"I spent nearly a decade of my life either as a wife of an active service member or as a wife of a Veteran. When I was just 21, I lived in Ft. Riley, Kansas, working in a veterinary clinic and assisting in rescue work for pets in the area. During that time, I came to know and truly care for many US Army soldiers.

That late summer of 2008, most troops on base were finally on the cusp of deployment to Iraq – in many cases, it was their first deployment. I watched the faces of young folks in their early twenties swiftly harden and settle into the new expression of determination and anticipation. Living in a military town, you see soldiers in uniform everywhere you go. But one thing about these uniforms also changed before deployment.

On the right shoulder of every soldier’s uniform is a patch of the American flag. Normally, this is an embroidered full-color patch, however, when heading overseas, this patch converts to an infrared patch, which looks more of a tannish grey and black. This new patch ensures that while fighting in a foreign land, lost and far from home, they could still find each other. This patch ensured that with night vision, the symbol of the American flag would shine through the darkness. This was the beacon of one’s comrades.

A few years later, I found myself in New Mexico, facing a new frontier after living as an active duty spouse and with a partner accepting the new label of disabled veteran. When the idea of Paws and Stripes first took life, it needed a name, and it needed a symbol. Immediately, the image of the many soldiers’ infrared flags on their uniforms came to mind, and that inspired the Paws and Stripes brand that you see today. This image is a symbol of safety, camaraderie, of refuge. It is the symbol of community. And I would like to think, of hope."