Posted on 09/03/2009 2:39:45 PM PDT by Lorianne
In the Persian Gulf, on the island of Bahrain, the U.S. Navy has a special division made up of bomb-sniffing dogs and the sailors who handle them. The Bahrain Military Working Dogs Division was featured in a Navy News spot highlighting the work involved in deploying these highly trained canines to sniff out narcotics and explosives coming through the Persian Gulf and into the war zones of Afghanistan and Iraq.
(See a Navy video of the dogs that can detect small amounts of explosives with a sense of smell "10 times greater" than their trainers'.)
Developing trust between the dog and the handler is at the core of what makes canine detection work, as together, their job is to step into situations that can be deadly at any moment. However, that trust between the individual sailor and dog does not necessarily extend to the overall culture of the unit.
A Youth Radio investigation has found that between 2004 and 2006, sailors in the U.S. Navy’s Bahrain Military Working Dogs Division, or "The Kennel," were subjected to an atmosphere of sexual harassment, psychological humiliation, and physical assaults.
“The heart of its pioneering efforts is to train young people from under-resourced public schools, community-based organizations, group homes and juvenile detention centers in broadcast journalism, media production and cutting-edge technology. Youth Radio offers professional development and technical skills training absolutely free of charge with the aim of preparing young people for pathways to meaningful careers. Youth Radio graduates leave with the soft and hard skills necessary to land jobs with employers from KCBS and KQED to the Port of Oakland and Google.”
From the web site for Youth Radio
I believe that is enough said.
Turns out at least one of the “victims” is now no longer in the Navy because he “told” (in the “don’t ask, don’t tell” sense of the word).
I guess they would really have a problem with the Navy Seals or any other unit like them. It’s all part of the training and they have their reasons for doing what they do. They need to quit their whining.
I think it a lot greater than that.
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