(WSVN) - As the USS Abraham Lincoln debarked into San Diego, California, a furry friend walked off among the soldiers.
Three-year-old chocolate Labrador, Captain Fathom, got a military reunion of his own as he greeted his brother, Captain Rudder of the USS Carl Vinson.
“It’s his first time on land in quite a while,” said an announcer at the deboarding.
For a record 265 days, Fathom served on the Lincoln without a port call as an expeditionary facility dog, provided free by Mutts With A Mission.
“Not every dog could do this job,” said Fathom’s primary holder, Lieutenant Charlene Wright.
The nonprofit trains service dogs for veterans and first responders.
Fathom’s training started when he was just 8-weeks-old, learning to navigate ladder well, smells and loud noises.
“Some dogs are meant to serve a group of people, and Fathom is one of those that needs a whole ship of sailors,” said Mutts With A Mission’s Tara Stover.
Fathom’s handler, Wright, was one of seven covering 12-hour shifts.
Upon completing the nearly year-long service on the Lincoln, Fathom is, understandably, a bit tired.
“His day is deck plating, we call it,” said Wright. “So he just peruses the ship, saying hi to sailors. Anyone is able to flag us down for him to be pet, for them to show him some love, take pictures, have a conversation.”
Fathom even had his own Personal Protective Equipment for helicopter visits, and an email for visit requests.
While he lives on the Lincoln, he serves the whole strike group that endured a historic deployment.
When sailors faced exhaustion and mental health struggles, Fathom became a vital resource.
“For them, it reminded them of home a lot, and being able to pet a dog when they were missing their animals, loved ones back home,” Wright said. “Helped cheer a lot of people up, especially when we were feeling that fatigue.”
Fathom’s own health was just as important.
He slept in Lieutenant Wright’s stateroom, and used a turf “porch potty” above the deck.
Mutts With A Mission says Fathom stayed healthy despite the extended deployment.
“Our expeditionary facility dogs deploy with an extensive medical kit, and all of them go through a lot of training with our staff, who is trained on first aid and CPR and all the things that they could need,” said Stover.
After a check-up and training refresher on the East Coast, Fathom will return to the Lincoln and be reunited with the sailors.
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