Stationed in Iraq,
Reggie, the
accompanying dog of
Airman Aaron Lee,
has received several
treats and
necessities thanks
to a local youth
group’s involvement
with Operation
Military Care K-9.
Woodbridge, Va.—With a
fox hound, coon hound and a
German short-haired pointer
in the house, you could say
Alex Hundley is an animal
lover.
Hundley also has military
roots, with his grandfather
retiring as a colonel from
the U.S. Marine Corps.
So when his mother told
him about Operation Military
Care K-9, which provides
both essential items and
toys for soldiers and their
canine partners, it seemed
like a good fit for the
17-year-old Fauquier County
resident and Liberty High
School student.
After his family adopted
dogs in Afghanistan and
Korea, Hundley brought the
idea up to his youth group
at Good Shepherd Lutheran
Church in Woodbridge.
They agreed and decided
to adopt Reggie, a German
shepherd accompanying Airman
Aaron Lee in Iraq. On
Friday, the youth group
hosted a lock-in at the
church where they baked dog
biscuits for Reggie.
The youth group has
already sent the Reggie a
box filled with dog
biscuits, tennis balls and
dog rope chew toys. Before
sending out a second box,
they will be purchasing more
expensive items such as
doggles (goggles for dogs)
and cooling packs, said
Hundley.
Hundley said if they do
not find any of the items in
a local store, they will
purchase them online.
Before he did his
research on the project,
Hundley believed that these
dogs would be well equipped
for their jobs, which often
times involves sniffing out
bombs or other explosive
devices.
"These dogs seem to be
second in line for receiving
the necessary tools to get
the job done—which is why
they need our help to get
these items to them,"
Hundley stated in an e-mail
this week.
The youth group will also
be asking for donations and
collecting items to fill a
box in the church entrance.
Items such as non-perishable
foods, toiletries, games and
books and dog supplies are
needed.
Good Shepherd is located
at 15695 Blackburn Road.
Staff writer Kipp Hanley
can be reached at
703-878-8062.
________________________________
Military working dogs; unsung heroes saving lives
since 1942
Tomorrow marks Veteran's day. A day we pause to
remember the fallen and thank those who offer the
ultimate sacrifice to protect our homes, families
and way of life. We say today what should be said
every day...thank you. "May you have warm words on a
cold evening, a full moon on a dark night, and the
road downhill all the way to your door." -an Irish
toast
World War I saw the formation of the Army K-9
Corp in 1942. Originally all breeds were accepted
but as time progressed, German Shepherds and
Labrador Retrievers became favored. Most references
refer to their usage as trench rat removers during
the great war of attrition.
World war II saw numbers of greater than 10,000
canine troops with approximately 436 being used as
scouts, the remainder as messengers and mine
detectors. Canine troops you may ask? That's right,
since its' formation every canine has been issued a
military service record.
The Korean war saw greater than 1500 canines used
primarily as guard patrol.
The real surge in canine use began with the
Vietnam war. Numbers vary between 3747 and 4900
canines used in service with only 204 canines
exiting the campaign. Those lucky few either
remained in the Pacific under South Vietnamese
control or returned to military service stateside.
Handler estimates reached 10,000 and canines served
with distinction in all branches (65% Army, 26% Air
Force, 7% Marine and 2% Navy-www.uswardogs.org). Two
hundred and eighty one are officially listed as
killed in action. Canines served as infantry scouts,
led combat tracker teams, performed sentry duty
(their motto-"detect, detain, destroy"-www.uswardogs,org),
and served as mine/booby/tunnel sweepers.
Today's military working dog serves a variety of
functions. Several hundred (the numbers increase
daily) serve patrol and detection (explosive and
drug). Estimates of nearly 2,000 canines serve
similar functions at military bases worldwide. The
Belgian Malinois is now breed exclusively through
the Department of Defense Military Working Dog
Program as the preferred breed by the 341st training
squadron at Lackland Air Force base in Texas. This
specialized squadron is responsible for all aspects
of military dog breeding, health care and training
of both canine and handler, including kennel-masters
and specialized team members. An approximately 13
million dollar veterinary facility provides daily
care as specialized staff in combination with foster
families, begin training up to 40 hours a week once
pups reach six months of age. The initial focus
being play drive then the addition of scent and
trained aggression skills. The entrance exam for
formal training comes at one year of age. The
squadron provides over 100 dogs a year for military
service (Department of Defense Military Working
Dog Program; North American Police Work Dog
Association, www.napwda.com).
And what of the injured soldier and their return
to civilian life? Dogs are waiting to provide
service and support. Canine provide guide, service,
combat stress relief and military therapy roles.
Vets Helping Heroes was created to match canines
with special needs soldiers and provides a service
dog for life for our veterans.
How can you help on veterans day? How can you
express your thanks? With a waiting list and a
greater than $50,000 investment over the lifetime of
a veteran (the average lifespan of most canines
being 7-10 years and replacements are free) the Vets
Helping Heroes organization (http://vetshelpingheroes.org)
could use some support.
Money tight for the upcoming holidays? Canines in
service in Iraq and Afghanistan could be helped with
a small donation of pet care products; visit
http://http://www.uswardogs.org/id40.html for a
list of needs. Help create a care package for
canines whose unfailing service returns safely to us
so many beloved military men and women. Provide an
example of the true spirit of Christmas, send care
packages in honor of family members, the military
or beloved pets, or consider providing for a
military canine as a family this season.
The canine soldier: if the borrowing of mottoes
is excused, always faithful, always vigilante,
always ready to serve, protect and defend their
fellow soldier.
Spread the word and help our troops, forward this
to dog lovers.
__________________________________________
CV Marine, K-9 Companion
Help Keep Troops Out of Harm’s Way
Cpl. Jon Stevens and Chyna share a
moment away from duty.
By : Jeff Torres :
1/30/07
For Jon Stevens, the phrase “man’s best
friend” takes on a whole new meaning.
Stevens, a 2002 graduate of Castro Valley High
School, serves with the 2nd Marine
Expeditionary Force K-9 Section in Iraq, where
he saw plenty of action during a seven-month
period last year.
With his dog, Chyna, Stevens helped save many
of the men in his battalion and uncovered an
enormous cache of weapons that undoubtedly
saved many more lives.
“We were a team,” Stevens said of Chyna, a
seven-year-old Belgian shepherd, one of the
dogs he handled.
Stevens has earned himself one of the most
dangerous jobs in Iraq. During his first tour
of duty, he learned that dog-handlers are
second only to officers and military radio
operators as key targets for snipers.
Stevens and his dogs had the difficult task of
finding improvised explosive devices—the
so-called IEDs—that have caused the death and
wounding of so many troops in Iraq.
When combat soldiers seek out insurgents they
often find themselves walking down streets and
going door-to-door to find the bad guys.
Often, traps are set to trigger explosive
devices while patrols are walking by.
“The idea is to have the dog discover an IED
before the infantry does,” said Stevens.
The dogs, in great demand,are trained to
detect 17 types of explosives and to attack
and bite to protect their handlers.
The military uses three types of dogs, but the
Belgian shepherd is considered the best breed
for use in the Iraqi climate.
The need is so great that the handlers and
their dogs are usually shipped out after only
six months of training and find themselves
deployed right after school.
Stevens and his dog Chyna were together for
nine months. They were attached to the 3rd
Battalion, 3rd Marines Kilo company out of
Hawaii and were stationed in Haditha, Iraq.
Together they detected five live
explosives—buried artillery rounds, mortars
and commercial explosives. They also uncovered
four weapons caches, one of them half the size
of a football field.
“The explosives and weapons had U.S., Yemen,
Chinese and Russian markings—anything they can
get their hands on,” said Stevens, who said he
felt rewarded anytime he found explosives or
ordnance.
He described times when he and a patrol would
be walking down the street and feel eyes on
them, waiting for them to come back.
“We knew something was up when we’d be walking
back to base and the people would clear the
streets,” said Stevens.
That’s when he and his dog would go to work.
The dog would be set loose to sniff out the
explosives. The bomb squad would then be
called in to diffuse the IED.
“Kids would watch and wait for the patrols to
return and blow up the IEDs,” said Stevens.
Sometimes insurgents would start a fire-fight
with the patrols as an ambush. Stevens tells
of his scariest moment last year was when he
was in Haditha and involved in a fire-fight
that lasted for more than 30 minutes. He was
pinned down and took fire from all sides and
had nowhere to go. “Luckily no-one was hurt,”
said Stevens.
Stevens got into the military after two years
of college. He originally wanted to be a
police officer and went into the military to
become an MP (military police officer). His
assignment to the K-9 program was unexpected.
“I kinda fell into it,” said Stevens. “It’s
not the job I want-ed but now I wouldn’t have
it any other way.” Stevens says his parent
were “a little freaked out” when he told them
he had gone into the K-9 program.
His family has been supportive and proud of
both his decisions and his service. He is also
grateful for their support.
“Thanks to my Mom, Dad and sister Cheryl,
Jeff, and Jenna Stevens for supporting me
through this last deployment and the next ones
to come,” said Stevens.
On Feb. 1, Stevens will be deployed overseas
once again. He will be assigned to an unnamed
country where he will stay for eight months
training dogs, then it will be back to Iraq.
After his active duty, he hopes to return to
Iraq as a civilian contractor doing the same
type of job. He says most of the people he met
in Iraq were friendly. He often lived and
fought with Iraqis who were assigned to his
base.
“The military is a good experience,” said
Stevens, who believes there couldn’t be a more
important job than handling a dog that can
save lives.
Some dog handlers have asked to be buried with their
four-legged partners -- who may outrank them -- if
they are killed together.
By Tina Susman
Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
February 25, 2008
Minari Village, Iraq
Staff Sgt. Iron quakes with fear at the sound of
explosions. He brawls with other soldiers. He whines
when he doesn't get his way and slows others down when
he stops to relieve himself during patrols through
hostile territory.
But nobody complains, because when it's time to enter
a building that might be rigged to explode, or cross a
pasture that could conceal a minefield, Iron is at the
front of the line, making sure it's safe for those who
follow.
If it's not, Iron will bear the brunt of the blast,
along with his best friend, Sgt. Joshua T. Rose, who
ranks one level below him. It's an honor Iron enjoys
for the dangerous job he does. It also ensures that
charges could be filed against Rose in the unlikely
event he ever mistreated Iron -- an 80-pound German
shepherd.
Rose and Iron are one of about 200 canine teams
deployed in Iraq, where the bond between soldiers and
their dogs is so deep that some handlers have asked to
be buried with their canine partners if they are
killed together.
On frigid winter nights in the Iraqi desert, Rose
shares his cot and sometimes his sleeping bag with
Iron to keep him warm. In the scorching summer heat,
he makes sure Iron has enough water before taking his
own share. If the heat is too much for Iron, who has a
thick coat of glossy black fur, Rose lets him rest, no
matter what the platoon leader might want.
Whenever he goes on a mission, Rose tucks a copy of an
ode to police and military dogs into his front pocket.
It reads in part: "Trust in me, my friend, for I am
your comrade. I will protect you with my last breath.
When all others have left you and the loneliness of
the night closes in, I will be at your side."
"These dogs are like our children. I'm closer to my
dog than I am to anyone other than my wife," said
Staff Sgt. Charles W. Graves, the kennel master at
Forward Operating Base Kalsu, about 20 miles southeast
of Baghdad.
Graves works with Udo, a yellow Labrador retriever who
holds the rank of sergeant 1st class, one higher than
Graves. He is the fifth dog Graves has been teamed
with.
Graves adopted his first dog after it retired from
active duty. The dog died at age 16, from a heart
attack while chasing a cat.
His fourth dog was aggressive and liked to bite,
nothing like Udo, who is a specialized search dog.
That means he isn't aggressive and can run off his
leash, wearing a vest that holds a radio through which
Graves issues commands.
"If something ever happened to him, I'd never work
canine again," Graves said as Udo did a practice run
across a field dotted with remnants of once-lethal
explosives and other weapons.
Handlers are expected to keep their dogs "on odor" by
putting them through such training every month, to
ensure they don't lose the ability to detect TNT, C4,
AK-47s, wires, metal and the other threats that
insurgents have planted across Iraq.
"If they took him out, I'd kinda wish they'd take me
out too," Graves, a former police officer from
Oroville, Calif., said as Udo loped nearby. With each
successful find, Udo was rewarded with a toss of his
favorite toy, a rubber cone.
"It's a helluva thing, owing your life to a dog,"
Graves said.
Before each deployment, troops are asked to update
their wills. Graves included a request to be buried
with Udo should they die together. It has happened
before. Last July, Cpl. Kory D. Wiens, 20, and his
Labrador retriever, Cooper, became the first
soldier-dog team killed since Vietnam. They were
buried side by side in Wiens' hometown of Dallas, Ore.
If you spend time with the soldier-dog teams, it
becomes clear that the key to being a successful
canine handler is to love dogs and to adapt to their
childlike needs.
"If you deal well with kids, you'll deal well with
dogs," said Rose, who has a husky and a dachshund back
home in Kansas. "You're working with about a
3-year-old mentality."
Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Blake T. Soller knows
that all too well. Last April, his 4-year-old dog,
Pluto, couldn't resist leaping over the side of a
cargo ship into New York Harbor, 60 feet below. Soller
jumped in after Pluto and stayed with the 87-pound
Belgian Malinois until a Navy boat picked them up.
Neither was injured.
The U.S. military has used dogs in combat zones since
World War II and deployed about 4,300 to Vietnam
between 1965 and 1973.
According to the military, 281 died in the line of
duty there, but hundreds more died after the war ended
and U.S. troops departed. Back then, there were no
provisions for military dogs to be adopted when their
careers were over. Most were euthanized or left behind
to uncertain fates.
That changed in 2000, with a law allowing retired
military dogs to be put up for adoption at the
Military Working Dog center at Lackland Air Force Base
in Texas. They range from small breeds such as beagles
to hulking hounds.
Since the start of the Iraq war, about 1,000 dogs have
passed through the combat zone, and three, including
Cooper, have been killed in action.
Handlers say dogs are crucial for sniffing out the
roadside bombs that are responsible for most soldier
casualties, and for smelling wires that indicate
booby-trapped buildings. They also search for drugs
and illegal weapons at border crossings and
checkpoints, chase down suspected insurgents and hunt
for human remains.
And for the first time, the military has sent dogs
into a war zone to serve as therapy for troops. Last
month, two black Labradors arrived in Iraq to work
with stressed-out soldiers.
A canine doesn't have to be a therapy dog to be
therapeutic, though.
On a chilly winter's day, as troops prepared for a
mission in southern Arab Jabour, southeast of Baghdad,
attention was focused on Pluto and Iron, not on the
dangers ahead. Rose scratched Iron's ears. Pluto stood
on his hind legs and leaned into Soller's chest, like
a dance partner. Other soldiers stood around in full
battle gear, talking about their own dogs back home.
Until several weeks ago, the region was in the hands
of Sunni Muslim extremists loyal to Al Qaeda in Iraq.
A U.S. bombing campaign drove many of them out, but
they left behind roads and buildings laden with
explosives, and orchards littered with buried ordnance
and weapons.
