RICKENBACKER AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Ohio —
The 121st Air Refueling Wing has a brand new member! Murphy is a 7-year-old German Short-Haired Pointer and is a registered remedy canine by means of the Alliance of Therapy Dogs.
“When you see Murphy around the base, there is no need to ask to pet him,” stated Jessie Burr, the 121st Air Refueling Wing Director of Psychological Health. “That is his sole mission!”
Murphy’s proprietor, Jessie Burr, is the Director of Psychological Health (DPH) on the 121st Air Refueling Wing. The main position of the DPH is to help Airmen in figuring out their psychological well being wants and supply suggestions and referrals for psychological considerations. The DPH also can present short-term counseling to service members and their households.
When members first meet Murphy, they’ll most probably discover that he has some distinctive variations. “Murphy developed a fast-growing tumor on his eyelid in 2021 that resulted in him losing his left eye,” stated Burr. “I think his resilience is a symbol of healing and perseverance through hard times, which is something we can all relate to.”
Murphy’s position on the 121st might be to assist encourage conversations with the resiliency crew, together with the DPH, Chaplains, Sexual Assault Response Coordinator (SARC), Yellow Ribbon Specialist and Family Programs. He might be current throughout individual classes, attend household occasions and function a common morale booster for the Wing.
Murphy accomplished his basic obedience coaching in 2021, and in 2023, he accomplished the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) Department Law Enforcement Dog Academy, receiving the excellence of Honor Graduate.
During basic obedience coaching, dogs are sometimes taught basic instructions reminiscent of “sit,” “stay,” “leave it,” and methods to walk on a leash.
The FSCO coaching is a week-long academy with dogs from throughout the nation assigned to police departments, correctional services, dispatch facilities and fireplace stations. It incorporates agility coaching and desensitization to loud and weird sounds, with a major deal with holding instructions with intense distractions, reminiscent of drones, helicopters, police cruisers working lights and sirens, and a go to to the Columbus Zoo. Murphy was the primary remedy canine skilled particularly for the navy to graduate from the academy.
“I am hopeful that Murphy will encourage members and their dependents to talk with me and will help decrease the hesitation to have that first conversation,” stated Burr. “I have witnessed firsthand as hard exteriors soften and faces brighten when members see him. I understand that making the connection with the DPH, especially the first time, carries a lot of emotions, and Murphy is here to make it easier for members to start that dialogue.”
