Posted on 10/26/2005 5:08:18 PM PDT by SandRat
AR RAMADI, Iraq (Oct. 25, 2005) -- ‘Man’s best friend’ is a term of endearment that has been used by dog lovers for years, and in Iraq that brotherhood continues saving the lives of hundreds of service members.
The noses and training of the military working dogs here assist in finding some of the largest weapons caches in Al Anbar province. Leading this pack of dedicated canines is a select group of Marines and an Airman.
For Cpl. Justin T. Hanna, his dog Chang, 6, Lance Cpl. Andrew D. Johnson, his dog Charlie, 4, and Air Force Staff Sgt. Brook K. Jones, a his dog Indie, 4, are the military working dog team assigned to combat outpost here. They assigned to 2nd Force Service Support Group deployed to the city of Ar Ramadi to save lives of their fellow service members by detecting explosives before they can harm anyone.
“Our dogs are trained smell explosives,” said Jones. “They are also trained to attack on command.”
One specific area the dogs of Ar Ramadi have excelled is in finding weapons caches and explosives used to make improvised explosive devices, ultimately making the roads safer.
“It’s satisfying to know that we are keeping the [service members] safe out here by finding these weapons,” Hanna said. “My dog and I are always ready to help.”
Even though these handlers have some very well-trained dogs, their partners are in fact dogs that need constant attention.
“We spend hours and hours with our dogs,” said Hanna. “We have to take them out, walk them and play with them.”
These Marines cultivate a close relationship with their dogs as a result of the amount of time they spend with each other, Johnson said.
“I love my dog,” said Hanna. “If I had the chance I would adopt him.”
As military policeman the men are already in a small occupational community, but being a dog handler is an even more tight-knit community, Johnson said.
“Everyone knows everyone,” Johnson said. “We find out what works for each other and use it.”
Due to the fact, that the Ar Ramadi area is one of the most active insurgency areas in Iraq, this particular dog team has been quite busy.
“Since I have been out here, Charlie and I have found explosives with the engineers and confronted a suicide bomber,” Johnson said. “Being a part of the fight is important to me.”
Jones and his dog, the team’s only airman, are in the unique position to experience operations not normally assigned to them in the Air Force, but the two are taking advantage of their situation to the fullest.
“I love being over here with the Marines,” Jones said. “It’s an experience I will never forget, and will never get a chance to do again in the Air Force.”
WOOF! WOOF! WOOF!
BTTT
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