"I've had people say, 'It's a good thing you're in the
Navy, because that means you're not on the front
lines,' " said Soller as he and Pluto led the way down
an eerily quiet dirt road lined with houses tucked
back among high grass and fruit trees. "It doesn't get
any more front line than this. My job is to clear the
way so the rest of the guys can get there."
Soller, who used to train hunting dogs in Indiana, was
tapped to attend canine handling school as a reward
for exemplary service in the Navy. Rose, whose father
was a police canine handler back home in Virginia,
asked to attend the school after earning high marks
from a platoon sergeant.
The biggest mistake handlers make is being impatient,
Rose said as Iron veered to the side of the road and
lifted his leg. The rest of the patrol slowed to avoid
getting ahead of the canine team.
Visits to two homes, including a lavish villa
overlooking the reedy banks of the Tigris River,
showed how having dogs in the mix can alter an
otherwise tense situation.
A grinning adolescent boy used hand signals and broken
English to jokingly offer a trade: lean, amber-eyed
Pluto for one of his sheep, which stood in a silent,
fluffy flock staring at the dogs. In the garden, two
women presented the troops with pizza-sized slabs of
hot, freshly baked flatbread. Then the boy explained
through an interpreter that there were weapons stashed
in the wooded area across the road.
Soon, Rose and Iron and Soller and Pluto were pushing
through a dense thicket. Within minutes, Rose spotted
a subtle change in Iron's behavior as he nosed around
some palm fronds. The 7-year-old dog calmly sat down,
a sign he had found something. A metal detector and
shovel proved him right. A pipe bomb wrapped in a
green sack was buried in the dirt.
By the end of the mission, Iron had made a second
find.
After each discovery, Rose rewarded Iron with tosses
of a red rubber cone -- as with Udo, Iron's favorite
treat.
The dogs are bought from breeders in Europe and the
United States and then trained at the military's dog
school at Lackland Air Force Base.
Iron washed out of two training courses, and his
future in the military looked bleak until Rose met him
in December 2005.
Rose determined that the problem was not Iron's nose.
It was the fake rawhide bone being used as his reward.
It wasn't appetizing enough to make the dog work hard.
When Rose tried the rubber cone, Iron began picking up
scents.
Each dog is different. Pluto's favorite toy is
attached to a rope, because he likes playing tug of
war with Soller. The petty officer remembers one dog
who was satisfied only with a toy steak that squeaked
when bitten.
Should dogs be wounded or fall ill, they are given
immediate care. Handlers are trained to provide basic
treatment until the dog can be taken to a military
veterinarian.
When Iron broke a canine, a critical tooth for a dog
who sometimes must chase down suspects and hold them,
he was given a root canal to save the tooth the same
day.
Severe cases are flown to Germany. This happened with
Rose's last dog, Rex. In 2005, Rose and Rex were
providing security at the Baghdad trial of former
Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein. One day, Rex wouldn't
eat. Rose knew that when his 105-pound German shepherd
didn't eat, something was wrong.
He had him checked by a military veterinarian in
Baghdad. The diagnosis was cancer. Rex was dying. He
was flown to Germany and euthanized.
But Rex's memory lives on at Ft. Riley, Kan., home to
the Army's 1st Infantry Division and Rose's home base.
At the base, dogs have a place to play. It's called
Rex's Bark Park.
By Spc. Ryan Stroud
Man's Best Friend' saves lives in Diyala
By Spc. Ryan Stroud
Staff Sgt. Zeb Miller, 7th Security Forces, U.S. Air
Force, attached to 6-9 Armored Reconnaissance
Squadron, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry
Division, pets his military working dog, Nero. Nero
specializes in locating explosives and helping
Soldiers before they enter a building by "sniffing it
out" before the Soldiers breach the door on missions.
(U.S. Army photo by Spc. Ryan Stroud, 3rd Brigade
Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs)
A group of Soldiers need to clear a tall, dark
building, possibly housing terrorists in the city of
Muqdadiya, just north of Baqouba, Iraq. The Soldiers
have received reports of booby-traps in the area and
are unsure if the building itself is a trap. What are
they to do?
This is where the Soldier's four-legged friend, Nero,
comes in.
Nero is a military working dog serving with Staff Sgt.
Zeb Miller, his handler, at Forward Operating Base
Normandy, in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom 06-08.
Nero's job - search the building, its doorway and the
surrounding area, making sure no explosives are around
to harm the Soldiers trying to clear the building.
With Nero's efforts, and the efforts of many other
military working dogs serving in Iraq, Soldiers' lives
are being saved everyday.
"Our job out here in Iraq is mainly searching for
explosives," said Miller, a member of the 7th Security
Forces, U.S. Air Force, attached to 6-9 Armored
Reconnaissance Squadron, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st
Cavalry Division.
"Our job is to make a Soldier's job go faster,"
Miller, a native of Johnson City, Texas, said.
"A dog can search for explosives ten times faster than
we can because he can smell it," he said. "Plus, if
the dog smells the explosives, it could save a
Soldier's life."
Miller started working with Nero in March after he
volunteered to serve in Iraq. Once arriving, the two
became close, inseparable friends.
Staff Sgt. Zeb Miller, 7th Security Forces, U.S. Air
Force, attached to 6-9 Armored Reconnaissance
Squadron, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry
Division, pets his military working dog, Nero. Nero
specializes in locating explosives and helping
Soldiers before they enter a building by "sniffing it
out" before the Soldiers breach the door on missions.
(U.S. Army photo by Spc. Ryan Stroud, 3rd Brigade
Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs)
"I've had Nero since March when I volunteered to come
to Iraq," said Miller. "This was a nice change being
out here at FOB Normandy with the Army because the Air
Force is more force protection. Out here with the
Army, I get to go out on missions and take part in the
war."
But before the duo can take part in missions, Nero has
to exercise and train to stay on top of his game.
"On a normal day, we try to train the dogs to keep
them [prepared for missions]," Miller said. "I will
take explosives out and train the dog in searching and
finding. We also have a dog obstacle course that we
take the dogs out to keep them [healthy] and active.
"At night, I'll take Nero out and we'll walk around
fenced areas so he can sniff around; simple things to
keep the dogs ready," he continued.
These training techniques keep Nero fresh and ready to
go when he's need for a mission into the heart of
danger, something Miller and Nero are used too.
"Our big thing is palm grove searches and weapons
cache searches," Miller said. "That's really big for
us; those are the main things we look for on missions
- buried weapons.
"Nero will also search doorways and buildings before
Soldiers will breach it," Miller continued.
"[Insurgents] try to booby-trap doors and Nero can
search the door to find any explosives waiting."
Staff Sgt. Zeb Miller, 7th Security Forces, U.S. Air
Force, attached to 6-9 Armored Reconnaissance
Squadron, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry
Division, pets his military working dog, Nero. Nero
trains for missions by completing a dog obstacle
course and by training to find explosives. (U.S. Army
photo by Spc. Ryan Stroud, 3rd Brigade Combat Team,
1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs)
But Nero can also be used for other tasks to help out
the units in 6-9 ARS.
"Nero is also trained to find people," said Miller.
"One mission, we went searching for IEDs and also
searching through houses. Nero just took off running
behind one of the houses and into the palm groves.
"What we guess happened is he smelled someone who had
just left the house but [was gone]," Miller continued.
"We found fresh tracks in the ground, so someone might
have been there waiting until they heard Nero coming."
With Nero on a mission, Soldiers can trust him to
smell and sense things they couldn't imagine. Nero
becomes a living weapon, just like the Soldiers, ready
to quickly "get his prize."
"They say one dog is worth about ten Soldiers, not in
their capabilities, but in their senses," said Miller
about the importance of military digs during a
mission.
"These dogs, while searching for explosives and other
weapons, can turn a [several] hour job into one hour
worth of work," he said.
But what also makes Nero an interesting military dog,
is unlike some, Nero is extremely friendly, something
Miller is happy with.
"The first thing [trainers] tell you is this is not a
dog, it's a piece of equipment," Miller explained.
"But it comes down to each handler in how they treat
their dog.
"The way I see it, if I love the dog, he will love me;
and in return, he will work for me and possibly save
me when I need it," he said.
"You're not supposed to let others pet the dog either
because it's a bond challenger," continued Miller.
"But, I'd rather let the Soldiers pet and play with
him so they are comfortable around Nero when we go out
on missions.
"I also think this helps Nero in case something was to
happen to me out here; another Soldier could take him
and he would be okay without me around to guide him,"
he said.
But Miller has no worries at all about Nero. Miller
says Nero knows who his owner is and will listen when
called upon.
"I know Nero will listen to me even with others
around," said Miller. "Once you spend every day
together, he knows who I am; he will listen to me if I
tell him to do something."
Though Nero is a calm, mannered dog, Miller said he
has commands for Nero which will instantly switch Nero
from the polite dog he is into an attack-mode
destroyer.
"They're two words I could use to have him immediately
start barking at you and if you show any fear, you
would get bit," he said. "These dogs are amazing; they
are incredibly smart."
When the deployment is over and it's time to go home,
there is a chance Nero will have to retire, though
Nero himself will probably have a few years of service
left before it's his time. In these cases of
retirement, the hard-working military dogs will go
through a series of tests to make sure they are ready
for life outside the combat zone.
"The dogs have to go through a physiological
evaluation," said Miller. "They test the dog with
situations like neighbors fighting. They test the dog
to see what he will do and to make sure he will be
safe around others.
"It's hard to let go of your dogs," Miller somberly
explained. "The first dog is always the hardest. But
after the dog retires, there's a possibly that you can
keep your dog."
Until its Nero's time to retire, he will continue to
provide his services to those serving overseas with
him; saving lives on each mission he partakes in.
A group of Soldiers need to clear a tall, dark
building, possibly housing terrorists in the city of
Muqdadiya, just north of Baqouba, Iraq. The Soldiers
have received reports of booby-traps in the area and
are unsure if the building itself is a trap. What are
they to do?
This is where the Soldier's four-legged friend, Nero,
comes in.
Nero is a military working dog serving with Staff Sgt.
Zeb Miller, his handler, at Forward Operating Base
Normandy, in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom 06-08.
Nero's job - search the building, its doorway and the
surrounding area, making sure no explosives are around
to harm the Soldiers trying to clear the building.
With Nero's efforts, and the efforts of many other
military working dogs serving in Iraq, Soldiers' lives
are being saved everyday.
"Our job out here in Iraq is mainly searching for
explosives," said Miller, a member of the 7th Security
Forces, U.S. Air Force, attached to 6-9 Armored
Reconnaissance Squadron, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st
Cavalry Division.
"Our job is to make a Soldier's job go faster,"
Miller, a native of Johnson City, Texas, said.
"A dog can search for explosives ten times faster than
we can because he can smell it," he said. "Plus, if
the dog smells the explosives, it could save a
Soldier's life."
Miller started working with Nero in March after he
volunteered to serve in Iraq. Once arriving, the two
became close, inseparable friends.
Staff Sgt. Zeb Miller, 7th Security Forces, U.S. Air
Force, attached to 6-9 Armored Reconnaissance
Squadron, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry
Division, pets his military working dog, Nero. Nero
specializes in locating explosives and helping
Soldiers before they enter a building by "sniffing it
out" before the Soldiers breach the door on missions.
(U.S. Army photo by Spc. Ryan Stroud, 3rd Brigade
Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs)
"I've had Nero since March when I volunteered to come
to Iraq," said Miller. "This was a nice change being
out here at FOB Normandy with the Army because the Air
Force is more force protection. Out here with the
Army, I get to go out on missions and take part in the
war."
But before the duo can take part in missions, Nero has
to exercise and train to stay on top of his game.
"On a normal day, we try to train the dogs to keep
them [prepared for missions]," Miller said. "I will
take explosives out and train the dog in searching and
finding. We also have a dog obstacle course that we
take the dogs out to keep them [healthy] and active.
"At night, I'll take Nero out and we'll walk around
fenced areas so he can sniff around; simple things to
keep the dogs ready," he continued.
These training techniques keep Nero fresh and ready to
go when he's need for a mission into the heart of
danger, something Miller and Nero are used too.
"Our big thing is palm grove searches and weapons
cache searches," Miller said. "That's really big for
us; those are the main things we look for on missions
- buried weapons.
"Nero will also search doorways and buildings before
Soldiers will breach it," Miller continued.
"[Insurgents] try to booby-trap doors and Nero can
search the door to find any explosives waiting."
Staff Sgt. Zeb Miller, 7th Security Forces, U.S. Air
Force, attached to 6-9 Armored Reconnaissance
Squadron, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry
Division, pets his military working dog, Nero. Nero
trains for missions by completing a dog obstacle
course and by training to find explosives. (U.S. Army
photo by Spc. Ryan Stroud, 3rd Brigade Combat Team,
1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs)
But Nero can also be used for other tasks to help out
the units in 6-9 ARS.
"Nero is also trained to find people," said Miller.
"One mission, we went searching for IEDs and also
searching through houses. Nero just took off running
behind one of the houses and into the palm groves.
"What we guess happened is he smelled someone who had
just left the house but [was gone]," Miller continued.
"We found fresh tracks in the ground, so someone might
have been there waiting until they heard Nero coming."
With Nero on a mission, Soldiers can trust him to
smell and sense things they couldn't imagine. Nero
becomes a living weapon, just like the Soldiers, ready
to quickly "get his prize."
"They say one dog is worth about ten Soldiers, not in
their capabilities, but in their senses," said Miller
about the importance of military digs during a
mission.
"These dogs, while searching for explosives and other
weapons, can turn a [several] hour job into one hour
worth of work," he said.
But what also makes Nero an interesting military dog,
is unlike some, Nero is extremely friendly, something
Miller is happy with.
"The first thing [trainers] tell you is this is not a
dog, it's a piece of equipment," Miller explained.
"But it comes down to each handler in how they treat
their dog.
"The way I see it, if I love the dog, he will love me;
and in return, he will work for me and possibly save
me when I need it," he said.
"You're not supposed to let others pet the dog either
because it's a bond challenger," continued Miller.
"But, I'd rather let the Soldiers pet and play with
him so they are comfortable around Nero when we go out
on missions.
"I also think this helps Nero in case something was to
happen to me out here; another Soldier could take him
and he would be okay without me around to guide him,"
he said.
But Miller has no worries at all about Nero. Miller
says Nero knows who his owner is and will listen when
called upon.
"I know Nero will listen to me even with others
around," said Miller. "Once you spend every day
together, he knows who I am; he will listen to me if I
tell him to do something."
Though Nero is a calm, mannered dog, Miller said he
has commands for Nero which will instantly switch Nero
from the polite dog he is into an attack-mode
destroyer.
"They're two words I could use to have him immediately
start barking at you and if you show any fear, you
would get bit," he said. "These dogs are amazing; they
are incredibly smart."
When the deployment is over and it's time to go home,
there is a chance Nero will have to retire, though
Nero himself will probably have a few years of service
left before it's his time. In these cases of
retirement, the hard-working military dogs will go
through a series of tests to make sure they are ready
for life outside the combat zone.
