As Hurricane Florence hit the Carolina coast, a unique group of veterans, known as "Sheep Dogs," led by a Marine Corps veteran, was charging in that direction, ready to make a difference.
Above: Marine Corps veteran Michael Nimmo (far right) and another SDIA team member help get local residents to safety.
Founded by retired Marine Sergeant Major Lance Nutt, Sheep Dog Impact Assistance (SDIA), is a national non-profit organization that exists to engage, assist and empower veterans through service opportunities and outdoor adventures. Nutt described how after some dark, post-deployment days, he was inspired by a service trip where he assisted victims of Hurricane Katrina, "Helping others during their greatest time of need, helped me begin healing during my greatest time of need."
Above: SGT MAJ Lance Nutt, during one of several combat deployments.
So together with some fellow veterans, Sheep Dog Impact Assistance was founded in 2010 in Rogers, Arkansas. From the initial group, they have grown to include over 20 chapters and more than 5,000 supporters nationwide. "It's given our veterans continued service opportunities outside their tour of duty ... what does that mean? It puts purpose back in their life again," explained Marine Corps veteran Michael Nimmo, SDIA Team Leader. "And that purpose, the desire to help someone, is what makes our veterans and first responders society's protectors, the sheepdogs ."
Above: Members of SDIA's Initial Response team, arriving in North Carolina.
Check out the above gallery and see SDIA teams lending a hand in Wilmington, NC.
For more information on SDIA and to find a chapter near you, click here.
For more information on SDIA Outdoor Recreation Trips click here.
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