"When I came home, I wanted to be overseas, and when I was overseas, I wanted to be home," said Marine Raider Thomas Heaton. "I was so used to the discomfort of being displaced, and that became my comfort zone. Adjusting to being present, to just being where I am, has been a challenge for me."
Heaton's experience reflects that of many veterans of the Global War on Terror. He enlisted in the Marine Corps in 2002 as an ammunition technician, and then in 2005 transitioned to the counterintelligence/human intelligence career field. Heaton served for two decades, with nine deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq.
Those deployments took a toll, and he suffered from emotional and psychological damage, including hypervigilance which can afflict service members who have spent a prolonged period in combat conditions, constantly weary of facing life-and-death challenges.
“One of my Marines, a subordinate I looked up to, received a service dog and it made me think, if he can accept a vulnerability and realize he would benefit from additional support, why can’t I?” Heaton said.
In 2024, the Warriors Choice Foundation matched Heaton with his new service dog named Colt. The emotional connection between the Marine and his service dog was immediate. It seemed that Colt knew exactly what Heaton was feeling, and experiencing, at any given moment.
Today, Colt helps Heaton manage some of his vestibular (balance) issues as well as his hypervigilance. According to some Marines, having one of these service dogs is equivalent to an entire Marine Special Operations team at your back.
"It’s okay to admit you need help. The stigma around getting a service dog can be tough to overcome, but it’s about finding the right tool for the right job," Heaton explained. "The bond between you and your dog is unique, and it requires a level of accountability. You’ll have your good days and your bad, but the dog shows up every day, just like you need to."