TOKA'S FRIENDS
Service dogs for military veterans
Jeremiah and Drew
In September of 2025, Drew and Jeremiah officially became a team. After serving over 26 years in the U.S.Army as a combat veteran, Jeremiah became medically retired in August of 2022. He served our nation all over the world including Iraq Afghanistan, South Korea, Germany and Africa.
A native of Longview, TX, Jeremiah is the son of Paul and Patricia Jones and the father of William Jones (married to Chandra Jones), who is currently serving in the army. He has been blessed with a granddaughter, Ember. Jeremiah loves his family and aspires to be his granddaughter’s #1 Grandfather.
Jeremiah received his Bachelor of Science from Grantham University in 2015. He maintains his FAA Parachute Rigger certification and holds nine NRA instructor certifications to assist other Veterans and community members with firearms safety. He is also a graduate of the SMGA Warrior Clinic.
Jeremiah is a member of the Salute to Military Golf Association (SMGA) and Fairways for Freedom to help Veterans heal through the game of golf. He enjoys volunteering for those programs to bring Veterans together. Jeremiah’s hobbies are peer support for other Veterans, golf, and playing poker or cribbage with Veterans at local organizations such as the VFW and American Legion.
After suffering with PTSD and TBIs for over 21 years, I met the Howd family who are an amazing family that all work to enable the work of Toka’s friends. I am eternally grateful and blessed to be so fortunate with Toka’s friends and this family. I always feel at home when I visit them. They all embody the true spirit of assisting Veteran’s who suffer from the invisible wounds we have. I cannot even contemplate written words on how special my placement with my teammate Drew is. My battle with PTSD and TBIs was once a losing one, and after years of work I got better. The problem was I was never going to be the 100% old self, and I relied on medication to feel normal. The place I was in only allowed me to be short sided in my thinking. With my teammate Drew, I was able to safely reduce and stop taking medications for PTSD. My treatments for TBI also came to a stop! I found a new and better me because of Drew.
Drew is a friend and a teammate that has always got me since the first day we met. To be honest, I didn’t think Drew cared for me at first interaction because of his chill demeanor, he literally ignored me. At the end of the first day of interacting with all of Toka’s friends, Drew walked between the back of my legs, sat, and just stared up at me. That moment in time will never be forgotten. I felt like all the stress I felt melted away. From that day forward, Drew has helped change my life. My nightmares and bad thoughts have been reduced to almost none. Drew has pulled me out of my shell. I rely on him and I accept and embrace the responsibility of caring for him. Nothing feels better than to see him so happy when he gets his zoomies, and to feel like I am safe to be me because of him. The trust I gained in Mike for coaching me through taking the first step in getting a service dog was monumental. Mike is like a brother to me and for that I am grateful for him and the entire Howd family. I have been able to share some of my most painful memories with the family, and that is a testament to their dedication to helping Veterans. I feel like I am a very lucky veteran to have the pleasure and honor to know this family and become a member of the Toka’s friend’s family. - Jeremiah
In Honor of Sgt. P. Andrew McKenna
Drew is named in honor of Sgt. P. Andrew McKenna of Bristol, RI who died while defending his base camp in Afghanistan. As First Sergeant for the Special Operations Joint Task Forces – Afghanistan, Sgt. McKenna's heroic actions ensured the safety of over 300 people, for which he was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart and the Silver Star.
