August means it's time to go back to school!
Many of our Warriors tell us their Service Dogs gave them the strength and courage to achieve their goals. Army Veteran Adam accomplished his goal of finishing school with Mojo by his side.
The former combat engineer and military police platoon sergeant served for 17 years and deployed to Iraq in 2008. He joined because of his grandfathers, who served in World War II. He wanted to serve his country too, hoping it would prepare him for college. When he returned home, things were different. PTSD affected everything he did.
“I am proud of my service, but I struggled with unwanted thoughts, dreams and hypervigilance,” he said.
During this struggle, Adam was enrolled in college, working toward his bachelor’s degree in history at Lourdes University. His counselor told him about Service Dogs for Veterans with PTSD, which led him to K9s For Warriors. He continued school while waiting to meet his new battle buddy.
K9s For Warriors paired Adam with Mojo, a golden retriever. The two formed an immediate bond, and Adam knew his life was going to be different.
“He makes me smile,” Adam said. “In the military, I always had someone watching my six. I’ve missed that. Now, I have the perfect friend to take on that responsibility.”
After graduating, it was time for Adam to head back to school. While it was initially a huge adjustment, Adam says his school helped let everyone know how to interact with him and Mojo. Soon, he became the most recognizable person on campus! Mojo was by Adam’s side every day in class.
"As someone who spent half his life wearing camouflage, I was not used to standing out so much,"
he said. “As I got used to it, I was able to open myself up more and invite the people around me to get to know me more.”
In December 2024, Adam graduated and earned his bachelor’s degree. He even has plans to start a master’s degree program in the next couple of years! In the meantime, Adam and Mojo spend a lot of their time traveling around the country and have spent most of the summer traveling in Adam’s camper. Adam says he could not have accomplished his goals if it weren’t for Mojo.
“I am very happy that I chose to go back to school,” he said. “I struggled to find purpose, direction and motivation after leaving the Army. Mojo and K9s For Warriors have helped me come home.”
