Joint Base Charleston
Patriot
Vol. 3, No. 20
Team Charleston – One Family, One Mission, One Fight!
Friday, May 18, 2012
Retired Marine Staff Sgt. Dean Suthard sits with his new service dog, Esther, during a ceremony at the Naval Consolidated Brig Charleston May 9. During the ceremony, NCBC, in partnership with Carolina Canines for Service, presented Suthard, a wounded service member, his service dog. CCFS is a nonprofit health and human services organization that trains service dogs for veterans with disabilties.
Wounded Warrior receives a 'Helping Paw'
INSIDE
HARD AT WORK
437th MXS works metals shop to maintain C-17’s See page 5
ROOKIES
Grand opening of new sports grill See page 3
COPS
JB CHS honors Police Week See page 9
Weekend Weather Update Charleston, SC
Friday, May 18
Scattered T-Storms (40% precip)
High 77º Low 62º
Saturday, May 19
Scattered T-Storms (30% precip)
High 79º Low 65º
Sunday, May 20
Isolated T-Storms (30% precip)
High 76º Low 65º
Story and photos by Airman 1st Class Ashlee Galloway Joint Base Charleston Public Affairs
Esther may look like an ordinary dog, but to retired Marine Staff Sgt. Dean Suthard, she is a lifesaver. Suthard took possession of the two-year-old Labradoodle during a May 9 ceremony at the Naval Consolidated Brig Charleston, where Esther had spent almost a year training for her new mission in life as part of the Carolina Canines for Service program. Suthard is a veteran of deployments to Panama where he helped provide security during the turnover of the Panama Canal, relief assistance in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina in 2005 as well as three deployments to Iraq. It was on his second deployment with the 1st Battalion 8th Marine Regiment in 2004 that he sustained injuries during a combat patrol, breaking his spine in several places. After recovering, Suthard pushed on through the pain and discomfort and continued to serve in the Marine Corps, completing a third tour of duty in Iraq. However, in 2009, while out jogging, the fragile bones in his spine shifted and his condition worsened. He lost most of the feeling in both of his legs. Suthard was left with limited mobility and was
only able to walk with the use of two canes. The pain didn't let him sleep for more than two hours each night. Now, with the help of Esther, Suthard is able to start putting his life back together. With Esther by his side, he is able to combat his Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and can go places on his own when only weeks ago, he had to have his wife with him for the fear that somebody was always behind him. "I am already walkRetired Marine Staff Sgt. Dean Suthard stands with his new service dog, ing without my canes Esther, during a ceremony at the Naval Consolidated Brig Charleston May 9. and I've slept a full seven hours every which are rescued from local animal shelters, are night; it is a miracle," said Suthard. "Esther has trained by military prisoners at the NCBC. The changed my life in just the four days that I have dogs accompany and provide help to warriors had her." who were injured while serving their country. CCFS is a national program that understands "Esther is like a life partner," said Suthard. the instinctive bond dogs have with their human "She is there when I need her, she knows when I counterparts and provides disabled veterans with feel bad, and she knows how to make me feel quality, trained service dogs. The dogs, many of better. I couldn't ask for more."
COMPASS: guiding tool for military spouses
By Airman 1st Class Dennis Sloan Joint Base Charleston Public Affairs
When people hear the word compass, they often think of a device that assists individuals with direction and the Navy program COMPASS does just that. Instead of using a needle and the earth's magnetic field, the program COMPASS uses veteran military spouses to help young Navy spouses navigate through military life a little smoother. COMPASS is a spouse-to-spouse mentoring program that introduces participants to all aspects of the military lifestyle. The program offers military spouses the opportunity to establish a peer network, acquire knowledge and develop skills necessary to successfully meet future challenges of military life. The program was started by Rosemary Ellis, a Navy spouse, in the early nineties for submarine spouses, but quickly grew into a program for all Navy spouses. "COMPASS is geared toward Navy spouses and the Navy community, but all military spouses can benefit from some of the topics," said Antonia Wilber, COMPASS team leader and spouse of Chief Petty Officer Keith Wilber. COMPASS is a three-day, 12-hour program, with veteran spouses and a chaplain teaching seven separate classes: • Navigating the Maze - Learning the benefits and services available to military members and their families
• Anchors Aweigh - Learning how to deal with deployments, separations and reunions • Local Insights - Exploring the local community • I$ that all there I$? - Learning some personal financial tips • Changing Ports - Learning the moving process • Getting Along - Learning healthy communication (Only course taught by a chaplain) • U.S. Navy - Learning about the history of the Navy as well as its traditions "All of the mentors are volunteers who have gone through the course at least once before and have experienced military life for an extended period of time," said Wilber. Those interested in becoming a mentor in the program need to have gone through the course at least one time, been a military spouse for at least three years and have experienced their spouse deploying. A large majority of the spouses that attend the Joint Base Charleston COMPASS program are spouses of Navy students attending the nuclear training schools on the Weapons Station side of the base. "We get a lot of spouses whose husbands have just come out of boot camp," said Robin Hastings, COMPASS mentor and spouse of Chief Petty Officer Daniel Hastings. "We want to get them into this program before they go out into the fleet and have to deal with deployments, moves and other aspects of military life."
The program is free and includes breakfast, lunch and childcare for those with children. "The fact that this program offered free babysitting got me in the seat," said Wilber. "After going through the course I learned so much and continue to pass that information on to my fellow spouses." A graduation ceremony is held upon completion of the course. During the ceremony, spouses get a little more time to interact than they would in the classroom. "The program is not all work and no play, but we do focus on the material so the attendees get the most out of the course," said Michelle Taylor, COMPASS mentor and spouse of Petty Officer 1st Class Craig Taylor. "The attendees are going to make a lot of new friends by coming to the program." The next session is scheduled for July 17 through 19 from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Reagan Center, Bldg. 717 on Joint Base Charleston - Weapons Station. To sign-up for the COMPASS program, spouses can go to www.gocompass.org and register. Spouses can also email compasscharleston@nsfamilyline.org to get more information from mentors here. The program is funded by Navy Services FamilyLine. "I highly encourage the spouses to come and try out this program," said Wilber. "It's free and will help you to transition from the civilian lifestyle into the military lifestyle."
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