Chad and Penny met while they were training for deployment to Iraq. Penny was the veterinarian for the k9 unit, and Chad was a bomb dog handler. Chad’s dog got pulled for medical discharge soon after arriving in Iraq, and he was assigned to help Penny in the hospital while awaiting his new dog. He begrudgingly did his duty. But soon Chad would accompany Penny to chow, to the gym, and stand guard outside her shower unit. They became friends and battle buddies while overseas. As one of a half dozen females on a base of over 2 thousand men, Penny was not allowed to go far without a male present, and Chad stepped up time and again to be there for her. They stayed in touch for years after they returned home. The nature of their line of work meant they both suffered from depression and PTSD, so they made sure to check in on each other, and their friends from the unit. After a while, Chad was looking for a new start, and Penny told him she was starting over in Ohio near her parents and offered him a spare room. Chad moved across the country to reunite with Penny and surprised her by asking her on a date and soon revealing he had been in love with her for years. They rented a small homestead and began to raise chickens, goats, and horses and tend a hearty garden. Chad became friends with some wonderful Amish men and Penny continued practicing veterinary medicine. 2 years later he took her on a trail ride in a snowstorm and hopped off his horse and got down on one knee. This couple has endured Iraq, sandstorms, floods, blizzards, tornados, a pandemic... and they know they can get through anything with God’s help and blessing. They are humbled and honored to have their loved ones celebrate their enduring friendship and wedding as they start a new life together, complete with a new name to commemorate this milestone in their lives.