"The dogs have to go through a physiological
evaluation," said Miller. "They test the dog with
situations like neighbors fighting. They test the dog
to see what he will do and to make sure he will be
safe around others.
"It's hard to let go of your dogs," Miller somberly
explained. "The first dog is always the hardest. But
after the dog retires, there's a possibly that you can
keep your dog."
Until its Nero's time to retire, he will continue to
provide his services to those serving overseas with
him; saving lives on each mission he partakes in.
by Holly Birchfield 78th Air Base Wing
Public Affairs
10/19/2007 - ROBINS
AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. -- When Staff Sgt. Marcus
Reaves, a military working dog handler in the 78th
Security Forces Squadron's Military Working Dog
Section here, deployed with his canine partner,
Arras, he never imagined he'd come home without
the dog.
Arras, a 5-year-old
Dutch Sheppard explosives detector and patrol dog
temporarily assigned to the 447th Expeditionary
SFS and Joint Operations, Sather Air Base, Iraq,
was killed Sept. 25 when he touched a location
that was electrified by power cables during a
search for weapons and explosives in a building.
A memorial service was
held in honor of Arras in the deployed location
Oct. 19, and officials at Robins AFB plan to host
a memorial service for Arras later this year.
Sergeant Reaves, who
had worked with Arras for six months out of 18
months the dog served with his unit, said the
fateful day started like most days, with a
fun-loving game of tug-of-war with his K-9
partner.
"Before I did anything
with him, I petted him on top of his head and
asked him if he was ready to go to work, and he
gave me this look like, 'Let's do it," Sergeant
Reaves said. "So, I sent him off to work and we
were going through clearing buildings. One
building we got to was fairly dark so I didn't
want to send him in to the point where I couldn't
see him."
As the military
working dog handler bent down to pick up his
flashlight, his faithful partner entered what
would be his last mission. Sergeant Reaves was
knocked unconscious by the explosion and thrown
nearly 30 feet from the site. But, his partner was
in a much worse condition.
"I didn't know what
was going on," Sergeant Reaves said. "When I came
to, as a handler, my first instinct was, 'Where's
my dog?" I looked all around. I knew the medics
were talking to me, but I was just like, 'I don't
care what y'all are talking about right now. I
just need to find my dog."
Arras died in the
explosion. Sergeant Reaves sustained minor
injuries and has since recovered.
When faced with the
realization that Arras was gone, Sergeant Reaves
said it was more than he could handle.
"It was like my world
had stopped then and there," he said.
Sergeant Reaves said
Arras was more than a means for finding danger. He
was a comfort in the midst of danger.
"The military likes to
consider these dogs (as) equipment, and we as
handlers try to stay in that mentality," he said.
"Yeah, they're equipment and anything could happen
at any time. But, when we deploy, those dogs stay
with us. We feed them, water them and bring them
out to play. When we don't have anyone to talk to,
the dog is always right there."
The feeling of loss
was also shared by many other 78th SFS members.
Staff Sgt. Edward Canell, the 78th SFS trainer who
trained with Arras, said losing Arras was like
losing a human member of the squadron.
"It's just like losing
an Airman for us," he said. "You've got to
remember, these dogs don't ask for anything in
return. Just a little bit of love and
companionship and they'll work for you. They never
ask you why or ask you questions. They're always
there for you. So, it was hard when we heard we
lost him."
Sergeant Canell said
Arras was a unique part of his military family.
"There's certain stuff
that we can't do physically, where a dog's nose
can smell something that we can't even come close
to," he said. "So, they're very valuable and there
are only a certain number of them. To lose one is
a really big loss for us."
Tech. Sgt. David
Barber, kennel master in the 78th SFS' Military
Working Dog Section, said Arras was just as much a
source of protection stateside as he was in the
deployed location.
From conducting bomb
sweeps at local schools and businesses to
supporting the president, vice president, and
former president Jimmy Carter, Arras left paw
prints on many areas, in the military and civilian
community alike, Sergeant Barber said.
Sergeant Canell said
he hopes others will see the importance of dogs
like Arras.
"I hope that when
people read this that they understand these aren't
just dogs or animals," he said. "They're members
of our military force. They go out and put their
lives on the line every day, not just in deployed
locations, but also stateside. Everyone that works
on base can have a safe feeling because these dogs
are at the gate utilizing their noses and sniffing
everything that comes through the gate like in a
deployed location."
Sergeant Reaves said
he'll always remember his four-legged partner as
courageous and dedicated.
"Arras was our best
dog," he said. "He loved his job. Whoever handled
that leash, he loved them. He loved to work and
when he was done, he wanted love for it. After he
was done working, he was one of those dogs that
would come back to you, lick you, wanted you to
pet him, and wouldn't leave you alone until you
did. I wake up in the morning and of course I
thank God for my still being around without being
seriously injured. But, he's always in my
thoughts."
Military
working dogs train with local
law enforcement
by
Amanda Creel
78th ABW/PA
1/5/2007 - ROBINS
AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. -- For many who visited
the Robins lemon lot Dec. 20, their curiosity was
aroused as members of both the 78th Security
Forces Squadron and the Warner Robins Police
Department joined forces to test the noses of
their K-9 officers.
The training on the resale lot consisted of hiding
different types of drugs such as marijuana,
cocaine and methamphetamines on the exteriors of
the vehicles and then allowing the dogs to take
turns attempting to sniff out the scent and locate
the narcotics.
The joint training exercise is a great way to see
the difference between training for K-9s in the
civilian and military sectors, said Tech. Sgt. D.J.
Ellison, kennel master for the 78th SFS.
"It is also a great way to develop a relationship
with the community," Sergeant Ellison said. "If
anything happens on base or is carried off base,
we have a relationship and someone there to back
you up."
Senior Airman Marcus Reaves, a handler with the
78th SFS and his K-9, Torca, were the first to try
out the training course. Torca would circle the
vehicles checking around the tires and underneath
the gas tank covers. Torca was able to locate all
four of the drugs hidden in the 10-car area,
including a cigarette case filled with heroine on
the windshield of a vehicle. As Torca located the
heroine, he was rewarded with a Kong ball, which
is a large plastic chew toy attached to a stick.
For the K-9s, the training may resemble a game,
but the skills are invaluable when the dogs are
called into action. Handlers from both law
enforcement agencies said having the chance to
train side-by-side with one another allows them
and the K-9s to be better prepared in the line of
duty.
"It can provide us with a wider array of
opportunities to train in an environment such as a
lot where we can limit access," said Wayne Fisher,
officer with the Warner Robins PD.
The base officers benefit from the ability to test
their narcotic dogs' noses against drugs actually
confiscated on the streets surrounding the base by
the Warner Robins PD. "We are using their stuff
today so our dogs can get accustomed to what comes
off the street," Sergeant Ellison said.
After spending their morning working on narcotic
detection, the handlers and the dogs switched
gears and spent their afternoon working at the
78th SFS Kennel, where the K-9s tested their
skills on the confidence course and practiced
their attack or bite skills.
"The confidence course builds the dogs ability to
jump over obstacles, such as jumping through
windows, and to be able to travel narrow
crossings," said Staff Sgt. Chris McCleskey,
handler with 78th SFS. "It helps them build
confidence so if they come across it, they'll be
ready."
The bite training teaches the dog to attack on
command. If their handler instructs them, they
will bite and hold a subject until called upon by
their handler to release the subject.
"If you don't fight them, they are just going to
hold you, but if you fight they are going to bite
harder and harder until you stop fighting,"
Sergeant McCleskey said.
The groups attempt to train together several times
each quarter to help broaden their dogs'
abilities. Some of the other training the law
enforcers partner on is working to identify
explosives or narcotics in warehouse settings and
other areas on base.
"Anywhere we can get into, we will do training in.
We want to use the places the dog will actually be
working in," Sergeant Ellison said.
The Warner Robins PD doesn't maintain explosives
for training their K-9s, but on base the K-9s are
able to interact with explosives while training
with their military peers, Mr. Fisher said.
He added their weapons dogs are used for crime
scene processing and their main objective is to be
able to locate items that would be found in crime
scenes, but having experience with explosives
helps them be prepared for other situations where
explosive detection might be necessary.
Another benefit for the off-base officers has been
learning some of the military scouting or tracking
techniques from Robins military working dogs and
their handlers.
"We have integrated a lot of the scouting
principles and other means of scent detection in
crime scene or contaminated areas," Mr. Fisher
said.
One of the benefits of the joint training effort
between the civilian and non-civilian forces is
they are exposed to new human scents when training
for scouting or tracking instead of only be
exposed to the same handlers they work with each
day.
"It gives greater diversity for the dogs and the
teams to work with," Mr. Fisher said.
Along with training with the Warner Robins PD, the
military working dog unit also trains with the
Gray Police Department, the Houston County Sheriff
Department and many other law enforcement agencies
throughout the year.
(U.S. Army photo by Spc. Ryan Stroud, 3rd Brigade
Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs)
A group of Soldiers need to clear a tall, dark
building, possibly housing terrorists in the city of
Muqdadiya, just north of Baqouba, Iraq. The Soldiers
have received reports of booby-traps in the area and
are unsure if the building itself is a trap. What are
they to do?
This is where the Soldier's four-legged friend,
Nero, comes in.
Nero is a military working dog serving with Staff
Sgt. Zeb Miller, his handler, at Forward Operating
Base Normandy, in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom
06-08. Nero's job - search the building, its doorway
and the surrounding area, making sure no explosives
are around to harm the Soldiers trying to clear the
building.
With Nero's efforts, and the efforts of many other
military working dogs serving in Iraq, Soldiers' lives
are being saved everyday.
"Our job out here in Iraq is mainly searching for
explosives," said Miller, a member of the 7th Security
Forces, U.S. Air Force, attached to 6-9 Armored
Reconnaissance Squadron, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st
Cavalry Division.
"Our job is to make a Soldier's job go faster,"
Miller, a native of Johnson City, Texas, said.
"A dog can search for explosives ten times faster
than we can because he can smell it," he said. "Plus,
if the dog smells the explosives, it could save a
Soldier's life."
Miller started working with Nero in March after he
volunteered to serve in Iraq. Once arriving, the two
became close, inseparable friends.
"I've had Nero since March when I volunteered to
come to Iraq," said Miller. "This was a nice change
being out here at FOB Normandy with the Army because
the Air Force is more force protection. Out here with
the Army, I get to go out on missions and take part in
the war."
But before the duo can take part in missions, Nero
has to exercise and train to stay on top of his game.
"On a normal day, we try to train the dogs to keep
them [prepared for missions]," Miller said. "I will
take explosives out and train the dog in searching and
finding. We also have a dog obstacle course that we
take the dogs out to keep them [healthy] and active.
"At night, I'll take Nero out and we'll walk around
fenced areas so he can sniff around; simple things to
keep the dogs ready," he continued.
These training techniques keep Nero fresh and ready
to go when he's need for a mission into the heart of
danger, something Miller and Nero are used too.
"Our big thing is palm grove searches and weapons
cache searches," Miller said. "That's really big for
us; those are the main things we look for on missions
- buried weapons.
"Nero will also search doorways and buildings
before Soldiers will breach it," Miller continued.
"[Insurgents] try to booby-trap doors and Nero can
search the door to find any explosives waiting."
But Nero can also be used for other tasks to help
out the units in 6-9 ARS.
"Nero is also trained to find people," said Miller.
"One mission, we went searching for IEDs and also
searching through houses. Nero just took off running
behind one of the houses and into the palm groves.
"What we guess happened is he smelled someone who
had just left the house but [was gone]," Miller
continued. "We found fresh tracks in the ground, so
someone might have been there waiting until they heard
Nero coming."
With Nero on a mission, Soldiers can trust him to
smell and sense things they couldn't imagine. Nero
becomes a living weapon, just like the Soldiers, ready
to quickly "get his prize."
"They say one dog is worth about ten Soldiers, not
in their capabilities, but in their senses," said
Miller about the importance of military digs during a
mission.
"These dogs, while searching for explosives and
other weapons, can turn a [several] hour job into one
hour worth of work," he said.
But what also makes Nero an interesting military
dog, is unlike some, Nero is extremely friendly,
something Miller is happy with.
"The first thing [trainers] tell you is this is not
a dog, it's a piece of equipment," Miller explained.
"But it comes down to each handler in how they treat
their dog.
"The way I see it, if I love the dog, he will love
me; and in return, he will work for me and possibly
save me when I need it," he said.
"You're not supposed to let others pet the dog
either because it's a bond challenger," continued
Miller. "But, I'd rather let the Soldiers pet and play
with him so they are comfortable around Nero when we
go out on missions.
"I also think this helps Nero in case something was
to happen to me out here; another Soldier could take
him and he would be okay without me around to guide
him," he said.
But Miller has no worries at all about Nero. Miller
says Nero knows who his owner is and will listen when
called upon.
"I know Nero will listen to me even with others
around," said Miller. "Once you spend every day
together, he knows who I am; he will listen to me if I
tell him to do something."
Though Nero is a calm, mannered dog, Miller said he
has commands for Nero which will instantly switch Nero
from the polite dog he is into an attack-mode
destroyer.
"They're two words I could use to have him
immediately start barking at you and if you show any
fear, you would get bit," he said. "These dogs are
amazing; they are incredibly smart."
When the deployment is over and it's time to go
home, there is a chance Nero will have to retire,
though Nero himself will probably have a few years of
service left before it's his time. In these cases of
retirement, the hard-working military dogs will go
through a series of tests to make sure they are ready
for life outside the combat zone.
"The dogs have to go through a physiological
evaluation," said Miller. "They test the dog with
situations like neighbors fighting. They test the dog
to see what he will do and to make sure he will be
safe around others.
"It's hard to let go of your dogs," Miller somberly
explained. "The first dog is always the hardest. But
after the dog retires, there's a possibly that you can
keep your dog."
Until its Nero's time to retire, he will continue
to provide his services to those serving overseas with
him; saving lives on each mission he partakes in.
In Iraq & Elsewhere,
Bomb-Sniffing Dogs Soldier On
Trained to Sniff Out Roadside Bombs, Canines Are Often
Soldiers' Best Friend
By Jeff Donn
Associated Press Sunday,
August 12, 2007; Page D02
SAN ANTONIO -- When he
came to, the Marine's arm hung lamely. It was broken
by ball bearings hurled so hard from a suicide bomb
that they embedded themselves in his gun as well as
his body. Yet Brendan Poelaert's thoughts quickly
turned to his patrol dog.
The powerful Belgian
Malinois named Flapoor had served him as partner and
protector for the past four months in
Iraq. Now the dog staggered a few steps along the
Ramadi street, then stared blankly. Blood poured
from his chest.
"I didn't care about my
injuries, my arm," his handler says. "I'm telling the
medic, 'I got to get my dog to the vet!' "
About 2,000 of these
working dogs confront danger alongside U.S. soldiers,
largely in the
Middle East. Able to detect scents up to a third
of a mile away, many sniff for explosives in Iraq.
