Kyle and K-9 Kilo

Hello! My name is Kyle Bode, and I am a Captain on the Saint Paul Fire Department and a retired Air Force MSgt. I enlisted for active duty during the spring of 2001 and departed for basic training Oct 2001. I deployed to Kuwait in Feb 2003 with the A-10s as a mechanic and quickly moved into Iraq in March 2003. I was a part of the first squadron that landed and flew missions out of Iraq. After my enlistment, I headed home to Minnesota and joined the Air Force Reserves, where I worked on C-130s. In 2005 I took the Saint Paul Fire test and started my academy training in Nov 2005. Soon after graduating from the fire academy, I switched jobs in the Air Force Reserves and joined the 934th Reserve Fire Department.

My last deployment in the Air Force was to Oman in 2012-2013. Not too long after getting home, I started having personal difficulties. These difficulties began a long up-and-down path to where I am today. I was diagnosed with depression in 2014 and have been on and off meds ever since. My problems continued to mount until March 2022, I checked into a treatment facility in Salt Lake City, Utah. While in Utah, I was diagnosed with PTSD and received some great help.

Several months after getting home from treatment, I moved into the position of Health and Wellness Coordinator in the fire department. Kilo has been in my family for five years, and she has been a great dog everyone enjoys being around. A friend introduced me to Soldier 6, and after talking to Ed and Dana, I thought Kilo would be perfect for the fire department to help lighten the load. I plan to bring her to the stations so she can help lift those who may be struggling or lighten the mood after tough calls.