Military Dogs are “Best Friends, 24/7”
Anderson Cooper asks Staff Sgt. Price about the relationship between troops and their military working dogs. See Video:
Wounded Concord Soldier welcomed Home
ELKHART — “WELCOME HOME, AARON!” read one sign. “Thank you, Aaron! God bless you!” Shouts of joy and thanks echoed down the hall. “Welcome home, son!” Tears ran, flashes burst from cameras and cheers grew from the crowd at the South Bend Regional Airport arrivals terminal Saturday afternoon. Sgt. Aaron Yoder, specialized search dog handler…
The dogs of war: Saving lives but paying the price
CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan — Can courage be measured in a canine heart? Can a dog actually be a hero? Take Gabe for instance, a yellow Labrador Retriever who has three Army Commendation Medals and an Army Achievement Medal for finding explosives in Iraq. Actually, Gabe’s awards are not for finding weapons, ammunition, or bombs; but for…
How One Marine Saved Dozens of Dogs and Troops
Doesn’t the name “Captain Brandon Bowe” sound like some kind of American superhero? In a way, he really is. A recent feat this Marine accomplished will have far-reaching effects that could end up saving the lives of dozens of dogs, handlers, and anyone involved in today’s military missions. If you read my book Soldier Dogs,…
Waldo, Air Force base security dog, remembered as eager to please
To Air Force accountants, he was government equipment: military working dog Waldo F033. To those who knew him, he was the top dog in the kennel, the one who had excitedly rubbed his tail against his cage so often that it had to be surgically removed. The “nub” only added to his personality. Read…
Rebecca’s War Dog of the Week: Let’s not bet on sensors over dogs just yet
The Washington Times ran an article yesterday that caught my attention. The story’s subhead, “Fewer canines on battlefield,” made me raise a skeptical brow, but its opening line, “In Afghanistan, a soldier’s best friend is no longer a bomb-sniffing dog, but an electronic sensor” had me scoffing out loud. Read More:
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…
Controversial Army policy makes it difficult for soldiers to get service dogs
One day this spring, Army Specialist David Bandrowsky, 27, played Russian roulette with his .38 revolver. Bandrowsky planned to end his life, which had been at turns unbearable since he returned from a 16-month deployment in Iraq in 2008. He had been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, a traumatic brain injury and depression as a…
Rebecca’s War Dog of the Week: May claims two K-9 handlers, MA2 Brazas and Cpl. Coffey, KIA in Afghanistan
Shock and sadness rippled through the MWD world this week with the news that handler U.S. Navy Master at Arms 2nd Class Sean Brazas died on May 30th. He was killed by a single bullet while helping a fellow serviceman into a helicopter during “combat operations in Panjwa’l, Afghanistan.” MA2 Brazas’s working dog and partner,…
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…