Army Veteran & Service Dog Travel Country To Help Other Vets Transition To Civilian Life

An Army veteran travels across the country with her service dog by her side to talk about the issues that student veterans are facing.

Jill Hinton Wolfe is now the director of Grand Valley State University’s Military and Veterans Resource Center. She served in the Army from 1995 to 1998 and then returned to school and graduated from GVSU, where she works now.

Wolfe says she learned a lot of things when she was in the Army but knows that not all of these things and rules apply to the civilian world.

Due to this, many veterans have a hard time transitioning back into civilian life after serving in the military, and Wolfe wants to help.

“I think vets always have a mission, whether it’s stated or not. And for me, it’s always been giving these incredible individuals the opportunity to continue to serve their country in new and different ways,” Wolfe told 13 on your side.

One of those individuals is Christian Lee, a student veteran and GVSU Veterans social media manager. He says no matter what situation a veteran finds themselves in, Wolfe either has the answer or knows someone who does.

In 2017, Wolfe was diagnosed with a rare disease called retinitis pigmentosa, and in March she was declared legally blind.

That’s when she applied for a service dog through Leader Dogs for the Blind, and was issued her German Shepherd, Hannah.

Hannah is always by Wolfe’s side and helps her get around so that she can continue to connect with the students.

Lee says Hannah provides a calming presence for the veteran students that Wolfe meets with and helps everyone feel more comfortable.

This leads to one of Wolfe’s main missions, which is to make these veterans feel supported as they transition to civilian life.

Wolfe and Hannah are now being honored by the National Veterans Foreign Wars Organization for its awareness campaign called “still serving.”

Hear more of Wolfe’s incredible story and the veterans she helps in the video below: