Veteran & First Responder Support

Ensuring the Naval Special Warfare community and its families have the support they need in times of achievement and adversity is of the utmost importance to the Foundation. Our warrior and family support programs include resiliency and morale-building events, pre- and post-deployment dinners and reintegration events, summer camps for children, command all-calls, graduations, family days, holiday celebrations and much more. The Foundation has also partnered with world-class academic institutes and other non-profits to assist NSW combat veterans and their families’ transition as they exit the military and begin a new chapter of their lives.

HOW BUILDING BATTLE BUDDIES HELPS

• Building Battle Buddies’ approach creates an opportunity to change two lives at once. A rescue dog receives a second chance, purpose, training, and a permanent partner, while a Veteran or First Responder gains a trusted service companion trained alongside them.

  The result is more than a trained service dog. It is a partnership built on trust, teamwork, companionship, and purpose—one Battle Buddy team at a time.

  Support Our Heroes and Their Battle Buddies

  The Amelia Island Charity Group proudly supports Building Battle Buddies and its mission to serve Veterans and First Responders through life-changing service-dog partnerships. Your support helps provide the resources, training, and opportunities necessary to bring these teams together.

  DONATE TODAY

Strength. Purpose. Companionship.

For many Veterans and First Responders, the challenges of service can continue long after the mission, deployment, or emergency has ended. Building Battle Buddies provides a unique path forward by bringing together qualified Veterans and First Responders with carefully selected rescue dogs and giving them the training, resources, and support needed to build a lasting service-dog partnership.

Through an immersive 21-day training program, participants work alongside experienced trainers to train their own service dogs. This hands-on approach is designed to build confidence, trust, independence, and an unbreakable bond between each participant and their Battle Buddy. Building Battle Buddies describes its mission as creating a path toward healing, resilience, mutual trust, companionship, and renewed purpose.

HOW BUILDING BATTLE BUDDIES HELPS

• Service Dog Training — Participants take an active role in training their own service dog, developing the skills needed to work together as a team.
• Rescue Dog Placement — Carefully selected shelter and rescue dogs are given a second chance and a new purpose as service companions.
• Veteran Support — Qualified Veterans are provided an opportunity to develop a service-dog partnership built around their individual needs.
• First Responder Support — The program also serves qualified Law Enforcement Officers, Firefighters, Paramedics, and other First Responders who have experienced trauma through their service.
• 21-Day Immersive Training — Participants train alongside their dogs through an intensive program designed to establish the foundation for a successful service-dog team.
• Fellowship & Camaraderie — Participants train alongside others who understand the unique challenges associated with military and first-responder service.
• Confidence & Independence — The service-dog partnership is intended to provide companionship, support, and greater confidence in everyday life.
• Continued Partnership — Graduation marks the beginning of a lasting relationship between each participant and their Battle Buddy.