Their numbers have been growing about 20 percent a
year since the terrorist attacks of 2001, says Air
Force Capt. Jeffrey McKamey, who helps run the
program.
In doing their jobs,
dozens of these dogs have also become war wounded --
scorched by the desert, slashed by broken glass, hit
by stray bullets, pounded by roadside bombs.
Their services are so
valued that wounded dogs are treated much like wounded
troops. "They are cared for as well as any soldier,"
says Senior Airman Ronald A. Harden, a dog handler in
Iraq.
Their first aid comes out
of doggy field kits bearing everything from medicine
to syringes. Some are evacuated to military veterinary
centers hundreds of miles away, or even to
Germany or the United States for rehabilitation.
Many recover and return to duty.
On the day of the Ramadi
blast in January 2006, Poelaert, trained in veterinary
first aid, began care as soon as he and Flapoor were
loaded into an SUV. He pressed his finger to the dog's
chest to slow the bleeding. .
When they reached the
base camp, a medic with veterinary training took over,
starting Flapoor on an IV. Poelaert departed
reluctantly for his own surgery.
Flapoor would eventually
go to
Baghdad, where he received additional treatment
for his punctured lung and stomach wounds. He would
later rejoin his handler and fly in a cargo plane to
the United States for physical rehab.
Healing under the
California sun at
Camp Pendleton, Flapoor is pretty much back to
normal: fast, friendly, eager to please. But some
things have changed. "He's really jumpy around loud
noises now," Poelaert says.
Dogs take their basic
training at
Lackland Air Force Base in
San Antonio, where they learn to tolerate the
crack of gunfire and sputter of helicopters. They are
trained to sniff for explosives on command, freezing
and staring at suspicious objects.
Merely baring their
teeth, they can intimidate a crowd. Commanded to
strike, they can flatten a big man with one leap,
flying like a 50-pound sandbag tossed from a truck.
Smart and strong Malinois
and German shepherds predominate, but other breeds are
trained, too. Even small dogs are occasionally taught
to detect explosives in submarines and other close
quarters.
In Iraq, the demand for
explosives-hunting dogs has increased. The dogs lead
patrols with their handlers in tow, sniffing bags and
other objects along the way.
The bombs have bulked up
in past months, putting dogs and handlers at increased
risk. To protect handlers, some dogs are trained to
wear backpacks with radios and respond to remote voice
commands.
"As much as I love these
dogs, their job is to take a bullet for me," says
trainer Sgt. Douglas Timberlake.
The military estimates
spending six months and $25,000 to buy, feed, train
and care for the average dog. The dogs are tended by
440 Army veterinarians worldwide. They have two
physical exams each year. They get blood tests, X-rays
and electrocardiograms.
When dogs break teeth,
military veterinarians sometimes do root canals. "Here
we treat them, because that's part of that dog's
equipment: to use his teeth," says Lorraine Linn, a
dog surgeon at Lackland.
Dogs have been weapons of
war since ancient times. Thousands were enlisted by
the United States in World Wars I and II and in
Vietnam. Dogs cannot be awarded medals under
military protocol, but commanders sometimes honor them
unofficially.
Care for wounded military
dogs was limited in earlier wars, and the end of a
dog's working days usually meant the end of its life.
But that, too, is changing.
Since 2000, a law allows
many dogs to be adopted by police departments, former
handlers and others if the dogs' temperaments are
suitable.
Tech. Sgt. Jamie Dana's
German shepherd Rex was plenty friendly, but also
young and healthy. The military didn't want to let him
go.
Rex ended up on an Iraqi
roadway when a bomb blew the door off the
Humvee he was riding in with Dana in June 2005.
His injuries were minor, but Dana nearly died with
collapsed lungs, a fractured spine and brain trauma.
When Rex visited her a
couple of weeks later at the hospital, she whistled
for him and he jumped on her bed. Dana's days as a
soldier were over, but she missed her pal.
Friends and family
petitioned Congress, and a law was finally signed to
allow still-able dogs to be adopted in certain cases.
Now Rex lives on a farm in Smethport, Pa., with Dana,
who believes the dog wasn't really meant for a
soldier's life.
"He loves everybody," she
says. "He sleeps beside my bed."
Other dogs in the war
zone aren't so lucky. Though no careful count is kept,
Army veterinarian Lt. Col. Michael Lagutchik, who
supervises care at Lackland, believes about 10 dogs
have been killed in Iraq and
Afghanistan. Injuries are common among the dogs.
They are cut or scraped, often on their paws. They are
bitten by spiders or stung by scorpions. Their eyes
and ears are irritated by blowing sand.
The most common injury is
overheating in the desert sun, and it can sometimes
spur a dangerous stomach condition called bloat.
Handler Jason Cannon, now
a
Tennessee state patrolman, knew something was
wrong when his dog started to act skittish while
searching people crossing into Iraq from
Syria. He and his dog were flown back to the base,
where a veterinarian suspected dehydration and
prescribed two weeks of rest for the dog. "We went out
and played ball, pretty much hung out," Cannon says.
"Mainly, we didn't do any work at all. 'Vacation' is a
good word for it."
Less often, dogs on a
mission get shot or bombed. Lackland trainer Trapanger
Stephens, who served in Iraq, remembers seeing a
veterinarian treat a gunshot-wounded dog with a
breathing tube right in the field. The veterinarian
did surgery then and there.
Cpl. Megan Leavey and her
dog ended up back at Camp Pendleton, Calif., when a
homemade bomb exploded in Ramadi. She suffered a
concussion, and the dog injured one shoulder. The dog
underwent a regimen familiar to athletes: icing,
heating, stretching and motion exercises.
Dogs may wear bulletproof
vests or booties to cushion their paws. They sometimes
wear dog goggles -- called "doggles" -- to keep out
sand.
Regardless of the
dangers, the dogs are fearless. For them, checking a
road for bombs means a fun walk, their handlers say.
"They like what they do," says Poelaert, who has
returned to
Exeter,
N.H.
These days, he's trying
to move beyond memories of the Ramadi explosion, which
killed dozens of people, including his best friend,
fellow handler Adam Cann.
One image still inspires
him, though: the sight of Cann's wounded dog stretched
over his body, as if to protect him.
Marine Corps News
Devil Dogs take a bite out of Anbar
insurgency
May 11, 2007; Submitted
on: 05/11/2007 01:18:26 AM ; Story ID#:
200751111826
By
Cpl. Zachary Dyer,
2nd Marine Aircraft
Wing (FWD)
Lance Cpl. Melissa Losacker, a military
working dog handler, and her canine
partner, Karo, search recently vacated
cans aboard Al Asad, April 23. The
service members and their dogs at the Al
Asad Military Working Dog kennel assist
in making sure no drugs or explosives
are brought onto the base.
Cpl. Tara Parrish, a military working
dog handler, motivates her dog, Paco,
during aggression training outside the
Al Asad MWD kennel, April 23.
Paco, a military working dog, attacks
the bite sleeve on the arm of Lance Cpl.
Kyle Smith, a MWD handler, during
aggression training outside the Al Asad
MWD kennel. The training helps teach
dogs to respond to verbal commands from
their handler.
Karo, a military working dog, looks out
the window of a vehicle while waiting to
begin a search on the Al Asad flight
line, April 23. The handlers and canines
of the MWD section search incoming
baggage to ensure that dangerous
materials are not brought onto the base.
Lance Cpl. Melissa Losacker, a military
working dog handler, and her four-legged
co-worker, Karo, search incoming baggage
on the Al Asad flight line, April 23.
Lance Cpl. Jose Sierrarivera, a military
working dog handler, and his MWD, Gris,
search through recently vacated cans
aboard Al Asad, April 23. The handlers
and their dogs routinely search areas of
the base to make sure no narcotics or
explosives are brought on base.
Lance Cpl. Kyle Smith, a military
working dog handler, guides his MWD,
Zzane, through the obstacle course
outside the Al Asad MWD kennel, April
23.
AL ASAD, Iraq (May 11,
2007) -- In the states, McGruff the
crime dog is responsible for taking a bite
out of crime. In the Al Anbar Province, more
specifically Al Asad, it is the four-legged
Marines at the Military Working Dog Kennel
taking a bite out of insurgency.
The dogs and their handlers make sure that
the service members aboard Al Asad and those
they accompany outside the wire, are kept
safe from improvised explosive devices and
other dangers.
The military working dogs and their handlers
at Al Asad and the rest of Multi-National
Forces-West fall under Task Force Military
Police, controlled by 1st Battalion, 12th
Marine Regiment. Through TFMP, the handlers
and their canine partners support all the
units in Al Anbar Province, helping with
everything from foot patrols to Entry
Control Point searches.
“The (Explosive Ordnance Disposal team) from
this base works with us, and we work hand in
hand with them,” said Cpl. Tara Parrish, a
military working dog handler from MCAS
Miramar. “But the important part is getting
the dogs out there with the different
battalions and the platoons that are
marching out and actually searching and
doing foot patrols, that way we can protect
them.”
The number of dogs and handlers at the
kennel changes from week to week because Al
Asad is the starting point for handlers and
their dogs before moving to different areas
of operation, according to Navy Petty
Officer 1st Class Jennifer Trambulo, the Al
Asad kennel master.
“This is the hub for all the handlers,” said
Trambulo. “We all have to start from Al Asad
to do the in-country briefs and (the
battlesight zero) range. Plus, the
veterinarian is here.”
After checking in at Al Asad, the handlers
and their dogs will move to other bases and
outposts throughout MNF-W to be closer to
the units they will support.
The Marines at the Al Asad kennel come from
different bases throughout the Marine Corps,
from Marine Corps Air Station Miramar,
Calif., on the West Coast to Marine Corps
Base Camp Lejeune, N.C., on the East Coast.
The handlers and their canine counterparts
have an important mission to accomplish,
both on and off base, according to Parrish,
who works with an MWD named Paco.
“We go with Special Forces, we go with
Recon, we go with whatever group needs us,”
said Parrish, a Columbus, Wis., native. “We
search all the vehicles coming into the
ECP’s. We’ll go to the flight line and
search baggage coming in, to make sure
there’s no explosives or narcotics coming
onto the base.”
The units that handlers and their dogs
attach to often welcome them with open arms,
because the Marines know that having a dog
with them increases their chances of finding
weapons caches or capturing insurgents,
according to Cpl. James Riepe, a handler
from Camp Lejeune who works with MWD Caro.
“When you’re out on a long mission, when you
have a dog, it helps the Marines,” said
Riepe, a Sussex County, N.J., native.
Riepe said the Marines get excited when dogs
are attached to their units. They know they
have a chance to see a dog in action.
The relationship between the dog and their
handler is critical to the mission. The
Marines must stay alert. A handler that is
not paying attention can miss the signals
that his dog is sending, according to Lance
Cpl. Matthew Blackburn, a handler from
Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, S.C, who
works with MWD Bancuk.
“It can be a challenge at times,” said
Blackburn, a Wadsworth, Ohio, native. “You
don’t know what’s going to happen. We make
it sound like its fun and its easy, and that
all we do is cache sweeps. But you’re really
out there looking for an explosive that can
kill four people in a Humvee, and you’re on
foot with a dog. You have to be on your
toes, you can’t get complacent as a dog
handler. If you do, you’ll overlook your
dog’s change and what your dog’s trying to
tell you.”
The tight relationship between handlers and
their dogs means the Marines have to stay
upbeat and excited when they are on a
mission. Handlers control the drive of their
dog. If they get tired or start to slack
off, their dog will sense it and do the same
thing. The emotions of the handler travel
down the leash to the dog, according to
Blackburn.
Despite the stressful situations they
sometimes encounter, the handlers are having
a good time on their deployment. They all
agree that they have the best job in the
Marine Corps.
“Just imagine, part of my job is to play
with my dog anytime I want to,” said
Trambulo. “How cool is that?”
Being deployed to Iraq provides the Marines
with a rare opportunity. Handlers, who are
with their dogs 24 hours a day, seven days a
week, build a relationship with their MWD
that is rare back in the states. While
deployed, handlers have complete control
over their dogs, whereas in the states,
responsibility for the dogs is shared by all
the Marines in the kennel.
“That rapport, and that bond, is really
strong with you and the dog,” said Parrish.
“It’s a really good way, since your with
them so much, to get a new understanding of
how they (the dogs) work. A new
understanding of what they do when they find
odors, or what they do when they are
sniffing other stuff.
“It’s really hard to give them back when you
have to,” added Parrish. “They’re always
with you, and they’re always loyal to you.”
Army News Service | Spc. Amanda Morrissey | June 04,
2007
SHUKRAN,
Iraq - For nearly every cordon and search operation
in Iraq, a special two-Soldier team provides an extra
sense to the efforts to find anti-Iraqi forces and
hidden weapons.
One of those teams at Forward Operating Base Q-West is
Staff Sgt. Chuck Shuck and his dog, Sgt. 1st Class
Gabe, both with 178th Military Police Detachment,
720th Military Police Battalion, 89th Military Police
Brigade.
"The dog has a nose like no human has, that's just a
given," Staff Sgt. Shuck said. "A dog is able to smell
stuff that humans can't smell because they can pick up
on residue and stuff like that. Even if Soldiers miss
something, 95 percent of the time the dog is going to
pick up on it."
In the eight and a half months Staff Sgt. Shuck and
Gabe have been in Iraq, they have worked primarily
with Soldiers in the 82nd Field Artillery Regiment's
Battery A, 5th Battalion. They have conducted
approximately 140 searches both on and off the base,
and have been on more than 90 combat missions off the
FOB. To date, one of their biggest finds was 36 122 mm
rounds last October.
Gabe and Staff Sgt. Shuck have also seen their fair
share of action in theater.
"Last month, we were on a raid with Alpha Battery, 5th
Bn, 82th FA, and a guy started shooting through the
door. Gabe and I were right there in the thick of
things with them, and it was pretty amazing," Staff
Sgt. Shuck said. "Gabe actually got put in for a
Combat Action Badge."
Such skills take a lot of training - for both the dog
and his handler. They go through a five-month training
course at Lackland Air Force Base, where dogs receive
obedience and detection training. Soldiers learn how
to work with the dogs and how to care for the health
of their canine partners. At the end of the course,
the dog and the handler certify as a team and graduate
together.
"These dogs are trained to clear open areas,
buildings, routes and vehicles, and they're able to
work off leash," Staff Sgt. Shuck said. "We also train
with the dogs in school to react to gunfire, so that
pretty much doesn't faze them."
Gabe is unique because he is a specialized search dog,
meaning he will respond to the commands of his handler
without the guidance of a leash. He is one of
approximately 300 dogs with such training in all
branches of the military.
Graduation from the schoolhouse doesn't mark the end
of training for these teams. Each month, they conduct
16 hours of mandatory detection training to keep the
dogs proficient in their skills, as well as daily
exercises, said Staff Sgt. Shuck.
However, Gabe is more than just an extra-sensitive
nose to the Soldiers he works with.
"I can see from working with the units here just
having the presence of the dog there is a morale
booster for Soldiers," Staff Sgt. Shuck said. "Gabe is
like the mascot of the battalion, and everybody knows
him."
