's easier for sexual assault victims to talk to a dog because animals don't judge and are uninhibited at showing affection.
"When I came in to the office the problem was outreach. We weren't accessible," said Garfoot, who joined the Wisconsin National Guard four years ago and has worked in the sexual assault prevention and response office for the last year and a half.
Garfoot suggested bringing in a service animal to the Madison office and on visits to National Guard armories and communities.
Falcon was born in April 2011 in Colorado Springs, Colo., home of the Air Force Academy, whose sports teams are the Falcons. He eventually ended up at the Custom Canines Service Dog Academy in Madison, where handlers discovered he had an affinity for helping humans battling post-traumatic stress disorder, often by putting his head or paws on their feet or lap.
Falcon joined Garfoot's household in October and she began easing him in to the office, starting with half days, in late November.
Dog attends interviews
He sits in on interviews for sexual assault investigations and has quickly become a beloved employee at the National Guard headquarters with many folks stopping in just to pat the pup on the head or say hello.
"It's important for victims to have control, so I always hand over his leash" for them to hold during interviews, Garfoot said. "Dogs speak a universal language. You can never tell if Falcon is passing judgment. Instead of looking at me, they'll often talk through Falcon."
No state dollars are used — Falcon is owned by Custom Canines Service Dog Academy and Garfoot pays for his care and food. Like most service animals, he has been trained to eat and answer the call of nature on a strict regimen. Falcon has his own designated rest area outside the National Guard headquarters to do his duty, and Garfoot cleans up after him.
At the moment, Falcon is a civilian, though there has been discussion about making him an officer. Military animals usually have a higher rank than their handlers.
"The debate is what rank he's suited for," said Capt. Robert Brania, the Wisconsin National Guard's sexual assault response coordinator.
Brania, a member of the 32nd "Red Arrow" Brigade, attached a red arrow pin to Falcon's vest, and within days soldiers and airmen from other Wisconsin National Guard units had pinned on their group's insignia.
On Tuesday half a dozen other service dogs affiliated with Custom Canines and their handlers attended the event recognizing Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Falcon calmly took in the proceedings, licked visitors' hands and posed for pictures, totally unflappable despite the noise from other dogs and dozens of people.
"If somebody could sit in a room and see the impact he gives, it's incredible," Garfoot said. "In a lot of ways, he makes our job easier."
The soldier was hysterical and couldn't talk about the sexual assault.
Second Lt. Amber Garfoot listened as the woman instead talked about a dog she had known as a child. Also listening to the soldier who had stopped at the Wisconsin National Guard's Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office was Falcon, a black Labrador retriever, who sat at her feet.
"We left the meeting that day without information (about the assault) — she wasn't ready to talk yet," Garfoot said Tuesday at an event introducing Falcon at National Guard headquarters in Madison. "But she later called and asked for a meeting with me and Falcon."
Since the PTSD service dog started his tour of duty with the Wisconsin National Guard last fall, the response has been overwhelming with a growing number of people feeling more comfortable about visiting the office to talk about sexual assault and domestic violence.
As the number of service members reporting sexual assaults has skyrocketed, U.S. military leaders are leading a push to combat sexual assaults and harassment within their ranks.
"We've had some sobering statistics," Maj. Gen. Donald Dunbar, the Wisconsin National Guard adjutant general, said at Tuesday's event.
The Department of Defense reported last year that about 26,000 men and women in the military were sexually assaulted in 2011, up from 19,000 in 2010. The figures came from a survey of 1.4 million active-duty service members.
The survey did not include National Guard or reserves members. Sexual assaults among National Guard members are handled by local law enforcement because guard units are not under the federal Uniform Code of Military Justice.
Troops coping with invisible wounds often have difficulty discussing their problems, but Garfoot said service dogs like Falcon put people at ease and quickly establish trust. Sometimes it's easier for sexual assault victims to talk to a dog because animals don't judge and are uninhibited at showing affection.
"When I came in to the office the problem was outreach. We weren't accessible," said Garfoot, who joined the Wisconsin National Guard four years ago and has worked in the sexual assault prevention and response office for the last year and a half.
Garfoot suggested bringing in a service animal to the Madison office and on visits to National Guard armories and communities.
