They fight for our freedoms but often struggle to live their own lives freely due to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Roughly 7% of all US service veterans have PTSD, with symptoms such as severe anxiety, sleep disturbances and agoraphobia.
For some struggling vets, a service dog proves invaluable.
“He’s totally changed my life,” said Tarik Griggs, whose Labrador-golden retriever Walter helps him deal with insomnia, nightmares, depression and much more. Meet him and three other vets and their devoted dogs.
Tarik Griggs, US Army veteran
Growing up in Philly, Griggs had big plans for himself. Since money was tight, he enrolled in the military on his 18th birthday instead of going to college.
“At that time, it was expected of you to give to your country,” Griggs, 53, told The Post from his home in Somerville, NJ.
He served during the first Gulf War and emerged a changed man.
“The saying in the military was, ‘Suck it up and drive on,’” he said. “Push down all your emotions and deal with it later on.”
After re-entering civilian life in his 20s, he went on to get an MBA and work for various major financial firms, including JP Morgan and Vanguard.
But his PTSD haunted him, and various medical conditions, including diabetes, compounded the pain.
“It was extremely hard and it’s still hard,” he said.
Four years ago, he was teamed up with Walter through Canine Companions, a national organization that provides trained service dogs to those with disabilities.
The highly skilled pup knows more than 40 professional commands, including turning lights on and off, creating space in a crowded public environment, disrupting anxious behavior and nightmare interruptions.
“There’s an emotional comfort and security that he’s always there, no matter what goes on,” Griggs said. “If war breaks out or there’s a car accident, your service dog is there. I’m so thankful — he’s my gift from God.”
Dick St. Clair, US Navy veteran
The 40-year-old joined the Navy just after 9/11, fulfilling a childhood dream of serving his country. He spent 20 years in the service as an aviation boatswain’s mate dedicated to aviation and surface warfare, and deployed five times, to the Persian Gulf and elsewhere.
“Military relationships help you bond as a family,” said St. Clair. “You go through trauma — you look out for your buddy next to you.”
In 2022, he was honorably discharged after he was found to have “incurable” chronic PTSD following a breakdown during pandemic lockdowns.
The aftermath of two decades of intense service has been a lot.
“I definitely have challenges every day,” he said of his end-stage arthritis in both knees and mental health conditions, including issues with crowds.
In 2023, he applied to Northwest Battle Buddies, a Washington-stated based organization that provides service dogs to vets with PTSD.
He was paired with Ivy, a black English lab who hasn’t left his side since. “We’re two peas in a pod,” said the vet. “I can now sit and do anything I want and not have to constantly look around … I never realized how much I was missing by the chaos that was happening in my brain.
This past summer, the Long Island native was able to attend a Chicago Cubs game, something he would never have been able to do without Ivy.
“She is my battle-buddy until the end,” said St. Clair. “I knew I had a problem and I didn’t want to be a statistic.”
He urges fellow vets to get help — and to know that there are alternatives, like service dogs, to going on medication.
“Don’t bury problems that won’t go away on their own,” he said. “Pick up the phone.”
Cortney, US Navy veteran
She grew up “an army brat” with multiple family members in the service and always knew she wanted to follow in their footsteps.
“I wanted to go places, to see things and protect people back home,” said the 39-year-old of her motivation to enlist at age 17 with parental consent.
She served about two years before being honorably discharged in 2005. But her time in the Navy was marred by sexual assault that has left scars, both physical and emotional. During one assault, she fell down a flight of stairs and suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI).
Now, with triggers at every turn, she said she “can’t go into public places by [herself].” Her agoraphobia makes even basic tasks such as grocery shopping traumatic due to the crowds.
She also suffers from migraines, nightmares and chronic muscle tension due to her PTSD.
“It’s a lifelong condition — it doesn’t go away,” said Courtney, who also has hearing loss from her TBI.
Last year, she turned to Guardian Revival, an organization that strives to revive and preserve the mental health and well-being of veterans and first responders.
In January, she was teamed up with Everest, a golden retriever-labradoodle, through Guardian’s Boots & Paws program.
“Before Everest I was afraid to go into public,” said the Dutchess county mother-of-five. Now, “all things are possible.”
This past summer, she was thrilled to attend a Yankees game with her service pup.
“He’ll tell me if someone’s coming up behind me … He never judges, never strays from me,” she said of her beloved service dog. “With Everest, I feel safe — just his presence makes all the difference … I feel like I can conquer the world now … It’s a match made in heaven.”
Mychal Watts, US Marine veteran
Growing up in Woodside, Queens, Watts, 68, was always fascinated by Marines and their stately uniforms. He secretly enlisted at age 18, without telling his mother beforehand.
“I needed to prove something to myself,” he said.
For five years, he lived his dream, rising to the rank of sergeant and spending more than a year stationed in Japan.
But the toll of service abroad and “fighting demons” was crushing. “I had trouble with focus— I just wanted to lie down and sleep, but I had nightmares.”
Watts, who now works as a photographer for Getty and lives in Harlem, suffered in silence for almost two decades. “It took me almost 20 years before I could talk about it,” he said.
Two years ago, he turned to Operation Warrior Shield. The Brooklyn-based organization provides support to vets and first responders and helped Watts get his service dog, Connie.
“It was love at first sight — the first thing she did was turn over on her belly,” said the former Class A marine of the fox-red Labrador retriever. “She will not take her eyes off of me.”
After a serious episode when Watts was “about to pass out,” and breaking out into a cold sweat, Watts said his “intelligent” best friend saved the day.
“She licked me until I came out of it,” he recalled.
