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The United States War Dogs Association
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CV Marine, K-9 Companion
Help Keep Troops Out of Harm’s Way
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Cpl. Jon Stevens and Chyna share a
moment away from duty. |
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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. |
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A special bond between soldiers in Iraq
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.
tina.susman@latimes.com
___________________________________________________________
Man's Best Friend' saves lives in Diyala
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.
judythpiazza@newsblaze.com
Copyright © 2007, NewsBlaze, Daily News
Tags: World, ,
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.
judythpiazza@newsblaze.com
Copyright © 2007, NewsBlaze, Daily News
Tags: World, ,
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Military working dog
dies defending freedom
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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
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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.
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'Man's Best Friend' saves lives in Diyala
By Spc. Ryan Stroud
(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 le
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