Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2014

Floor Speech

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Ms. SHEA-PORTER. Mr. Chairman, today I'm offering an amendment with my colleague, Congressman LoBiondo, to support veterans with PTSD and traumatic brain injury, or TBI.

This amendment designates $4.5 million within the peer-reviewed Psychological Health/Traumatic Brain Injury Research account for a 3-year study to evaluate the therapeutic service dog training program currently operating at the National Intrepid Center of Excellence and Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.

This innovative servicemember dog-training program is designed to a safe, effective, nondrug intervention to treat the symptoms of PTSD and TBI. Servicemembers report improvement in their PTSD or TBI symptoms when participating in a therapeutic service dog training program.

The servicemen and -women involved in this program report a number of positive results, including lower levels of depression, improved self-control, improved sleep patterns, a greater sense of purpose, better integration into their communities, pain reduction, and improved parenting skills. This year's NDAA House report directed the Secretary of Defense to conduct whatever studies are necessary to evaluate this promising program. This amendment provides the resources for such a study.

There is now considerable anecdotal evidence that training service dogs reduces the PTSD symptoms of their warrior trainers, and that the presence of the dogs increases the sense of wellness in servicemembers and their families.

The most eloquent testimonials are from servicemember trainees themselves. One said:

It's been great working with the dogs. They're helping me with my depression, anxiety and sleep. With a dog at my side, my stress measurements returned to normal for the first time.

Another:

It's great knowing that I'm helping to train a service dog for a servicemember who has physical disabilities.

Another:

It's hard for me to put into words how very important working with these dogs has been to me. Working with the dogs gave me a purpose again and a way to continue to give back to soldiers. Training these dogs helps me rebuild my confidence level and to feel that I'm functioning as an effective member of the Army and of society.

And one more:

The dog I'm training bonded quickly with my daughter and me. The dog allowed us to connect in a very positive way. Working with the dog has taught me patience, which also carries over to being a parent.

And finally:

Going out into crowded public places has been very hard for me. However, to train a service dog, you have to lead them confidently through places like grocery stores and on underground trains. I find that while I'm teaching the young dogs how to navigate these places, I am much more comfortable as well. I'm even learning how to enjoy interaction with strangers who approach me to talk about the dog.

The soldier also noted:

Being allowed to sleep with a dog that I'm training has been very helpful. I had been only managing to sleep a couple of hours a night before being cleared to have a dog spend the night with me. That night I slept almost 6 hours and I had no nightmares. I awake so much more refreshed. My wife has noted the improvement as well.

The dogs that these servicemembers with PTSD train become highly skilled service dogs for veterans with disabilities, while the Warrior-trainers reap the therapeutic benefits of training them. This amendment is a win-win-win. It's good for returning vets, it helps combat PTSD, and it doesn't add a dime to the deficit.

I and Congressman LoBiondo urge you to support these promising research efforts.

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