b'Two Gentle GiantsWith One Imposing Message. by Anna CookeFor nearly two decades, Sergeant First Class Joe Swobodaservedhiscountrywithdistinction.Butduringthreedeployments to Iraq between 2003 and 2005, he saw anddidthingsthatchangedhimforever.HenowhasPostTraumaticStressDisease(PTSD)asaresultofthosewartime experiences. The repeated detonation of bombsresulted in his traumatic brain injury (TBI).What I experienced in Iraq, day in and day out, made itnearly impossible for me to return to normal life as acivilian, said Swoboda. In desperation, he reached out toK9s For Warriors, a Ponte Vedra organization that pairsservicedogswithveteransdiagnosedwithPTSDandTBI.It changed my life. Having Lilly as my service dogis like having a Battle Buddy by my side, all the time,said Joe. Along with the love and support of my family, Ifeel whole again.G IVING W ARRIORS A ND S HELTER D OGS A N EW L EASH O N L IFE .Ninety-five percent of the canines used in the K9sFor Warriors program are former rescue/shelter dogs orowner surrenders. K9s For Warriors carefully selects dogsfor their program from animal shelters across the countryand professionally trains them at their facility. Each dog ismatched with a warrior to live, learn and bond togetherfor three weeks in the company of up to four other war-rior-dog teams. There is no charge to the veteran. Eachwarrior-dog team is a partnership, which means not onlydo dogs care for their warriors, but warriors must provideproper care for their dogs. And, its working.K9s For Warriors is the only service dog organizationfor post-9/11 veterans that requires them to live and trainon site with their service dog before going home. As aresult,theprogramhasa96percentsuccessrateand,within six months of graduation, 92 percent of warriorgraduates have reduced or eliminated their prescriptionmedication. This year, K9s For Warriors launched Stop22, a campaign aimed at raising awareness of and actionto end the epidemic of veteran suicides. It is estimatedthat 22 veterans commit suicide every day. [1]Were losing 8,000 of Americas military heroes eachPhotograph by Anna Cookeyear due to suicide, which is heart-breaking and unac-ceptable, said Shari Duval, president, K9s For Warriors.Lets put that into perspective, if that\'s even possible.22 veterans a day are committing suicide. In two days andnine hours, that number climbs to 53the equivalent ofanentireNFLfootballteam.OvertheperiodoftwoJoe Swoboda, Sergeant First Class, U.S. Army (Ret.) and his service dog, Lilly. months, two weeks, three days and two hours, the num-"Sometimes all I need from Lilly to let me know everything is going to be alright, ber rises to 1696 veterans who lose their lives to suicideis her head resting on my foot. She always seems to know."the total number of players in the NFL. 52THE NEW BARKER www.TheNewBarker.com'