ABILENE, Texas (KTAB) – “I started off as a bomb disposal guy, EOD. I moved to aircraft support, then command control,” says United States Air Force Veteran, Chris Thomas.
Chris Thomas’ days are now spent much differently. He can often be found at the Taylor Jones Humane Society with a furry friend in hand, “I’ve seen just working with dogs that I didn’t think we’re going to get re-homed, get re-homed.”
He’s also seen and experienced a lot during the 14 years of service in the United States Air Force, “Until I got injured in 2011, I was separated due to my injuries.”
After getting out of the military, Thomas says it was a rough couple of years, “I was heading somewhere I shouldn’t due to all the traumatic stress and everything else.”
He was headed where too many veterans suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder end up.
“The thought crossed my mind before of just ending it all,” admits Thomas.
But, he found the strength and courage to get help, “I just woke up one day. My wife said she didn’t know who I was. I didn’t know who I was.”
He spent more than 6 months in therapy which led to him getting a service dog, “It’s helped me a lot.”
Man’s best friend came to the rescue of this hurting hero.
Thomas adds, “It helps me because dogs can sense everything that’s going on with you.”
Thomas doesn’t just want to help himself but also his fellow veterans. He recently became a certified dog trainer. He wants to train dogs that can help veterans dealing with PTSD.
“I hope it’s the same way that I feel every day due to somebody helping me. It’s able to give them a second chance,” Thomas says.
Thomas says there are still hard days and being in a large crowd is still difficult with him. He just continues to push himself little by little so he can be there for his family.
