Four-legged Warriors

They say that a dog is man’s best friend. These military troopers prove it. Ron Aiello was a 21-year-old corporal in 1966 when he and his scout dog, Stormy, went on their first mission together in Vietnam. Walking ahead of a Marine platoon, they secured one village and had just entered a clearing near another…

Military Working Dogs: What Happens After They Serve?

A staple to most militaries around the world, dogs hold important roles including sniffing out drugs and bombs, finding victims of natural disasters, and lifting the morale of injured troops. But what happens after they’ve served their time in the military? To find out, we spoke to Collen McGee, public affairs officer at Lackland Air…

Bomb-sniffing dog in hunt for Hero Dog Award

  He’s received three Army Commendation Medals, an Army Achievement Medal and 40 coins of excellence. Now Gabe, a retired Army working dog, is in the running for the 2012 Hero Dog Award from the American Humane Society for his work sniffing out insurgent bombs, guns and ammunition in Iraq. His Facebook page has more…

A Memorial Day Message

MEMORIAL DAY 2012 With Memorial Day fast approaching I started to think about a young Lady I met back in 1965, she was only 18 month old (her name was Stormy) and I fell in love immediately. We stayed together for the next 16 month and if not for her there is a good chance…

U.S. troops winning war against IEDs of Taliban

Dogs and devices sniff out top killer The U.S. military is on a path toward significantly fewer battlefield deaths in Afghanistan this year because it has become better at detecting the No. 1 killer of U.S. troops: the improvised explosive device (IED). With the 2009 surge forces leaving the country and Afghan troops preparing to…

Hero Dog

Local soldier’s companion candidate for top award By AMY MILLER amiller@tnonline.com At 9 years old, Gabe, a yellow Labrador, looks like any older dog, with white fur peppering his strong golden face. He’s affectionate to anyone he meets, and enjoys the little things in life, like treats; spending time with his owner, Sgt. 1st Class…