Bill Campbell decided to re-enlist after 19 years as a biologist for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. He’d been an executive officer in the national guard for for a decade, but he was ready to accept a lower rank and pay in exchange for the opportunity to serve his country once again.
Campbell served in Iraq from 2004 to 2005, when he helped handle security at a Forward Operating Base. Over the course of the year, his station had been hit by several bombs, and he’d sustained two concussions. He had shrapnel all too close to an irreparable area of his brain after one blast.
While Campbell appears to be in good health today, the military has classed him as 100 percent disabled. He has PTSD and memory loss, as well as a paralyzing dread of crowds.
One of the few things that can aid a war veteran suffering from severe brain trauma? Of course, it’s a service dog.
Campbell’s entire life changed when he received Pax. He was able to return to civilian life because of the friendship and comfort he received from this wonderful puppy. However, before Pax transformed Campbell’s life, he was a present to someone else.
Laurie is a prisoner at the Bedford Hills Correctional Facility, which is located just outside of New York City. Pax had been in her care and training since he was a puppy.
The reunion between Bill Campbell and Pax at the facility is unlike any other I’ve seen. Listen to what his trainer had to say about him…
