Brian Jarrell

Text

Born in 1983, Brian Jarrell enlisted in the U.S. Marines in December 2001, right after he graduated from high school. Deployed to Haiti and then to Fallujah, Iraq, he served as an ambulance driver. During a second tour of duty in Iraq in 2006, he became a vehicle-recovery operator, and then he became a recruiter for the Marines, promoted to the rank of Sergeant.

Beginning in 2005, Jarrell began to suffer from symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) manifesting as severe depression. His symptoms worsened after his second tour of duty, and he eventually sought treatment. 

Military mental health professionals determined that Jarrell would be a good candidate for an experimental program in which prisoners in the Naval Consolidated Brig Charleston trained service dogs to work with wounded veterans. The program was sponsored by the nonprofit Carolina Canines for Veterans with a goal to help wounded soldiers regain their self-reliance after they've returned to civilian life. 

Sergeant Jarrell was matched with the first graduate of the program, a dog named Jada. He and Jada were given a week to get to know each other at the brig before being released to live together on their own.  Trained to perform more than 70 taks for wounded veterans, dogs like Jada are selected for intelligence and temperment from local shelters.

As of July 2010, the service dog program employed 10 prisoners to train eight dogs, providing over $400,000 worth of services to veterans. 

In an interview with Navy Personnel Command PUblic Affairs, Sergeant Jarrel said, ""If other veterans out there can learn from me, that PTSD is a very real issue, then perhaps they'll go get treatment for it," said Sergeant Jarrell. "I was lucky that I had a good friend in my chain of command that recognized I needed help and looked out for me. Now I'm looking forward to taking my dog home."