K-9 stands out as top dog

22/2013 – JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. — Staff Sgt. Samantha Navarrete, 11th Security Support Flight military working dog handler presents a 2012 K9 Medal for Exceptional Service to her dog Besy during a ceremony April  Read More:

‘Dog father’ retires from military service

SCHWEINFURT, Germany (Feb. 7, 2013) — It is a retirement ceremony like many. The anthem plays over the loudspeaker. Soldiers render honors. A barking of orders, medals pinned and an old Soldier — unleashed from military service — begins a new chapter in life. However, the retirement ceremony held, Feb. 1, here on Conn Barracks,…

Fort Bragg Dogs Adopted for Vets with PTSD

FORT BRAGG, N.C. – All of the dogs inside the Fort Bragg Animal Control Facility and Adoption Center were barking with excitement, March 25, all except for Tank, a pit bull mix. He calmly watched and wagged his tail as Robert Misseri, president of Guardians of Rescue, a nonprofit animal rescue organization, came over and…

Vietnam’s Combat Trackers

Pete Peterson was recruited for the combat trackers while recovering at a U.S. military hospital in Japan during the fall of 1968. It wasn’t a hard sell for the two trackers who shared his hospital ward. Peterson had lost several friends in a firefight with the North Vietnamese while he was sidelined with an ankle…

War dog Lucca honored in Tuscaloosa

TUSCALOOSA, AL (WBRC) – The Marine Corps League in Tuscaloosa hosted a very special soldier Tuesday. Lucca is one of the countless four-legged soldiers that have served with the armed services since WWII. By taking a quick glance at Lucca you would think she were like any other dog. She loves her chew toy and…

Man’s Best Friend Plays Pivotal Role in IED Defeat

  All the dog teams I’ve written about so far work as military working dog handlers full time. But what about those handlers who are saddled with this immense responsibility just months before deployment? What if you were an Army infantryman, cook, truck driver, and your unit informed you one day that you would be attending…

Paramus students learn importance of ‘war dogs’

Eighth-grade students at West Brook Middle School in Paramus learned on March 19 about the role dogs play in war, and how man’s best friend can be an amazing bodyguard. Dogs have been used in the United States military for years, and came to prominence during Vietnam, when their heightened senses were used to detect…

Military Dog Advocates Push For New Status For Canines

Currently there are an estimated 2,500 dogs deployed oversees to assist American troops, sent into situations which include detecting explosives and chasing down an enemy while facing combat and gunfire. It is estimated that each military dog saves approximately 150 soldiers during its years of service. Though in past conflicts, such asVietnam, military dogs were…