The Whidbey Crosswind 08/12/2011

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COVERING WHIDBEY ISLAND’S NAVAL AIR STATION COMMUNITY

CROSSWIND Whidbey

VOLUME 1, NO. 20 | 12 AUGUST 2011

www.whidbeycrosswind.com

Vote for me!

Summit Assistance Dogs seeks grant for veterans program By K ATHY REED

S

Whidbey Crosswind

ummit Assistance Dogs in Anacortes would like to expand its program and residents of North Whidbey Island can lend a hand. The nonprofit company, which trains hearing and mobility assistance dogs for people with disabilities, is one of 36 candidates vying to get the most votes in Walton Beverage’s local Pepsi Refresh Project. The nonprofit that gets the most votes will receive a $10,000 grant from the beverage distributor to fund a startup project. Summit would use the money to fund its newest program, which currently has the working title “Serving Our Soldiers,” or S.O.S., which would provide service dogs for wounded soldiers or those suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. “We want to use that money to kick off S.O.S. marketing and outreach,” said Erik Mann, development associate with Summit Assistance Dogs. “It would also help us to create screening guidelines, establish policy and procedure for training the dogs and acquire breeding stock and dogs to start training.” “The local Pepsi Refresh Project is our take on the national project, and is our way of rewarding and giving back to nonprofits in our area who are really coming up with innovative and refreshing ideas,” said Kaitlin Isle, marketing and special projects coordinator with Walton Beverage. “Nonprofits are really working hard to generate innovative ideas that are pushing our communities ahead and creating important programs. It’s great to hear the things they would do if they had extra funding.” Isabelle is a 1-year-old Golden Retriever being trained as a service dog Summit was founded in 2000 by Sue Meinzinger. The through Summit Assistance Dogs. The agency is trying to win a grant nonprofit organization does not charge for its dogs and to start a service dog program for veterans. KATHY REED/WHIDBEY CROSSWIND relies solely on grants, fundraising and private contributions. Puppy raisers volunteer to take the puppies into their homes when they are about 8 weeks old and work with them for up to a year and a half, bringing them to Summit’s headquarters on Christianson Road in Anacortes regularly to work with professional trainers. The training process takes about two years, at which point the dogs are carefully matched with applicants. Meinzinger said the emerging need for service dogs for veterans with PTSD is huge. “There is a big enough need that the Veterans Administration has a three-year study being conducted to study what the effects of service dogs are on veterans with PTSD,” she said. “If they determine they are valuable, they could possibly start making funding available.” Much of the training for the S.O.S. dogs is the same as its training for other service dogs, Meinzinger said. There are currently about 40 dogs in the program. Summit graduates about eight to ten dogs each year. “Our graduation rate currently is about one in four, meaning that for every four dogs in the training program, only one will successfully complete it,” said Mann. “Our standards are strict and we’re looking for special dogs.” Often dogs that aren’t selected to complete the program are simply too energetic or too active for their handlers. That is something that wouldn’t necessarily be a problem for a veteran with no physical disabilities, opening the door for more dogs to complete

SEE SUMMIT | PAGE 7

Army general to helm Chinook investigation By JIM GARAMONE

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON — Army Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Colt will conduct the investigation of the crash of a CH-47 Chinook helicopter in Afghanistan that killed 38 U.S. and Afghan service members, U.S. Central Command officials announced Tuesday. Colt, deputy commanding general of the 101st Airborne Division, will begin his duties immediately. Marine Corps Gen. James N. Mattis, the Central Command commander, appointed Colt. Officials in Afghanistan believe a Taliban rocket-propelled grenade shot down the

SEE CRASH | PAGE 8

THIS EDITION Fleet Support Unit officer in charge retires.........pg. 2 New leader for the Lancers of VAQ-131 .................pg. 2 IDIPIC sponsors evening of improv ...................pg. 3 Sarah Smiley: Fish first, then a dog .....................pg. 4

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