Jacksonville native and U.S. Navy logistics specialist, 3rd Class Caitlin Glick is participating in a special program while serving aboard the aircraft carrier U.S.S. George Washington in Newport News, Virginia.
Glick is aboard the Nimitz-class carrier that is undergoing refueling and complex overhaul at the Newport News shipyard. Refueling and Complex Overhaul known as RCOH is a multi-year project performed only once during a carrier’s 50-year service life that includes refueling the ship’s 2 nuclear reactors as well as making significant repairs, upgrades, modifications, and modernization.
While aboard, Glick has been gifted a service animal from the program Mutts With a Mission.
The 501(C)3 organization started in 2008 after founder Brooke Carson witnessed firsthand the positive impact dogs provide to troops returning from overseas deployments. The program now assists disabled veterans, first responders, law enforcement, and current service members all over the U.S. both out of and in the line of duty. In 2019, Mutts With a Mission received full accreditation with Assistance Dogs International.
The highly-trained dogs cost approximately $60,000 to train over a 2-year period. The dogs, however, come at no cost to the recipient other than the $50 one-time non-refundable application fee and then taking care of the dog thereafter.
Glick is a 2017 graduate of Triopia High School.