Later in the flight, the situation escalated. Calley was travelling with Sun, his service dog, who is trained to respond to Calley in moments of stress. During an period of turbulence, Sun put her front paws up on the empty seat next to Calley. A flight attendant came in from another cabin and began yelling at Calley about the dog’s conduct. Other passengers, including a fellow veteran, found the steward’s approach so rude and unwarranted that they began to speak up for Calley and Sun, pointing out that the dog was not bothering anyone. The Lansing State Journal reports that nearly a dozen passengers filed complaints about the steward’s conduct upon disembarking.

US Airways has since apologized, although the airline refuse to reveals what measures have been taken in response to the incident.  

Calley is determined to turn the incident into a platform for good. He told his story to reporter Louise Knott Ahern of the Lansing State Journal to raise awareness about the need for service animals for veterans with PTSD in Michigan.

Calley described to Ahern how the use of a service animal has helped him. The dog monitors his heart rate, breathing and tension levels, and she intervenes by providing calming contact when necessary. Calley says that the dog is able to pull him out of difficult moments, including flashbacks.

But he also says that in Michigan, veterans in need of service dogs must go through a waiting list that is two years long.

In order to combat this problem, Calley works with an organization called Liberty’s Legacy, which aims to make more service dogs available to Michigan veterans. In an addendum to her article, Ahern points out that the organization benefit from penny drives held at schools, and that any school can volunteer to hold a drive for Liberty’s Legacy.

Ahern encourages people interested in supporting Liberty’s Legacy to contact her through the Lansing State Journal, so that she may connect with Calley for further information.

Legal Help for Veterans, PLLC fights for veterans rights. We fight to make sure you get the benefits you deserve from the Department of Veterans Affairs. To learn more or contact a veterans lawyer, visit http://www.legalhelpforveterans.com/ or call 800.693.4800

Eric Calley, a Marine veteran who spent two tours in Iraq and now advocates for other returning veterans, was on a trip from Florida to Detroit when flight attendants began unnecessarily taking issue with his service dog during some turbulence. The conduct of the attendants sparked complaints from a fellow veteran on the flight, as well as others.

Calley – who is the brother of Michigan Lt. Governor Brian Calley – was sent an apology from US Airways because, “it appears our airport personnel didn’t handle the situation with the quality customer care we expect.”

Calley’s first service dog, sadly, passed away last year. His new service dog, Sun, was made possible by a fundraiser.

“She helps me just leave the house,” he said. “She helps me deal with people. Dogs are 10 times more intuitive than humans. They pick up things way more than we do. If you have a flashback, and say you’re dreaming you’re overseas and you wake up, you still think you’re over there for a while. She helps you get out of that. She brings you back to real time.”

Calley also wants people to know that there is a two-year waiting list for veterans who need service dogs, and the list is growing ever longer. But you can help.

Eric Calley works with a program called Liberty’s Legacy in honor of Calley’s first dog to provide more service dogs for Michigan veterans. Calley said his goal for 2015 is to bring “as many dogs as possible” to Michigan.

Liberty’s Legacy works with schools to set up penny drives to raise money for veterans who are waiting for dogs. Literally, Calley says, every penny counts.

If you’re interested in setting up a penny drive at your local school to sponsor a Michigan veteran, contact Lansing State Journal columnist Louise Knott Ahern, who wrote the story on Calley and his service dog, at lkahern@lsj.com. She will put you in touch with Eric Calley.

You can read the full article on the Detroit Free Press website, here:  http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2014/12/22/eric-calley-veteran-service-dog-sun-us-airways/20762173/

Legal Help for Veterans members Paul Bohn and Kristina Derro have been big supporters of service dogs for veterans.  Paul is on the board of Stiggy’s Dogs in Howell, Michigan.