Gabe is also a morale booster for his partner. While
in Iraq, Staff Sgt. Shuck and Gabe are roommates and
constant companions, going almost everywhere together.
"The dogs really do become you're best friend, your
partner," Staff Sgt. Shuck said. "Gabe is loyal, and
he's trustworthy. You always have a companion in the
dog. If I'm having a bad day, he turns it into a good
day. Nothing beats having a dog as a partner."
(Spc. Amanda Morrissey writes for the 5th Mobile
Public Affairs Detachment.)
by 1st Lt.
Martha Petersante-Gioia
66th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
3/22/2007 - Hanscom AFB -- Editor's
Note: This is the second article in a
series highlighting Hanscom women and
their accomplishments during National
Women's History Month.
The U.S. military has utilized the
various skills of working dogs since
World War II and throughout the years
Airman, Sailor, Soldier and Marine K-9
handlers have found solace in knowing
their work protects fellow
servicemembers.
For one Hanscom staff sergeant this
reality has come true as she joined the
ranks of the military working dog
community.
Jeanette Reichel, with the assistance of
her Military Working Dog Petya, a
6-year-old German Sheppard, tattoo
F-028, entered the base history
books March 21 as the first certified
female dog handler here in two decades.
"Sergeant Reichel is an example of the
dedicated, professional people we have
in the Air Force and at Hanscom," said
Col. Robert Boyles, 66th Mission Support
Group commander. "This team will greatly
enhance our security forces mission
here, and through their presence, combat
and deter crime."
After completing a rigorous three-month
training program and passing the
official certification, Sergeant Reichel
and Petya now can be seen patrolling the
streets of Hanscom.
Humbled by the thought of being a role
model for fellow Airmen and younger
women, the sergeant credits her
accomplishments to the teamwork among
the staff at the kennels.
"This is new to me [being a handler] and
I had to get used to a new manner and
way of thinking," she said. "They [the
kennel staff here] have been patient and
guided me through my training.
Both her colleagues and supervisors
agree that there are unique challenges
facing every new K-9 handler. "Handlers
[who enter the career field as senior
airmen] traditionally have both Air
Force and dog handler-specific mentoring
when they come out of school at their
local units. [Sergeant Reichel] was able
to pull from her past security forces
experience and operational knowledge and
progress through the training in about
three months," said Tech. Sgt. Lawrence
Gray, 66 SFS kennel master, who oversees
the entire Hanscom K-9 program,
including paperwork and documentation,
coordination of training and training
aids.
One of the first steps in Sergeant
Reichel's training was rapport. The
sergeant and Petya spent hours just
walking. "The dog sits in the kennel all
day hoping to see her face around the
corner to take him out," Sergeant Gray
said. After the handler and dog bond is
formed the next step is obedience
training followed by specialized
training in the dog's area of expertise.
But before she could wake up, report to
work, and be greeted with Petya's
enthusiastic good-morning bark and
wagging tail, the sergeant had to prove
herself with some doggie veterans. The
Air Force K-9 Handler 10-week training
course, which is run out of Lackland Air
Force Base, Texas, consists of two major
parts: patrol and aggression work and
detection work with seasoned veterans of
the canine force. Sergeant Reichel made
her journey to Lackland in June and upon
graduation, she returned to Hanscom and
was teamed with Petya.
However, the opportunity to become a
handler may not have come to fruition if
Sergeant Reichel had not entered the
service through a unique set of
circumstances.
"While searching online [in 1994] for
information about occupational therapy
employment [her college major at the
time], I discovered a forum about the
military on a career Web site. Within
the more than 1,000 posts, people
described their various jobs openly and
honestly and also why joining the
military was such a good thing. The next
day I walked into the recruiting office
to sign up," she said.
She soon discovered a passion for law
enforcement, which has driven her
throughout her security forces career
thus far. Additionally, being the
"first" in her career field isn't new to
this sergeant either; while stationed at
Kunsan Air Base, South Korea, she served
as the first female Air Base Defense
Instructor there.
"I trained both the base populace and
the security forces personnel on weapons
familiarization, SALUTE reports, and
other base defense processes and
procedures," she said.
Looking at her career, Sergeant Reichel
doesn't credit just one person as a
mentor. "Different people make you who
you are," the sergeant said. "Throughout
my career different people have
influenced me and they weren't
necessarily older than me. I've had
troops who've inspired me by reminding
me where I've come from."
One of the best experiences she's had
within the Air Force is watching and
teaching new troops to learn and grow.
She hopes to do some learning and
growing too during her time working with
Petya.
Part of the uniqueness of the K-9 field
is that you watch development of the dog
from beginning to end, Sergeant Gray
said.
"Every job I've had has had its unique
challenges and I appreciate every
opportunity to work in those areas,"
Sergeant Reichel said. "They allowed me
to see how all aspects of the security
forces world interact. K-9 is completely
different than any other job I've had. I
have never had another job with just one
partner; it's great to know that Petya
is right there with me," she said.
The sergeant offers a small piece of
advice for those entering the career
field, and the Air Force. "After you get
through that first year, nothing can get
you down," she said. "Your expectations
change; manning the base gate when the
temperature is minus 10 degrees and
folks drive up saying 'it's so cold,'
and the cold doesn't even faze you. It
takes a certain type of individual -- a
truly driven individual -- to become a
cop."
by Staff Sgt. W. Wayne Marlow 2nd BCT, 2nd Inf.
Div. Public Affairs
1/15/2007 - FORWARD OPERATING BASE LOYALTY, Iraq
(AFNEWS) -- Two of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team's most valuable assets never talk about work, preferring to let
the results speak for themselves. Even with their quiet demeanor, they have uncovered numerous weapons caches and explosives,
and have become two of the most popular members of the unit. They are the unit's two military working dogs, Blacky and Frisko.
Blacky, a 2-year-old German shepherd with a dark chocolate coat and handled by Air Force Tech Sgt. Michael Jones.
Jones, from Kingswood, W. Va. Frisko, a 6-year-old black-and-brown German shepherd and handler Senior Airman Adam La Barr
of Rome, N.Y. Both teams are attached to the 2nd Battalion, 17th Field Artillery Regiment.
The dogs are trained to
sniff out explosives and chase down insurgents. Getting them ready for those essential tasks is up to their handlers. The
initial training takes about 90 days. The first step is getting the handler and dog comfortable with each other. Handlers
bathe and groom the dogs and learn each other's personalities. Next, the dogs are drilled in obedience, and they begin sniffing
for explosives.
The time and training pays off on the battlefield, Sergeant Jones said. Merely having a dog along
pays dividends against insurgents.
"Just seeing a dog deters them from running away or trying to pass weapons and
explosives through," he said.
But the intimidation and heightened senses would be useless without human input.
"The
dog and handler are a team," Sergeant Jones said. "One can't work without the other."
Part of the handler's role is
to point out areas for the dogs to search. Handlers base the dog's training plan around areas the dog needs to improve.
"Blacky
is not as good at finding things high up...so in training, I make it where he would want to go up high. I put a couple of
training aids up, to show him, sometimes, it's up there," Sergeant Jones said.
In the real world, though, the trainer
wouldn't know where the bomb is placed. This is where the dog's nose comes in handy, and the handler has to understand the
dog. When Blacky comes upon a suspected explosive, he reacts passively.
"He won't be aggressive, he won't paw at it,"
Sergeant Jones said. "We don't want that, if there's a bomb in there.
Instead, Blacky sits by the suspected explosive
or lies down, if it is lower. Sometimes the response can be even more subtle.
"I look for changes in his behavior,
to see when he's curious about something," Sergeant Jones said.
Frisko reacts in a similar way, but each dog has his
own method, Airman La Barr said.
The dogs have found multiple weapons caches and explosives in recent months. When
they find something, the dogs get a treat, of sorts. Their handlers break out a misshapen lump of rubber that vaguely resembles
a beehive. Blacky and Frisko get to play with the object as the reward for making a find.
"They know if they find
something, they're going to get that one toy and they're excited," La Barr said.
While people naturally gravitate
to the dogs, handlers stress it's important to remember they are not pets.
"Everyone thinks they can play with them.
That might soften them up, or it could be seen by the dog as an attack," Airman La Barr said. "They are trained to be handler-protective.
He's still an animal."
As such, the handlers never allow anyone to pet the dogs.
The dogs teams' workload is
intelligence-driven, but they usually go on about five missions each week. While the basic job is always the same, it's an
ever-changing game.
"We adapt our techniques to what the enemy would be using," Sergeant Jones said. ____________________________________________________________________
FOB McHenry benefits from ‘sniff support’
By Spc. Barbara Ospina
Zeko, an explosive detection canine, takes a breather, after his handler puts his specially made balistic "doggles" on
for his daily training at the newly built training course at Forward Operating Base McHenry, Iraq. Spc. Barbara Ospina
KIRKUK, Iraq (Army News Service, March 15, 2006) -- With a modified ballistic vest, a Screaming Eagle combat
patch and a Combat Action Badge, Zeko still may not look like the average Soldier, but he has become a valuable asset to the
troops of Forward Operating Base McHenry.
The explosive detection dog has found improvised bombs buried several feet
in the hard desert ground.
Zeko has brought new meaning to the phrase “man’s best friend,” said Bastogne
Soldiers of 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, stationed at FOB McHenry.
“He’s
got a good rapport with the Soldiers,” said Staff Sgt. David Silberman, Zeko’s kennel master and partner for nearly
two and a half years now.
“Our missions are really broad; we support everything,” Silberman reflected.
“Every day we are learning something different for us to do.”
When it comes to his job, Zeko may be at
the top of his game, but Silberman says he trains on a regular basis, just like Soldiers.
Silberman said it takes
on average two and a half years to get an explosive dog certified, but it does not end there; each dog must also go through
an annual certification. Each dog must have a minimum 95-percent success rate on explosive detection or the dog is decertified.
“Explosive
dogs are trained in nine different explosive odors,” Silberman stated confidently, while petting his partner. “He’s
got to find every single one; he can’t miss them.”
Although Zeko is currently tested at 98.7 percent, and
trained in desert warfare, Silberman takes it upon himself to keep their team up to the task by training everyday.
Using
a newly built training course, Zeko practices many different obstacles.
Zeko warms up, walking through a small jump,
followed by stairs and tunnels.
The real workout starts when shouts echo through the air, followed by yelping. Silberman
holds Zeko tightly, while a volunteer Soldier wearing a protective sleeve runs. Then, at the right moment, Silberman releases
the now vicious dog. Zeko sprints after the man, leaping into the air and locking his jaw on the Soldier’s protected
arm.
Attempts to shake him off fail as Zeko just bites harder. Then with a single command from his handler, Zeko releases
the Soldier and returns to sit next to Silberman. A few seconds later, Zeko is rewarded with playful hugs and praises.
Not
only does this furry four-legged Soldier pull his weight in the fight against improvised explosive devices, he has become
very protective of his new Bastogne comrades.
“We get to spend a lot of time with [Soldiers], he’s really close, and really protective of them,”
Silberman said. “When we are taking rounds, he’s watching and really alert of his Soldiers, so he’s got
a pretty good rapport with those guys.”
(Editor’s note: Spc. Barbara Ospina serves with 1st BCT Public
Affairs, 101st Airborne Division.)
BAGHDAD - Lt. Col. Randall Thompson knows his life has gone
to the dogs. But that's probably a good thing for the Army, the canine corps and for him.
By Chris Kraul, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
One of only six clinical veterinary surgeons in the U.S. military,
Thompson works to save the lives of some of the military's most valued assets: bombsniffing dogs that have been severely wounded
in combat. He arrived here in October to open Iraq's first urgent surgical care ward for canines.
Before Thompson's
arrival, injured dogs were shipped to a U.S. base in Germany or to the United States for emergency medical treatment. At best,
seriously wounded dogs were out of commission for weeks; at worst, they died during transport to a faraway veterinary facility.
The
dogs' talent for sniffing out hidden explosive devices has become crucial to the war effort, so the command changed policy.
"It
reached a buildup of dogs here and a concern level that said we had to do something to support these animals the best way
possible," said Thompson, 46, a native of Savannah, Ga. Quicker medical care means the dogs return to duty sooner, he said.
"Every day that we can keep a dog out on the line working is another day that a soldier or Marine is going to live because
the dog was doing its job."
By uncovering tons of explosives that insurgents could otherwise use against coalition
soldiers, the dogs have saved countless lives, said Col. Arnaldo Claudio, who as 18th Airborne Corps provost marshal commands
all military police and dog handlers in Iraq. He declined to disclose the precise number of war dogs here.
"The dogs
weren't needed as much when [the war] started. But the threat has changed," he said, referring to insurgents' increasing use
of hidden, remote-controlled bombs often fashioned from mortar and artillery shells and detonated by cellphones and pagers.
The bombs cause the majority of casualties suffered by U.S.-led forces in Iraq.
Claudio said a bomb-sniffing dog probably
saved his life in August when it alerted him and a handler to a roadside bomb at a traffic stop in northern Baghdad.
"We
got out of there and the bomb exploded a few minutes later," Claudio said. But the dogs and their handlers sometimes pay
a steep price. Four-year-old Flapeur was receiving treatment at Thompson's clinic last month. The Belgian Malinois had taken
a piece of shrapnel through the chest in a suicide bombing in the Sunni Triangle city of Ramadi days before. He was on crowd-control
duty with two other dogs and their handlers when the bomber struck a line of police recruits.
Flapeur's handler, a
Marine whom the military declined to identify, was also seriously wounded, as was a second handler. Both were airlifted to
Germany for medical treatment. The third handler, Marine Sgt. Adam Cann, was killed in the bombing.
Flapeur and the
other injured dogs were taken by helicopter to Baghdad's combat support hospital, just as severely wounded soldiers or Marines
would be.
"We would never fly a dog in front of a human casualty. But when there isn't someone ahead of them, we'll
fly them," Thompson said.
He and other vets narrowly saved Flapeur, the most severely wounded of the three canines,
from dying of shock, blood loss and a collapsed lung. Had the bombing happened before Thompson's arrival, Flapeur almost certainly
would have died.
Although the wound left a nasty-looking hole in his chest, Flapeur was alert and friendly after his
treatment. He is expected to be back on duty in three months, as is his handler.
Cann's dog, Bruno, will go through
training again with a new handler. The third dog, Kevin, is expected back on duty as soon as his handler recovers.
A
professed dog lover, Thompson says caring for man's best friend is one of the military's best jobs. "How many of your other
friends listen to you attentively, don't talk back and are always glad to be in your company?" Thompson said. He has owned
dogs, mostly German shepherds, since he can remember, he said. He and his wife have a Labrador retriever and a Cairn terrier.
Most
of the dogs used in bomb-detection operations are either German shepherds or Belgian Malinois; they have been trained to detect
explosives and to chase down and detain suspects, Thompson said. Just the sight of them usually deters unruly crowds, however.
