David + Remi

David is a US Navy Veteran with extensive operational and leadership experience. He earned his M.B.A. in Supply Chain Management from California State University, San Marcos, building on a strong technical foundation with an A.S. in Welding & Drafting Technology from Palomar College, as well as A.A. degrees in Horticulture/Nursery Crop Production and Automotive Technology from MiraCosta College.

David served with distinction on multiple deployments, including the 2004 5th Fleet Indian Ocean Deployment, navigating strategic regions such as the Suez Canal, Persian Gulf, and Horn of Africa. In 2008, he deployed to Helmand Province, Afghanistan, serving on an embedded training team where he trained the Afghan National Army and was exposed to multiple troop engagements and IED ambushes during deployment. His dedication to teamwork and perseverance has carried into his civilian life, where he continues to seek purpose, connection, and stability. When he first applied to the program, David shared, “I am in search of my missing/future ‘Battle Buddy!’”, a reflection of his hope to once again have a trusted partner by his side.

That partner came in the form of Remi, his service dog in training, whom we adopted from Labs & More under the generous Red Star Sponsorship of Vulcan Materials Company. Remi is a sweet girl who loves being around people, and her calm, grounding nature makes her an excellent match for David’s steady personality. She settles easily in new environments and has been diligently training, so she already has a strong foundation of service dog skills under her belt.

Now the focus is on helping David catch up to everything Remi already knows so the two of them can work together with confidence and consistency. As their bond continues to grow, David and Remi are well on their way to becoming the kind of battle buddies he hoped to find.