Cole Lyle followed in his family’s footsteps and became a Marine after graduating from high school. He was soon deployed to Afghanistan where he served as a Heavy Ordnance Vehicle Technician for 6 years, maintaining USMC combat vehicles. But when he returned home from Afghanistan in 2014, Cole faced a new kind of battle— severe PTSD. In a Washington Post piece, he explained that (Coming home) really was just the lowest point in his life, and he was two pounds of trigger pull away from being one of the statistics — a veteran’s suicide statistic — if it had not been for another Marine that intervened.

Realizing that he couldn’t fight his PTSD battle on his own, he requested a service dog from the VA and after months of deliberation, the VA claimed that his injuries were not severe enough and denied his request. Cole then paid over $10K to secure his service dog, Kaya, the inspiration for the PAWs Act, who was a constant source of emotional support and truly became his best friend before passing away earlier this year.

Now serving as the Executive Director of Mission Roll Call, Cole is dedicated to advocating on Capitol Hill for veterans across this nation and ending veteran suicide through holistic care, community integration, and greater access to quality healthcare.

Mission Roll Call Website: Click Here

Interview Transcript: Click Here