"It's
the only weapon system we have that you can change your mind on after squeezing the trigger," Thompson said. The military
dogs here were bought almost exclusively in Europe, where the canines are bred for detection and tracking skills. Then they
are sent to Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio for training. Each dog goes through a six-month course to learn how to
sense a dozen or more explosives and weapon
________________________________________________
Security
forces military dog section honors one of its own
Technical Sgt. Gregory Jones (left), 95th Security Forces Squadron Military Working
Dog section kennel master, gives a eulogy during a military working dog funeral Sept. 1 at Edwards Air Force Base. (Air Force
photo by Mark McCoy)
Blackanthem.com, EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif., September 13, 2005
Since the initiation of the first U.S.
sentry dog training branch at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, in 1958, military working dogs in the United States and abroad
have been honored for playing an active role in the Air Force mission.
That honor was once again passed down Sept.
1 during a Military Working Dog funeral at the Edwards MWD facility for Berry, a 95th Security Forces Squadron military working
dog, who died Aug. 15.
"When looking at what we do as a military working dog section, people don't often realize how
essential these dogs are to Air Force safety, so when we lose a partner and dog like Berry it is felt throughout the MWD section,"
said Tech. Sgt. Gregory Jones, 95th Security Forces Squadron Military Working Dog section kennel master.
Just like
any Airman, military working dogs arrive to their first duty station already trained, but are in continuous training throughout
the remainder of their military career.
And, like any other Airman, working dogs spend their careers as a vital part
of the Air Force mission, both at home station and while deployed.
After being certified in April 1995 as a patrol
and narcotic detector dog from Lackland, Berry arrived at Edwards for duty May 16, 1995. While at Edwards, Berry had 25 drug
finds that helped confiscate various amounts of marijuana, cocaine and methamphetamines from the streets, Sergeant Jones said.
Over a 10-year span, Berry was able to accumulate almost 1,100 hours of search time and 47 drug finds.
"During deployments,
military working dogs are usually positioned in Entry Control Points in camps and bases in the Middle East," Sergeant Jones
said. "Some are also attached to Marine units in order to search for explosives."
While on a temporary deployment to
U.S. Customs Service in El Paso, Texas, Berry had 22 drug finds that netted more than 2,000 pounds of marijuana and cocaine.
"After
looking at Berry's career, it just goes to show that military working dogs continue to contribute to the Air Force and the
safety of their handlers," Sergeant Jones said.
By Senior Airman Jet Fabara 95th
Air Base Wing Public Affairs
Army Sgt. Danny Rogers, a dog handler with the 25th Military
Police Company, is "attacked" by Jordon, a military working dog, during a training exercise at the military-operations-in-urban-terrain
training site at Bagram Air Base.
Photo by Spc. Cheryl Ransford, USA / DoD Photo
BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan -- When canine handlers of the 25th Military Police
Company conduct extraction missions and area searches in Afghanistan, their highly trained dogs often serve as the main tool
for finding weapons and people in hiding.
To counteract the added dangers these dogs face in the line of duty, their
ballistic vest equipment has been upgraded.
"These new vests are an upgrade from the current vests the dogs have been
using," said Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Michael Thomas, assistant kennel master for the 25th MP Co. "Before, the vests were
only stab proof, which worked well for missions in the states. However, with the additional dangers these dogs are facing
during this deployment, they are now wearing vests that are not only stab proof, but also bullet proof."
Although the new vests are slightly heavier than the vests the dogs previously
used, neither their mobility nor their mission has been hindered by their use. "When the dogs are conducting missions that
require them to use the new vests, they are in areas that could possibly cause them to be injured or killed," said Thomas.
"They are the first one into the area looking for people or weapons. They help us find the things we can't see."
The vests are currently being used by the K-9 units at Bagram Air Base
and Kandahar Airfield, said Sgt. 1st Class Erika Gordon, kennel master for the 25th MP Co. "Even though we only have a few
vests at the moment, we are working to get vests for every dog in Afghanistan," she said. "These vests are the dogs' only
means of protection. They go in before their handler. It is a matter of 'get them before they get you.' That's why these vests
are so important."
The vests are also able to carry all of the dogs' gear, which includes
heating or cooling packs. "These vests make us more versatile in what we can do with the dogs," said Gordon.
"Many people may say, 'They're just dogs, why do they need that kind of
equipment?' But these dogs are a part of a team and need to be protected just as much as every member of every other team
in country," said Thomas.
"These dogs are our partners," he said. "We travel with them, sleep with
them and live with them. They are our best friends. Every dog handler will agree that there is nothing we won't do to protect
our dogs."
My Turn David C. Henley Publisher Emeritus February 11, 2005 Nearly 200,000 U.S. military personnel are serving under battlefield
conditions in Iraq and Afghanistan, and among these warriors is a fellow named "Lion" whose most recent assignment was NAS
Fallon.
Although the Navy cannot reveal to which location Lion has been sent, it can say that he is serving with distinction.
Lion has no last name and wears no uniform. And other than being provided room, board and the love and respect of
his fellow Navy men, he draws no pay or allowances. In fact, he's not even human. He's a two-year old Navy dog, a member of
the Belgian Malinois breed, who formerly was attached to NAS Fallon's Security Department before being sent overseas on his
current temporary duty assignment.
Lion, says NAS Fallon Security team member and dog handler Master at Arms 2 Alan
G. Gennette, is one of several Navy dogs serving on temporary duty in Iraq and Afghanistan and is among hundreds of canines
on duty around the world with the Navy.
Navy dogs, says Gennette, 31, are like sailors inasmuch as they are required
to undergo basic training before they are sent on assignments in the field. Basic training for military dogs of all the services
is held at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas.
There, the dogs, most often Belgian Malinois, German Shepherds, Labradors
and even Beagles, undergo rigorous "boot camp" training where they learn how to follow orders from their human handlers, sniff
out explosives and drugs, track and capture criminal suspects, and master the arts of crowd control, on-base street patrol
and other security requirements.
Dog handlers are required to participate in special training with animals, also conducted
at Lackland AFB, as well as graduating from Navy security school before they are issued the master at arms rating.
Learning
"dog psychology" is of particular importance to Navy dog handlers, said Gennette, who told me during my visit to the NAS Fallon
kennels that military dogs, like human sailors, must show "drive and enthusiasm" before being sent out on assignment.
Dog
handlers, in addition to training and working with their animals, also must show constant awareness of their dogs' health
and fitness. NAS Fallon's current security dog population of four is regularly examined and treated by Fallon veterinarian
Dr. Raymond R. Cooper, a former Army veterinary officer, Gennette said.
During my visit this week at the NAS Fallon
kennels, which is adjacent to the base Security Dept., I toured the training yard at the rear of the kennels to observe the
Fallon dogs training there.
The spacious facility includes an obstacle course, catwalk, high rise stairs and tunnel
where the base's dogs are regularly trained by their handlers. As readers can see from the photo accompanying this story,
dogs are required to wiggle through long concrete pipes during training just like human military personnel.
In this
photo are seen Gennette and his dog, "Ringo," a five and a half year-old Belgian Malinois who is spending an hour training
in the obstacle course before being sent out on security patrol with Gennette.
"Ringo" and the other dogs, "Tosca,"
"Paco," and "Deni" occupy immaculately clean and attractive one-man (I mean one-dog) "rooms" inside the kennels and are fed
a diet of dry "Science Diet" dog food.
Unlike their human Navy companions, they have no worries about car and house
payments, promotion exams, family separations and the like. Oh, for the life of a dog!
Dogs, I have learned, have
been used by militaries of the world since the late 1800s, when they were initially introduced in Europe. During World War
I, the U.S. and its allies as well as the enemy forces in Germany utilized dogs for patrol and other related policing assignments.
At
the beginning of the Second World War, the U.S. had only 40 military dogs, all assigned to the Army. Not long after Pearl
Harbor, however, the American Kennel Assn. in conjunction with the Army launched a "Dogs for Defense" program in which American
dog owners were urged to donate their animals to the defense effort.
Soon, thousands of dogs were available for training
as sentry, messenger, patrol and mine detection dogs and were sent overseas to serve in combat. The Navy and Marine Corps
also began developing their own dog training programs, and procurement and training centers were opened in Nebraska, Montana,
California, Mississippi and North Carolina.
Even the Coast Guard launched a dog program to help that service guard
U.S. beaches and ports.
War dogs became popular in the U.S. during World War II, and the Walt Disney Co. in 1993 produced
a TV movie named "Chips the War Dog" which told the story of "Chips," an Army scout dog, who won a Silver Star for attacking
a German pillbox in Sicily, causing the enemy machine gun crew to surrender as well as capturing several German soldiers.
During
The Vietnam War, military dogs also were pressed into service, and the Navy established special K-9 sentry units there in
1967 to assist SEAL teams and jeep patrols.
Today, dogs from all the services are currently serving in Iraq and Afghanistan,
on patrol, on sentry duty and on mine, bomb and drug-detection assignments.
For security reasons, the Navy cannot tell
us where its dogs, just like its human sailors, are assigned in Iraq and Afghanistan.
But I know that "Lion," the
NAS Fallon dog now serving on active duty in one of those two locations, is doing his utmost for a just cause.
And
I know that the people of Fallon and Churchill County wish Godspeed to Lion and his handlers as they go about their hazardous
duty in the Middle East.
By Seth Robson, Stars and Stripes Pacific edition, Monday, November 29, 2004
Seth Robson / S&S Capt. Srinivasan Saiprasad, commander of the 82nd Engineer Company, poses
with Bruno, one of the last two U.S. Army mascots to live at Camp Edwards, South Korea. Saiprasad is looking after Bruno until
the dog travels to the United States to join his adoptive family. Bruno is so large, his plane ticket costs more than it would
cost to fly a person there.
CAMP RED CLOUD, South Korea — Some furry friends are headed for the United States to welcome Strike Force (the 2nd
Infantry Division’s 2nd Brigade Combat Team) soldiers when they return from Iraq.
Area I veterinarian Capt. Michelle Jefferson said last week that several Strike Force mascots will be transported to the
States in the coming months, and some will rejoin the unit when it moves to Fort Carson, Colo., next year.
Area I is home to numerous official and unofficial mascots. Some are strays at Camp Casey and, until recently, there were
as many as 30 dogs living in the Joint Security Area, a tiny base in the heart of the demilitarized zone, she said.
Fourteen official Strike Force mascots, all dogs, were left behind when Strike Force deployed to Iraq in August. Eight
of the mascots are still in Area I being cared for by the rear detachments of units serving in Iraq, she said.
Four mascots already have been transported to the States. Another has been adopted by a Strike Force soldier’s family
and is awaiting transport, Jefferson said.
“Units will send some dogs back to the States to meet with the units at Fort Carson and some soldiers are going to
adopt the mascots when they PCS (permanent change of station) from here,” she said.
The Strike Force mascots have been exempted from the normal adoption fee, which equates to paying for the dog’s medical
bills for the 24 months prior to adoption, she said.
A soldier’s family in Tennessee has adopted Anthrax, a large mixed-breed dog that was the 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry
Regiment mascot, she said.
When a soldier wants to take a dog home from South Korea, the dog normally gets to fly space-available, free of charge,
from Osan, Jefferson said.
However, because Anthrax, who weighs 207 pounds, was too big to fly back to the States, the family who adopted him hired
a special shipping container, she said.
Three Strike Force mascots were sent to the adoption clinic at Yongsan Garrison in Seoul, Jefferson said.
A veterinarian working at Yongsan adopted a large Saint Bernard named Crigg that was the 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry
Regiment mascot, she said.
“This dog is a sweet dog. Crigg was found during (an exercise) in August. One of the dog handlers brought him to
us.
“Basically he just walked up to him. There were only two Saint Bernards in Area I so we know who it was. From what
I heard he was at Camp Hovey where the soldiers used to live. His demeanor was fine, so somebody was taking care of him,”
Jefferson said.
Capt. Srinivasan Saiprasad, commander of the 82nd Engineer Company, is looking after Bruno, another large former Strike
Force mascot, who belonged to Charlie Company, 44th Engineers.
Saiprasad, who served with the 44th on a previous posting to South Korea, was quick to volunteer to care for Bruno when
he heard the dog needed a home. He even knows Bruno’s lineage, which relates him to another famous 2nd ID mascot named
MRE.
“We found out two days prior to C Company getting on the bus. He has got a lot of friends here (at the 82nd),”
he said.
While with the 82nd, Bruno has been hanging out with Cadence, a golden retriever that is the unit’s official mascot.
“The dogs go running with us when we do PT on post. Before Cadence got clipped by a car she used to do six-mile road
marches with us,” Saiprasad said.
Bruno has been adopted by a soldier’s family and will be sent back to the United States, he said. But because the
dog is so large, its plane ticket costs more than it would cost a person to fly there, he added.
by Senior Airman Catharine Schmidt Combined Forces Command -- Afghanistan Public Affairs
11/30/2004 - KABUL COMPOUND, Afghanistan (AFPN) -- In August, Staff Sgt.
David Yepsen had to do everything all Airmen do when they deploy, from updating training to getting medically cleared. He
also had one more thing to worry about -- his military working dog deploying alongside him.
Sergeant Yepsen and his
dog, Dax, from the 43rd Security Forces Squadron at Pope Air Force Base, N.C., are both deployed here with the Army’s
58th Military Police Company. They are the only Air Force canine team in Afghanistan. During their six-month tour, when the
pair is not providing security at nearby Bagram Air Base, they are providing security here.
Anywhere from 30 to 60
vehicles come onto the compound daily and each is searched by a canine team, said Army Capt. Lorenzo Fiorentino, provost marshal
and anti-terrorism force protection officer here.
“A dog can find things a person can’t,” Sergeant
Yepsen said. “A dog’s nose is probably 1,000 times (more sensitive) than a human’s nose. So it makes it
easier for the dogs to find things that are hidden that (we) can’t find with the naked eye.”
The majority
of the vehicles they search, such as septic and construction trucks, are driven by contractors. The team is always on call.
“We search under the hood, inside the car, (in the) wheel wells. Anywhere you could think of to put an explosive
is where we look, hoping he doesn’t respond,” Sergeant Yepsen said.
“You have to be able to read
your dog, because (it will) have a change of behavior when (it) catches a scent,” he said. “For instance, Dax
will put his tail up in the air, his nose will go up, he’ll get real excited, and then start pacing back and forth until
he gets to the strongest point of the odor. Once he pinpoints the scent, he’ll sit and wait for me to reward him.”
Besides
searching vehicles entering the compound, they search buildings and areas that are going to be used by visiting dignitaries.
“We
did a mission for the protective services team,” Sergeant Yepsen said. “We searched a restaurant, the surrounding
area and the vehicles in that vicinity to make sure it was safe.”
Not only are they the only Air Force canine
team around, Sergeant Yepsen is the only security forces Airman here. He said working with the Army has been a great opportunity,
and the Soldiers said he is doing a great job here.
“Staff Sergeant Yepsen exemplifies the true meaning of professionalism
and flexibility,” Captain Fiorentino said. “His integration into our operations was practically seamless.”
Since
this is Sergeant Yepsen’s first deployment, he said it was nice to deploy with Dax, who has been on numerous deployments.
