News : Retrieving Freedom: Vinton veteran among seven to graduate service dog program

Josh Mulder and Traveler: The Marine veteran and service dog will graduate from progam Saturday.

To passers by, it may look like Josh Mulder is simply another guy playing with his dog in the yard. But those who know Josh and his story know just how important it is for Josh to have Traveler at his side, day and night.

When Mulder goes with Traveler to Waverly to participate in this weekend’s Retrieving Freedom, Inc. (RFI) graduation, he will be joining dozens of elementary students who simultaneously benefit from the service dog program and help train the dogs.

A Marine who served in Afghanistan, Mulder, the son of Dave and Arlis Mulder of Vinton, served for several months as part of the American efforts to work with coalition forces from several countries to secure that part of the world. His unit was in the Helmand Province in 2010, where coalition troops often faced heavy combat as they tried to secure areas of that province.

In Afghanistan, Mulder was a member of "3/1," the Third Battallion, First Marine Division, which suffered many casualties; years later, many of the units veterans are still dealing with the impact of their injuries as well as PTSD.

Mulder is among those who came home with no visible physical injuries, but intense PTSD. For the past several months, his service dog, Traveler, has been at his side 24 hours a day. The dogs are trained to help identify situations that cause stress, and to help the veteran deal with them.

Six other veterans will join Mulder in Saturday’s graduation in Waverly.

Along with Bender & Chad, Bones & Bob, Star & Duane, Oreo & Wayne, George & Trish and Tags & Bob, Traveler & Josh will be recognized for the training the successfully completed during a 7 p.m. ceremony Saturday in Waverly.

“He's helped me out in so many ways, it's hard to put into words,” Mulder says of Traveler. “He allows me to get out of my apartment so much more often and help me live a ‘normal’ life again, whether it's going to the grocery store with my girlfriend, going to see a movie, even going out to places with large crowds. If I'm having a bad day he always brightens it up more and puts me in a better mood.”

Mulder said he learned about RFI at the national NRA gun show in Indianapolis last year.

“That’s where I met Scott and talked to two other veterans that where there with their dogs; it’s where I actually met Traveler for the first time,” he says.

The process of training the dogs takes about two years.

“For about the first year, the puppy gets fostered by a foster family and then the dog goes back to the kennels to begin the training process,” Mulder explains. “From there it's about a year to a year and a half of training, depending on what the veteran needs.”

Traveler has been trained to notice when Josh seems anxious, to turn on the light if he notices Josh has been having a nightmare, and to "sweep" a room on command to assure Josh that no dangers are present.

"He can tell what mood I'm in, so if I'm mad, or sad, or have really bad anxiety, he can pick up on that and he will get up to make me start to pet him to take my mind off whatever it is that's bothering me," says Mulder.

A non-profit organization, RFI has been offering help via service dogs to people for nearly a quarter-century. Founded by long-time friends Scott Dewey of Iowa and Charles Dwyer of Mississippi, the organization has headquarters and training facilities in both states.

In addition to aiding soldiers with PTSD, RFI is also training and placing service dogs to help autism patients and diabetics.

Dewey said that two classrooms of elementary students will participate in the graduation exercises at the former Junior High building in Waverly on Saturday. Those younger students, he said, are an important part of the training experience for the dogs.

In addition to working with their human partner, the dogs visit hospitals, schools and other places. This is helpful for training purposes, while also serving other people, said Dewey.

The dogs have spent much time with the West Cedar Elementary second and fourth grade classes. Those students will also participate in the ceremony.

After the graduation, the vets and their dogs will continue to work with RFI trainers to make sure the program is helping the veterans as designed.

The process has “all been pretty easy,” says Mulder, because Traveler was pretty much fully-trained when Mulder got him.

“My girlfriend is fostering a puppy right now and so we both help with that,” says Mulder. “He is a 12-week-old yellow lab named Radar.”

During this past summer Mulder and Traveler helped at many classes where they would go to the kennels where other veterans and their dogs were training.

“We all work with the dogs, training together,” he said, adding that he has attended training classes on the Wartburg campus, walking around with another veteran and answering questions from students.

See more information on the RFI web site.