Falcon was born in April 2011 in Colorado Springs, Colo., home of the Air Force Academy, whose sports teams are the Falcons. He eventually ended up at the Custom Canines Service Dog Academy in Madison, where handlers discovered he had an affinity for helping humans battling post-traumatic stress disorder, often by putting his head or paws on their feet or lap.
Falcon joined Garfoot's household in October and she began easing him in to the office, starting with half days, in late November.
Dog attends interviews
He sits in on interviews for sexual assault investigations and has quickly become a beloved employee at the National Guard headquarters with many folks stopping in just to pat the pup on the head or say hello.
"It's important for victims to have control, so I always hand over his leash" for them to hold during interviews, Garfoot said. "Dogs speak a universal language. You can never tell if Falcon is passing judgment. Instead of looking at me, they'll often talk through Falcon."
No state dollars are used — Falcon is owned by Custom Canines Service Dog Academy and Garfoot pays for his care and food. Like most service animals, he has been trained to eat and answer the call of nature on a strict regimen. Falcon has his own designated rest area outside the National Guard headquarters to do his duty, and Garfoot cleans up after him.
At the moment, Falcon is a civilian, though there has been discussion about making him an officer. Military animals usually have a higher rank than their handlers.
"The debate is what rank he's suited for," said Capt. Robert Brania, the Wisconsin National Guard's sexual assault response coordinator.
Brania, a member of the 32nd "Red Arrow" Brigade, attached a red arrow pin to Falcon's vest, and within days soldiers and airmen from other Wisconsin National Guard units had pinned on their group's insignia.
On Tuesday half a dozen other service dogs affiliated with Custom Canines and their handlers attended the event recognizing Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Falcon calmly took in the proceedings, licked visitors' hands and posed for pictures, totally unflappable despite the noise from other dogs and dozens of people.
"If somebody could sit in a room and see the impact he gives, it's incredible," Garfoot said. "In a lot of ways, he makes our job easier."
dank_xiaopeng
dank_xiaopeng
Marxsplainer
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Bad Dog
karphead
karphead
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dog messenger: one k-9's Job helping to deliver the worst news imaginable
Edited by karphead ()
dipshit420
dipshit420
political car tune
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bad military. such sexual assault. so rape.
ilmdge
ilmdge
Online
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dank_xiaopeng posted:Bad Dog
dont blame the dog, he's just doing his job!
guidoanselmi
guidoanselmi
meet me in st louis
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the dogs a victim of seuxal abuse too. it was spade/neutered 
postposting
postposting
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+++++
hey sorry about all that rape we're not going to do anything about. you wanna play with this dog though?
[account deactivated]
[account deactivated]
[account deactivated]
Superabound
Superabound
Not Your S.H.I.E.L.D.
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CNN — US Military Outsources Basic Human Compassion and Empathy to Animal Kingdom, With Great Success
swampman
swampman
Dont Mess With Sucess
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At the moment, Falcon is a civilian, though there has been discussion about making him an officer. Military animals usually have a higher rank than their handlers.
"The debate is what rank he's suited for," said Capt. Robert Brania, the Wisconsin National Guard's sexual assault response coordinator.
"The debate is what rank he's suited for," said Capt. Robert Brania, the Wisconsin National Guard's sexual assault response coordinator.
gyrofry
gyrofry
Kurdt
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a healthy debate is important in a free society
dipshit420
dipshit420
political car tune
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+
Admiral Dog, ruffporting for duty
dank_xiaopeng
dank_xiaopeng
Marxsplainer
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*humps leg*
dipshit420
dipshit420
political car tune
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dank_xiaopeng posted:*humps leg*
holy shit, how about a trigger warning before you post about flagrant assault in the sexual assault thread? User loses posting privileges for 22 galactic years.
dank_xiaopeng
dank_xiaopeng
Marxsplainer
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hey Sarge check it out, that hot little private from the other day is with the service dog, she really did like it "ruff" hahahahzaxacxaa's=
dipshit420
dipshit420
political car tune
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dank_xiaopeng posted:hey Sarge check it out, that hot little private from the other day is with the service dog, she really did like it "ruff" hahahahzaxacxaa's=
Violating OPSEC. User loses posting privileges until the suns have all burned out and the universe is winding down to die,
angelbutt_dollface
angelbutt_dollface
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libelous_slander posted:Captain Sam Spayed, ruffporting for duty