With his beloved service dog Tuesday at his feet, Captain Luis Carlos Montalvan makes speaking to a full auditorium about his darkest memories look easy.

Montalvan, with Tuesday at his side, visited Anne Arundel Community College on Oct. 23 to speak about his book “Until Tuesday: A Wounded Warrior and the Golden Retriever Who Saved Him.” Montalvan and Tuesday are also public advocates for Americans with disabilities, service members, and veterans and their families. The speech was organized and sponsored by the Office of Student Engagement.

Although Montalvan was addressing a crowded auditorium, he seemed to be at ease. Whenever he appeared to blank on a word or seemed to get nervous, a sense of calm washed over Montalvan’s face as soon as he took a quick glance at Tuesday.

“He helps me every minute of every hour of every day,” said Montalvan of Tuesday. “He’s helping me right now.”

After serving in the United States military for 17 years, Montalvan departed with numerous awards for meritorious service and valor, including two Bronze Stars, the Purple Heart, the Army Commendation Medal for Valor, and the Combat Action Badge. However, when Montalvan returned from Iraq, he also returned with physical wounds, a traumatic brain injury, a spinal cord injury, and a severe case of post-traumatic stress disorder.

In high school, Montalvan was voted “Most Likely to Be in Camouflage in 20 Years.” He’s always been fascinated by and infatuated with the military; Montalvan loved the mission of the military, which is to protect and serve. However, he said that he needed to get out of the military in order to save himself.

“No one comes back the same,” said Montalvan. “I don’t care what statistics anyone says, no one comes back the same.”

There was a point when Montalvan wondered if he would ever recover from the trauma inflicted by his service in the military.

“Trauma is inevitable,” said Montalvan. “It’s the hardest thing to deal with, and no one escapes it. Trauma can take a wrecking ball to your ability to trust.”

Then he met Tuesday.

“When I felt I could no longer trust any human, I knew I could trust Tuesday,” said Montalvan.

Tuesday is Montalvan’s service dog. He’s 8 years old, and has been partnered with Montalvan for six years. He helps Montalvan with mobility, sensations of vertigo, and with his mental health as well.

“Tuesday helps mitigate symptoms of PTSD physically and psychologically,” said Montalvan. “Dogs help achieve balance. With ptsd, being tethered to the ground is entirely helpful. Tuesday is like a furry grounding rod to the present.”

Going from warrior to veteran, and from fully able-bodied to disabled, can be an incredible thing to reconcile. But with a combination of both physical and psychological therapy, and support from Tuesday, Montalvan says this is the happiest he’s ever been.

“People wonder, ‘What golden nugget could a therapist possibly tell me to make me feel better?’” Montalvan said. “But there is no golden nugget. The golden nugget is you. I can’t convey just how important it is to have the courage to get help.”

Montalvan concluded his remarks by taking questions from the audience and sharing a quote from philosopher Immanuel Kant.

“There are three rules for happiness: you need something to do, someone to love, and something to hope for,” Montalvan said with a grin, glancing down at Tuesday.