“Everyone at Pope said that if they had to deploy with a canine ... they would want Dax,” Sergeant Yepsen
said.
It could be because of Dax’s mellow temperament or his detection accuracy. But whatever the case, Sergeant
Yepsen said he is glad to have him here.
“I miss my dogs at home, and I miss my wife, but it makes it a little
easier to have somebody I know here with me,” he said. “He’s a good listener, but he doesn’t talk
much.”
Even though the team is on call at all times, they find time to have some fun together, whether it is
taking a walk outside, hanging out in their room or shopping at the bazaar.
From work to play, this deployment has
strengthened their bond making them an unstoppable team, Sergeant Yepsen said.
From Stubby to Private Hammer: mascots boost morale for military
JAMES HANNAH Associated Press
DAYTON, Ohio - When Air Force pilot
Russ Steber was air-dropping food and supplies to the blockaded residents of Berlin in 1948, his pet boxer dog roamed around
the cockpit.
When word got back to Gen. Curtis LeMay, commander of the Berlin Airlift, Steber was summoned to the general's
office.
"I thought, 'Oh boy, I'm in trouble,'" Steber recalled thinking.
LeMay surprised him.
"He said, 'This is one of the best morale builders I've had on the airlift, and I would like to have a parachute
made for the dog,'" said Steber, 86, of Melbourne, Fla.
A new exhibit at the U.S. Air Force Museum pays tribute to the boxer, among animal mascots that historians
say have played an important role in boosting soldiers' spirits throughout the history of the U.S. military.
"It just goes so far to increase morale - that somebody else, something else is sharing their experience with
that level of tail-wagging and enthusiasm," said Terry Aitken, the museum's senior curator. "It takes you away from life-and-death
issues."
Steber outfitted the dog with a small cargo parachute that would automatically open if the crew had to bail
out.
And, at LeMay's suggestion, Steber changed the name of the dog from Bjorn Von Mulenthal to Vittles after Operation
Vittles, code name for the airlift launched by Britain, France and the United States after the Soviet Union cut off all land
and water routes to West Berlin in an attempt to starve the western powers out.
Vittles flew in 131 missions with Steber - and more with other crews - and never had to use the parachute.
Having mascots in combat situations is not without risk. Vittles' curiosity in the cockpit is one example.
"One time he stuck his nose in an electrical outlet and liked to wreck the airplane," Steber recalled.
Aitken said lion cubs were adopted by American volunteer pilots who flew with the French Air Force during
World War I. But he said the cubs didn't work out because when they got larger they became too hard to handle.
Some mascots were an advantage on the battlefield.
Stubby, a boxer-terrier, was the mascot of a Connecticut-based infantry unit stationed in Europe during World
War I. The dog's keen sense of smell alerted the troops to German gas attacks.
Union troops adopted an eagle named Old Abe to scout out Confederate troops, which put a bounty on the bird's
head. The eagle was wounded twice in 36 battles, but survived the war.
The Army's 101st Airborne Division bears the nickname Screaming Eagles after Old Abe.
In the early days of the U.S. Navy, cats were commonly adopted to rid ships of rats, said Jack Green, historian
at the Naval Historical Center in Washington, D.C. Dogs and monkeys obtained by sailors during shore leave later showed up
on ships, he said.
Mascots often became a symbol of a unit and served as something to rally around, Green said. The animals often
were allowed to stay on board if the crew took care of them and they didn't get in the way, he said.
"It tended to be what the commanding officer would put up with," Green said.
Springer Spaniels became so popular as mascots in the 1950s that the Navy produced a recruiting poster with
one of the dogs sitting next to a sailor, he said.
Exotic animals also have served as mascots.
Big John, a 12-foot-long alligator, was used as a swamp-training aid for Army Rangers at Eglin Air Force Base
in Florida for four decades before dying in 2000.
Private Hammer, a tabby cat, was adopted last year by a U.S. Army unit stationed in Iraq. The soldiers would
tuck the cat under their body armor during artillery attacks.
Ron Aiello, a Marines scout-dog handler in the Vietnam War, said his German Shepherd was a stress buster for
him in the high-stress environment.
"It made a world of difference," said Aiello, president of the U.S. War Dogs Association. "I had companionship
all the time there."
Sgt. Brian Legger left for Iraq Saturday with a four-legged companion
by his side.
The Fort Belvoir 212th Military Police Detachment military working dog handler left with his assigned
partner – a 3-year-old German shepherd.
Photo by Quentin Hunstad Military police officer Sgt. Brian Legger with his explosives detection dog, Vendy.
Legger volunteered to assist in force protection in Iraq about
three weeks ago after a task force requested a dog for force protection.
Military working dogs are needed in Iraq
to sniff out explosive devices, said Staff Sgt. Jimmy Blankenship, Fort Belvoir kennel master.
Legger is uncertain
what he’ll be doing while in Iraq but said it could be “a variety of things.”
Legger’s dog,
Vendy is trained to search for explosive devices. Although it is uncertain what Legger’s duties are, one thing that
remains certain is Legger and Vendy’s companionship.
Legger brought Vendy to the post Veterinary Clinic Sept.
16 for a final check-up, one of many things left to do before he departed from his home in Woodbridge. In the clinic parking
lot, Legger leaned against a military police vehicle marked “K-9 Military Working Dogs” while Vendy stayed in
the car awaiting her checkup.
In the past six months, Legger and Vendy have worked together during patrol missions,
security and gate checks and searching vehicles for explosives.
Legger knows he can count on Vendy to keep him alert.
“She’s
hyper,” Legger said. “She’s still a puppy.”
He finds comfort in having his four-legged partner
deploying to Iraq at his side.
“At least you’ve got somebody there, somebody to watch your back,”
he said.
The duration of the deployment is unknown, yet Legger said he doesn’t think it will be longer than
a year. He assumes it will be time to come home when someone comes to replace him or the mission is over, he said.
Legger
leaves behind a sister in Woodbridge, brother and father in New York and mother in Maryland.
Legger, who described
himself as shy and conservative around people he barely knows, shared mixed feelings toward leaving.
“I’m
kinda’ excited and worried at the same time,” Legger said.
His reasons for worrying are shared by his
family, he said.
“Well, shoot, I might not come back,” Legger said.
He’s watched the news
and seen the fate of others in Iraq.
His family also has reservations.
“They hate it,” he said.
“Because they know what could happen over there.”
But his family also supports him, he said.
“They
knew what I was getting into when I enlisted. It’s part of the job,” he said.
Security forces say farewell to four-legged partner
by 1st Lt. Nathan Broshear 82nd Training Wing Public Affairs
7/30/2004 - SHEPPARD
AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFPN) -- Staff Sgt. Pablo Martinez's best friend retired from active duty July 27. Instead
of bringing him a plaque or other token, Sergeant Martinez threw him a rubber ball attached to a nylon rope. It was the perfect
gift.
Dolfy, a military working dog for the 82nd Security Forces Squadron here, received all the honors and accolades
one might expect for a retiring human security forces troop, including a Meritorious Service Certificate and retirement papers.
Tech.
Sgt. Buffie Verhagen, the squadron's kennel master, said the picture-perfect long-haired shepherd's presence on the force
will be missed.
"He's an amazing dog ... gentle and obedient, but he's all business when it comes to explosive detection
and patrol duty," she said. "If he did not have these medical ailments, I know he'd gladly work for the rest of his life as
a military working dog."
Dolfy was medically retired from active duty because of a degenerative back disorder which
hinders him from performing patrol duty and other tasks. Although his condition causes him a significant amount of pain, Sergeant
Martinez said Dolfy’s duty always overrode the discomfort.
"Dolfy will work all day for a few minutes of playing
with his ball or a good scratch," he said. "There's no slowing him down, but searching high and low all day will certainly
hurt him. This retirement is the most humane thing to do."
The dog is headed for a life of rest and relaxation –
with the Martinez family.
"He's going from being a military working dog, to being just a normal family dog," Sergeant
Martinez said. "We're going to spoil him rotten."
Sergeant Martinez and his wife are looking forward to the newest
addition to their home. Until 2000, working dog handlers could not adopt dogs that were retired from active duty. But under
a program that screens retiring working dogs, Sergeant Martinez was able to bring home this companion and protector for his
family.
During his five and a half years of military service -- 38 and a half in dog years -- Dolfy has served in a
variety of deployed locations including Saudi Arabia, Mexico, and Austin, Texas.
Dolfy has searched vehicles, luggage,
packages and buildings for some of the most high-profile leaders in government.
"In Austin, Dolfy helped to enhance
the safety of (first lady Laura Bush during her) visit to the city," the sergeant said, "and he's been directly involved with
several visits by the president and vice president of the United States."
One particular mission was of special importance.
During the Unity of the Americas Conference in Mexico, Dolfy helped protect the site for the presidents from every country
in North and South America.
"We were responsible for securing President Bush's vehicle and the buildings, and checking
gifts that were presented to dignitaries such as (Mexico) President Vicente Fox," Sergeant Martinez said. "Dolfy seemed to
understand that his job was important, and he gave 100 percent every day."
At Dolfy's retirement ceremony, Sergeant
Martinez said that human military members work for their country and monetary compensation. Military working dogs, however,
devote their service for their favorite toy and compassion from their handlers.
"I used to reward Dolfy for detection
duty with this rubber ball only after he completed his tasks. Now he can play all he wants," Sergeant Martinez said during
Dolfy's retirement ceremony.
With that, Sergeant Martinez presented Dolfy with the white rubber ball used to motivate
him to protect countless men and women from harm.
"Thank you my friend," he said. "The U.S. Air Force and the United
States of America thanks you." (Courtesy of Air Education and Training Command News Service)
By Franklin Fisher, Stars and Stripes Pacific edition, Thursday, July 8, 2004
When soldiers arrive for duty in Taegu, South Korea, chances are they’re jet-lagged and ready for a good night’s
sleep.
If their pets made the flight over with them, no doubt they’re worn out, too, especially after being cooped up for
hours in the air.
But now, those new arrivals can put their dogs or cats in a clean, safe, self-help kennel right at Camp Walker, only yards
from the Walker Army Lodge, where most transients stay, and next door to the post’s veterinary clinic.
The one-story, cement-block structure is set up with three 25-foot kennels for big dogs and six cages for smaller dogs
and cats. Owners can bathe their pets in a large tub or small sink, and use hoses for spray-down cleaning. The building also
is equipped with a ventilation system to reduce pet odors, and with year-round temperature control — heat in cold weather,
air conditioning when it’s hot.
“So everyone’s pet will be cozy even in the hottest of Taegu’s summers and in the coldest of winters,”
said Kevin B. Jackson, a spokesman for Area IV Support Activity at Camp Henry in Taegu.
The free kennel, available to active-duty soldiers and Defense Department civilians, operates on a first-come, first-served
basis, Jackson said in a telephone interview.
“When we arrived we brought a dog and a cat from Virginia,” Army Col. James M. “Mike” Joyner, the
Area IV Support Activity commander, said in a news release. “We were told you can’t keep pets in Army Lodging,
so that creates a dilemma. When your pets are part of the family, what do you do with them in a situation like that?”
Joyner ends his two-year Taegu tour Thursday and will leave for a new assignment.
Construction of the $52,000 kennel began in May, said Jackson. It opened July 1. The Area IV Support Activity funded the
project out of the $500,000 cash award it received after being chosen the Department of the Army Communities of Excellence
2003 silver finalist.
“We looked at different ideas and decided on a self-help pet care center near the lodge where people can be nearby
to walk, feed, water and wash their pets,” Joyner said. “It will be much more convenient than having to go downtown
when you have transportation and language barriers, not to mention the expense of kenneling a pet.”
Pet owners wanting to use the kennel can pick up keys at the Walker Army Lodge. They’ll be given keys to the building
and to their pet’s cage.
The building has enough room for more cages to be added later, according to James Hamilton, Area IV interim director of
public works.
“The building is designed for ease of cleaning and has room to grow if usage warrants,” Hamilton said in the
news release. “All pet owners need to do is bring their own pet food and shampoo. Since it is self-help, people will
have to make sure to keep the facility clean.”
“In all of my travels,” said Joyner, “I’ve never seen a place where self-help pet care was available.
This should provide a great service to the community.”
Long days rough on Lejeune battalion's shortest Marine Submitted
by: 1st Marine Division Story Identification #: 2004725515 Story by Cpl.
Shawn C. Rhodes
CAMP MAHMUDIYAH, Iraq(June 30, 2004) -- Its easy to see why some might be annoyed by Sgt.
Rex. He's not what you'd call a typical Marine.
His hair is pushing the three-inch limit and he's always talking out
of turn. He's also always sticking his nose into everybody's business, which is exactly why the Marines from 2nd Battalion,
2nd Marine Regiment love him.
From sun-up to sundown, the three-year old German Shepherd, a military working dog, trots
alongside his handler. He's a veteran of two firefights and his nearest medical care is an hour away. Still, Rex plods along
on his four paws, carrying out his duties to the Corps.
"It's a shepherd's mentality to love to work," said Cpl. Michael
C. Dowling, a 25-year-old Richmond, Calif., dog handler attached to the battalion. "He loves doing his job, even when his
reward is a rubber ball he can play with."
Dowling said Rex has earned the respect of the Marines, none of whom seem
to doubt he's earned his stripes. He's on call every day, works through the heat with a single ambition to protect Marines.
"Rex
has the title of sergeant because we're always taught to treat our dogs like they were one rank higher - with respect," Dowling
explained. "He's earned it. Rex has been through two major firefights and acted great. Loud noises don't bother him at all."
The
working dog is kept busy because the services Rex offers are in such high demand.
On June 29, Rex was called out to
sweep a council building to make sure it was safe for the military officials to go inside later that day. He quickly went
to work sniffing through every room with his handler close behind.
When Rex had checked every room and the yard of
the building, he waited with his handler by their Humvee. The local Iraqis gave Rex a lot of space - they are mostly afraid
of dogs and Rex doesn't help to change that image.
"He'll bark at Iraqis no matter who they are or what they're doing,"
Dowling said. "He's very protective of the Marines here."
Still, that doesn't mean Rex isn't cool under fire. He's
never been one to tuck his tail.
The police station next door to the council building was attacked with small arms
and rocket fire earlier that morning. The Iraqi police were taking the wounded to an ambulance. The activity was drawing a
large crowd of onlookers, blocking the ambulance from leaving.
Police responded by shooting an AK-47 in the air, which
caused the Marines to all aim in on the policeman. As shouts of "It's friendly fire!" echoed in the air and rifles were lowered,
Rex remained undisturbed the whole time.
"He's used to the gunfire and won't react unless he's told to," Dowling said.
From
the council building Rex and his handler rode back to the forward operating base where they soaked up the air conditioning.
"Rex
has this thick coat of fur on him. It's twice as hot for him as it is for us," Dowling said, petting Rex's side. "The only
way he can cool off is through the pads of his feet or his mouth, so when it's hot outside it really does a number on him."
Rex
enjoys laying inside his kennel or on Dowling's rack. The kennel is like Rex's "den" Dowling explained.
