The Dog Who Saved A Hero From Himself. Continued from previous page.
Andres Rodriguez with his dad, whom he calls his best friend. “I had hit bottom and was in a very dark place,” said Andres. His dad, who retired from the Army after serving 27 years, added, “Never give up on your family. Never give up on your son.”
Best of all, Andres has found his
competitive edge again through the Warrior Games. As an Air Force Wounded Warrior (AFW2), Andres attends camps competing in the adap- tive sports program. Sandy is always nearby, keeping a close eye on him. During a wheelchair basketball
match against Army last year, Sandy watched as Andres, who was amped up during the game, started to breakdown afterwards. Andres was sitting with the sports psychiatrist in front of him. Sandy knew the signs. She could read his body language, and sensed Andres needed her. The team Chaplain who was handling Sandy did not under- stand why the normally calm, well- behaved dog was suddenly so visibly upset, pulling hard on her leash. The Staff Sgt. looked at Andres, then saw Sandy in distress. He ran to the Chaplain and explained that the dog needed to get to Andres right away. Once released, Sandy ran straight to Andres, sat in front of him and leaned in. As we were talking with Andres
and his family in the loud auditorium at the Tampa Convention Center, Sandy had Andres’s back. She was near his feet, looking away from him, sur- veying the crowd. She alerted Andres with a soft bark to anyone walking in
38 THE NEW BARKER
their direction. Andres calmly looked over his shoulder, saw that there was no threat, then gently praised Sandy, rubbing her ears. He remembers that first encounter
when someone questioned the validity of his service dog. “Now, when some- thing like that happens, I feel a respon- sibility to educate the public, not ignore an opportunity to, now calmly, correct a wrong.” “Sandy has helped me live again.
Because of her and the Wounded Warrior program, I’m now helping others,” said Andres, who is mentoring three Wounded Warriors. “The hardest part with mentoring is convincing someone that you’ve been where they are. Heck, sometimes I still go back there. But I remind them to recognize the new you. I often found myself say- ing, ‘I used to be able to do that, and now I can’t do that.’ I don’t do that to myself anymore. I work on embracing the new me. What I have accomplished and what I’m going to accomplish moving forward. I feel like I owe Sandy so much. I am a happier man because of her.”
U
Editor’s Note: Special thanks to Captain Sarah E. Bergstein, Public Affairs Officer and U.S. Air Force National Media Outreach. Captain Bergstein helped set up our meeting with Andres and his family, and graciously escorted us during our two-day visit.
Y
(Above): Of Sandy, Andres said they share a lot of non-verbal communication. Sandy always has her eye on Andres.
(Left): After a game of wheel- chair tennis, Andres encourages his teammate off the courts.
As an Air Force Wounded Warrior (AFW2), Andres Rodriguez competed in the 2019 Department of Defense Warrior Games held in
Tampa, Florida, June 21 through the 30th. The AFW2 program provides opportunities for more than 8,400 recovering service members to help them develop independence, confidence, fitness, and recovery through sports. Working with expert coaches, sports trainers and nutritionists, participants are introduced to healthy behavior changes, stress management, mental health, nutrition and weight management, physical fitness and activity. AFW2, a Congressionally-mandated and federal-
ly-funded organization, is tasked with taking care of Air Force wounded, ill and injured Airmen, veterans and their families. The program provides personal- ized restorative care throughout the transformation back to duty, separation, or retirement, staying in contact with participants throughout the process as Airman For Life. The goal is to leave them well- equipped to manage challenges, regardless of injury or illness.
DODWarriorGames.com
www.TheNewBarker.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104
