Semper K9

November 22, 2022

Semper K9

Mission- Semper K9's mission is to enhance the quality of life for wounded members of the U.S. Armed Forces and their families by providing them custom-trained dogs. Using rescued and donated dogs, Semper K9 provides service dogs for psychiatric alert and mobility challenges free of charge to disabled veterans.

Semper K9 rescues dogs from shelters, trains them to become service dogs, pairs each dog with a veteran and trains the veteran to handle their dog. It costs around $20,000 and can take up to two years to custom train a service dog to meet specific veteran needs.

Additionally, Semper K9 provides support to train veteran-owned dogs to become service dogs along with ongoing maintenance training to ensure service dogs continue to meet their mission. We do this all at no cost to the veteran!

You can also get involved through some of their annual events. Including, the Upland Bird Hunt, Hero Hike, 9K for Semper K9, the Marine Corps Marathon, and Wreaths Across America.

To find out more about Semper K9 and keep up with other community events, check them out atsemperk9.org or their social media accounts@semperk9.

Also in Ascend Together Initiative

Respect Camp: Jon Turner
Respect Camp: Jon Turner

March 29, 2024

Growing older it was clear that being outside and engaged with military culture were two of the greatest influences in my life. My family would often let me wander the wooded area alone at age 6, exploring the environment from multiple lenses - one being that of wonder towards the diverse ecosystem while trying to understand how everything worked, and the other from this pseudo-tactical/ survival perspective, sneaking around and blending into the environment with the intent of becoming a commando, a survivalist, someone who could sustain themselves with what was provided. Fieldcraft has been a part of my life for the entirety of my existence.
Respect Camp: Luke Ebeling
Respect Camp: Luke Ebeling

February 28, 2024

In the vibrant landscape of Luke Ebeling's life, the rhythmic cadence of childhood adventures in Lakewood, CO, and the aspirational dream kindled by a neighbor's Ranger tales paint a vivid narrative. Luke's odyssey unfolds through the corridors of ROTC at Montana State, navigating later into the logistical landscapes of Ordinance—a unique military trajectory converging toward the esteemed 75th Ranger Regiment. At the zenith of his military saga stands the triumphant conquest over The Best Ranger Competition in 2023. Transitioning gracefully to the civilian realm, Luke's narrative finds roots for his next chapter of life at Google.
Respect Camp: Justin Kline
Respect Camp: Justin Kline

January 25, 2024

Self-Respect can hit in two different ways. One is through fitness. You have to take care of your body in order to thrive. If you just sit on the couch and eat potato chips then you will live a short unhappy life. Self-respect is treating your body like a temple and taking care of it to the best of your ability. The second way self-respect is important is mental health and asking for help. I’ve always played the game of admitting any of that is a weakness. After seeing so many of my peers find so much relief I finally found out how much seeking help and talking to people about it all can help. Without taking care of myself both physically and mentally there is no getting to the objective.