"In the wild,
canines make their homes inside of cool dark places, so in the heat his kennel is one of the best spots for him to relax,"
he said.
The team received word that they would be needed to help search a group of buildings for explosives. Marines
believed the buildings were used for building vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices. The handler and dog were used to
this kind of work. In fact, it's the mission for which they're trained.
"Military dogs are trained from a young age
at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas," Dowling said. "Rex picked up on the training very quickly and then moved to Camp Pendleton
where he worked until arriving with me in Iraq in March."
Dowling explained Rex was trained to sniff for explosives
like C-4 and other plastic explosives.
Rex moved his way in and out of all the buildings, sniffing carefully in, around
and under everything he crossed. Still, even the full day's duty in the heat of Iraq wore on him. As the afternoon heat began
to subside, Rex was dog-tired. Eventually, Dowling had to call it a day.
"Rex has taken a lot of heat today," he said.
"He's just too tired right now to do his job as well as he could."
Dowling took Rex back to the vehicles and made sure
he had as much cold water as he wanted to drink. The dog's sides moved in and out quickly as his tongue dripped saliva onto
the ground. The heat was still strong enough to soak every Marine underneath their flak jackets but because of Rex's body,
he couldn't expel heat so easily.
Eventually the cool water and small piece of shade he had claimed cooled him enough
to stop panting. Marines continued to search the buildings until all of them were cleared.
After loading up, the Marines
spun the vehicles around and headed back to their camp. Rex laid down in between the feet of the warriors, his head resting
on Dowling's boot.
"Rex is worn out for the day," Dowling said with a smile. "But he did a good job, didn't you boy?"
he said as he scratched the dog's head.
"When we get back, Rex's needs aren't different from the rest of the Marines
here," Dowling said. "He just wants chow and sleep."
Caption: The Iraqi heat takes its toll on many Marines, especially those wearing fur. For Sgt. Rex, a military working dog,
braving the same temperatures - and dangers - of Marines is just a normal day. The German Shepherd aides the Marines by sniffing
out explosives and acting as a psychological deterrent against enemy forces. (USMC photo by Cpl. Shawn C. Rhodes) Photo by: Cpl. Shawn C.
Rhodes
Caption: The job of military working dog Sgt. Rex doesn't stop when he's not sniffing out explosives. The three- year-old German
Shepherd wards off curious Iraqis with his presence, helping keep Marines that much safer. (USMC photo by Cpl. Shawn C.
Rhodes) Photo by: Cpl. Shawn C. Rhodes
When Sgt. Rex, a military working dog, is around everyone wants to ask questions of Cpl. Michael C. Dowling, a
military dog handler with 1st Marine Division. The 25-year-old from Richmond, Calif., uses Rex to help the Marines of 2nd
Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment during their missions to help sniff out explosives and to deter would-be attackers. (USMC
photo by Cpl. Shawn C. Rhodes) Photo by:
Cpl. Shawn C. Rhodes
Military working dog retires after 12 years with Air Force in Japan
By Megan Mouch, Stars and Stripes European edition, Wednesday, June 30, 2004
Spending 12 years working in Air Force security was a dog’s life but at least when Rex relinquishes his badge Thursday,
he’s to get full military honors.
Not to mention a cushy retirement job as a family pet.
Rex, a military working dog, is to be given an official retirement ceremony at Yokota Air Base in Japan.
A Belgian Malinois, he was born in 1992 and started his training in 1994 as a narcotics detector dog. He arrived at Yokota
in March 1995 to work for the 374th Security Forces Squadron Military Working Dog Section.
And he became the first certified dog in the Pacific region to detect the drug Ecstasy, said Tech. Sgt. Jean LeBlanc, who
works in the squadron.
Rex has had several handlers, said Tech. Sgt. Gerald Dion; the most recent one rotated out of Yokota more than a year ago.
Rex was not assigned another handler after that because it was time to begin his transition out of the military.
Thursday’s ceremony will be conducted in the same fashion as ceremonies for humans who leave the military, Dion said,
including the posting of the flags, the playing of the national anthem and a reading of Rex’s biography.
The ceremony also will feature a change of duty between Rex and his replacement, Elra.
Elra will be given Rex’s badge, signifying that Rex’s military service officially is complete.
Elra is a 2-year-old Belgian Malinois who came to Yokota in March and will be one of seven dogs assigned to the security
squadron.
Dion will be Rex’s handler for the ceremony. Elra’s handler is Staff Sgt. Matthew Claxton. The ceremony is
to take place at 2:30 p.m. at the Yokota Base Theater.
Once retired, Rex will remain in Japan in his new role as house pet, thanks to a Yokota family who has adopted him, LeBlanc
said
Sgt. Grady Bentley, 58th MP Co. a dog handler, instructs Britt to search a cement
truck for explosives prior to the truck entering Bagram Air Base. The K-9s serve as an addition to the force protection efforts
conducted daily by MPs. They are also trained to participate in combat patrols. Staff
Sgt. Monica R. Garreau
BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan (Army News Service June 24, 2004)-- Man’s best friend is playing
a new role in Operation Enduring Freedom. Several K-9s, or military working dogs, are serving in Afghanistan, adding to the
force protection efforts of the military police charged with safeguarding Coalition assets.
The K-9s are trained to
detect multiple types of explosives including det cord, C-4, TNT, potassium and sodium chlorate. These highly trained dogs,
and their handlers, are tasked with checking for explosives on vehicles and personnel wishing to gain entrance on to Bagram
Air Base.
“Anything coming through the gate is checked by the dogs,” said Staff Sgt. Orm Jenkins, kennel
master and military working dog liaison for the 58th Military Police Company.
Using a series of commands, the handler
and dog team thoroughly inspect each vehicle bringing supplies and services to Bagram and other parts of the country.
The
dog’s play a vital role in protecting the base by searching all of the supplies entering the base.
And the Military
Police who man the gates appreciate the added force protection benefit with the dogs being on site.
“The dogs
are really a great addition to what we’re doing out here,” said Pfc. Bertram Johnson, a military policeman attached
to the 551st MP Company. “The trucks go through the X-ray machine, but there’s always that ‘what if,’
and the dogs take away that ‘what if.’ ”
That “what if” came into play during a recent
vehicle inspection when Jenkins’ dog, Wilson, responded to the scent of explosives on a dump truck. Although the explosive
ordinance detachment determined the dog must have picked up on explosive residue and there were no explosives on the vehicle,
still it was turned away from Bagram.
These measures prove that it is better to be safe than risk the lives of Coalition
troops and the dogs are an important part of safeguarding these troops.
Although the current mission is focused on
force protection, the dogs are also trained to accompany Coalition troops on combat patrols. The dogs have sniffed out weapons
caches and are a form of non-lethal force useful on the battlefield, said Jenkins. There is also one dog trained specifically
to search for narcotics.
These animals are the best choice for all of these types of operations because of their sensitive
noses, giving them a strong sense of smell.
“(Imagine if you were to) walk into a room and smell a pot of stew
cooking,” Jenkins said. “Humans, we just smell the stew. A dog smells each individual item cooking -- the carrots,
the onion, the salt and pepper.”
When searching for explosives or narcotics, the dogs are very mission-focused,
paying close attention to the handler’s instructions, sticking close to the intensive training they have received. But
off-duty, they resemble any other dog, serving as their handler’s best friend.
“The rapport with all our
handlers and dogs is real tight,” Jenkins said.
Being deployed has brought the handler/dog teams even closer,
since the handlers live next to the kennels.
“Sometimes we bring the dogs in our hooches to sleep at night,”
Jenkins said. “It keeps the bond closer.”
In this line of work it is important that handlers have a strong
bond with their dogs, he said.
“Once you have that strong rapport, you know that dog will go through hell and
high water for you.”
Although the presence of the dogs will prove invaluable if an explosive is found being smuggled
on to Bagram Air Base, they continue to serve as a deterrent to would-be terrorists.
“Just with them knowing
we’re here and seeing the dogs here,” said Jenkins. “It’s one more obstacle that a terrorist has to
overcome.”
Satisfaction from a job well done for these handlers comes from understanding their role as deterrents.
“One of the things in the K-9 world is, in the narcotic world, you want to have finds,” said Jenkins.
“In the explosive world, you hope not to have any finds.”
(Editors note: Staff Sgt. Monica R. Garreau is
from 17th Public Affairs Detachment.)
Spc. Timothy Harvey sends his partner Zony after radio personality Flounder during the demonstration Monday.
by Spc. Joshua McPhie Pentagram staff writer
Fort Myer Military Police dog handlers had a chance to show off their skills as part off a morning radio show broadcast
Monday.
Local station DC 101 sent Flounder, a member of its morning show, to help with the demonstration by playing the guy the
dogs attack.
"I thought it was amazing," said Flounder. He had the opportunity to be attacked several times by a military police dog.
He was even attacked by two and three dogs at the same time, most of it while on the air.
Military police and the radio station had been working together for several weeks to arrange the demonstration.
"We actually called them because we heard on the radio they had an interest in the dogs," said Spc. Timothy Harvey, one
of the military police dog handlers who participated in the demonstration. "From hearing what they said on the radio, we knew
they were more interested in the aggression part of the demo but we wanted to make sure they understood the whole concept."
Before the demonstration started, military police briefed Flounder on what would happen during the demonstration and helped
him into a bite-resistant training suit. The radio personality said he became more confident once the military police trained
him on what would be happening.
"Those dogs are so well trained," he said. "I'd definitely do this again."
Military police gave a basic demonstration, which mostly focused on how the dogs aid their partners in apprehending a suspect.
"It's the same stuff we do whether people are watching us or not," said Sgt. Viridiana Lavelle, a dog handler. Handlers
train with their dogs almost every day, even coming in to work with their dog on their days off.
At a minimum, the handlers and their dog get four hours of aggression training and four of detection training each week,
according to Harvey.
"Nine times out of ten our demonstrations are for civilians or schools," said Sgt. Eric Knapp, a dog handler. "It's fun,
because other people get enjoyment out of seeing
Flounder gets a less than friendly
greeting from one of the dogs during the demonstration.
what
we do. People are inquisitive, they want to learn about what we do and learn about the dogs. Its fun for us to go out there
and show people what we do."
All the handlers agreed working with the dogs is enjoyable.
"Its rewarding to be able to watch your dog learn off of you and you learn from your dog, the way one dog and one handler
are put together like a team and the way they work together," said Lavelle. "Its interesting how much a dog can learn and
how much they can do. A lot of people don't realize their capabilities."
"It's a good job if you love animals and you like law enforcement, it puts both of them together," said Sgt. Jessica Whiteknight,
another dog handler.
While military police dogs may look like a pet, they don't act like it. They are trained to fiercely protect their partner.
"When [people] see us standing out at the gate, [the dog's] not a pet you come up to," Whiteknight said. She said people
often want to come up and see the dog.
"Stay away from me, stay away from my dog. You cannot pet him," warns Knapp. While well-trained, the dogs are not used
to being handled by untrained people.
Harvey sees the demonstration as a way to increase the public's awareness about military police dog teams.
"A lot goes on that people don't see," he said. He said he felt the demonstration was successful. "We had people stopping
by to say, 'I heard you on the radio.'"
___________________________________________
Jun 30, 2004 8:46 am US/Eastern Beaver
Falls(AP)
Vandals struck the grave of what some people call one of the heroes from
World War Two.
A metal marker was bent and a number of American flags were stolen from the grave of Ginger,
a German Shepherd, that pointed out snipers and other hidden enemies for U.S. soldiers.
She was wounded three times
by gunfire before she returned to the states and took up residence in North Sewickley Township in Beaver County. The dog's
name is engraved in bronze on a soldier's memorial in Ellwood City.
The dog was adopted by the community following
the war, but she died a short time later.
A group of residents in the community are working to restore the grave site
before the July 4th festivities.
1/31/2007 - MAXWELL
AIR
FORCE
BASE,
Ala. (AFNEWS) -- "Today,
you have
an
example
of what
a truly
great
NCO can
be,"
said the
42nd Air
Base
Wing
commander
to those
attending
the
January
and
February
enlisted
promotion
ceremony
at the
Enlisted
Club
Jan. 31.
Col.
Pete
Costello
referred
to Staff
Sgt.
Robert
Brown, a
42nd
Security
Forces
Squadron
military
working
dog
handler.
Sergeant
Brown
received
a Purple
Heart at
the
ceremony
for
wounds
he
received
while he
and his
military
working
dog Nero
were
deployed
to Iraq.
The
colonel
said the
Purple
Heart is
the
oldest
medal in
the
American
military,
devised
by Gen.
George
Washington
to
reward
his
troops
for
wounds
sustained
in
battle,
and that
it was a
"very
special
day" at
Maxwell-Gunter.
He said
it was
nice to
be able
to
present
the
medal at
a formal
observance.
"Unlike
today,
many
military
members
coming
back
don't
receive
their
Purple
Heart at
a
ceremony,
but in a
hospital
bed,"
Colonel
Costello
said.
Sergeant
Brown
said it
was also
a
special
day for
him, and
he felt,
"overwhelmed."
"I'm
glad I'm
back
here in
one
piece,
as it
could
have
been a
lot
worse
for us,"
he said.
"I never
would
have
thought
my
deployment
to Iraq
would
result
in a
ceremony
like
this,"
Sergeant
Brown
noted.
Sergeant
Brown
said he
was
grateful
for the
assistance
Nero
gave him
during
the
deployment,
but
especially
on that
day. He
said he
might
have
been
killed
if Nero
had not
warned
him of
the
danger.
Sergeant
Brown,
who has
been in
the Air
Force
about
eight
years,
sustained
a
concussion
and a
contusion
to his
right
leg when
an
improvised
explosive
device
exploded.
He and
Nero
were
checking
a field
in
Tahrir
City,
Iraq,
for
hidden
weapons
when
Nero
alerted
to a
suspicious
object.
The
object
was
detonated
by a
nearby
insurgent,
and
shrapnel
struck
the
sergeant
in the
head and
leg.
Ginger
Brown,
Sergeant
Brown's
wife,
said she
is "very
proud"
of him
and glad
he
returned
safely
back
home.
"When
something
like
this
happens,
it makes
you
reassess
your
priorities
and
value
and
appreciate
each
other a
little
more,"
she
said. "I
knew
about
deployments
when I
married
him, and
I know
he will
probably
be going
back
again.
And, I
will be
waiting
for him
when he
returns."
Mrs.
Brown
said she
too
loves
Nero and
is
grateful
to him
for his
actions
on that
day in
Iraq.
She said
being a
working
dog
handler
was what
her
husband
always
wanted
to do in
the Air
Force,
and he
has
worked
with
Nero
since
his
arrival
at
Maxwell.
A group of Soldiers need to clear a tall, dark
building, possibly housing terrorists in the city of
Muqdadiya, just north of Baqouba, Iraq. The Soldiers
have received reports of booby-traps in the area and
are unsure if the building itself is a trap. What are
they to do?
SHUKRAN,
Iraq - For nearly every cordon and search operation
in Iraq, a special two-Soldier team provides an extra
sense to the efforts to find anti-Iraqi forces and
hidden weapons. 
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