Issue link: http://gijobsdigimag.epubxp.com/i/800169
20 G.I. JOBS | APRIL 2017 | GIJOBS.COM In 2013, a friend gave Thomp- son a black Lab puppy. Her dad, Mark Podbielski, a maintenance specialist at Watts Bar Nuclear Plant, suggested the name that stuck: "Abby Normal" from the "Whose Brain Did I Put In" scene in the Mel Brooks movie "Young Frankenstein." Not long after, Thompson heard about a service dog training program in Lawrenceburg, Tenn., called Working Dogs for Vets. As soon as Abby was old enough, the pair enrolled in the program. "Abby changed my life. She helps keep me calm. My husband says that I've done a complete 180 since I got her. She's given me back my confidence. I've even re-enrolled in college." FINDING HEALING IN HELPING OTHERS Thompson wants vets suffer- ing with PTSD – Post Traumatic Stress Disorder – to know what a difference service dogs can make in their lives. "I've joked about making Abby her own Facebook page so people can get a glimpse into the life of a service dog – and I just may do it," she joked. But she's serious about help- ing vets re-enter civilian life. She now serves on the board of Work- ing Dogs for Vets and is active in veterans associations at TVA and Chattanooga State Community College with the goal of helping vets connect with needed services and with each other. The chance to help others is also what motivates her at work, she said. "At TVA, I provide support for substation engineering projects, mostly related to commission- ing. There's a lot involved, from estimating the work hours to developing daily work schedules. My job ensures the area engi- neers stay on schedule. I also assist with the final closure of capital projects. This final closure helps ensure that all substation updates are reflected in project drawings. "The way I see it, though, it all boils down to one thing: support- ing the area engineers in the field. I do whatever I can to help them get the job done safely so they can go home to their families at the end of the day. I like knowing my work helps to provide reliable, affordable power to the people we serve, too. "That's what I love about my job – the fact that I help people." A DREAM THAT WON'T DIE Growing up, Thompson dreamed of being a horse trainer. She trained her two horses, Chester and Cheyenne, and did everything from barrel racing to show jump- ing. She also volunteered as a rid- ing instructor for the Highlands Riding Center (formerly Hixon Therapeutic Riding Program) and now serves on their board. "My dreams still involve horses," she said with a laugh. "I'd like to get certified in equine- assisted psychotherapy and bring equine therapy to veterans in the Chattanooga area." Service is important to Thompson. "I'm glad to have had the chance to serve my country," she said. "I understand the honor of military service now more than I did then. And I feel incredibly fortunate to be part of a com- pany that serves the people of the valley." But serving other veterans is her passion. "Given my own strug- gles, and the struggles I've seen other vets go through, I've got to do something. One estimate is that 22 veter- ans commit suicide every day. That's unacceptable to me. All it takes is one word, one friendship, to literally save someone's life."