Local Marine, dog reunited after tour in Afghanistan

The Wichita Eagle ^ | FRED MANN

[Dubya]

He saw a squirrel the other day in his new back yard in Derby and chased it up a tree.

First time he'd ever done that. He hadn't seen squirrels, or trees, in Afghanistan.

It was a big moment for ETTy, a black and white mutt that was adopted in Afghanistan in December by 1st Lt. Chris Corman of Derby and some of his Marine buddies

Corman, 28, was stationed with about 20 other Marines in Mehtar Lam, halfway between Kabul and Jalalabad.

For nine months, they served as an embedded training team with a unit of the Afghan National Army.

So they named the mutt ETTy, for Embedded Training Team puppy. They raised him on chow-hall food and care packages from home.

When their families learned they had a dog, Corman said, "All of our care packages quickly turned from being magazines and anything we wanted to being dog food."

They thought about leaving him for the next team, but changed their minds.

"He got to be such a member of the group, we didn't want to leave him," Corman said.

When plans fell through for another Marine to take him, Corman stepped up.

Back home in Derby, Corman's parents, Dan and Peggy Corman, raised $4,000 to have ETTy flown to stay with them.

[Dubya]

Travis Heying/The Wichita Eagle
First Lt. Chris Corman poses with ETTy -- short for Embedded Training Team puppy, in Afghanistan. Corman, a Marine who just got home to Derby, had the dog shipped home after his unit took in the puppy while serving in Afghanistan.

Travis Heying/The Wichita Eagle
ETTy -- short for Embedded Training Team puppy, sits on the top of a Humvee in Afghanistan. Lt. Chris Corman, a Marine who just got home to Derby, had the dog shipped home after his unit took in the puppy while serving in Afghanistan.

[Mr. Jazzy]

Devil Dogs!

OooRah!!!

[9YearLurker]

What an adorable pooch! (And marine.)

[Secret Agent Man]

Good for both of them. There’s a reason why this guy wound up with this dog, they will be good for each other. Dog looks really happy and friendly.

[ElayneJ]

Beautiful!

[AnAmericanMother]

That dog's just plain happy.

He's got a bright, intelligent eye and a nice smile!

[tired1]

I feel bad about the pooches that served in Viet Nam.

[STARWISE]

Awww .. GREAT story and reunion ... here’s a video:

http://www.kake.com/news/headlines/59860717.html

~~~

Dog travels from Afghanistan to Kansas

Last Update: 9/19

###

WICHITA, Kansas - It’s not every day you see a dog walking through Mid-Continent Airport. Then again, it’s not every day that a dog arrives in Wichita from Afghanistan.

“I’m just happy to be home,” Marine Chris Corman said.

This is all the doing of Marine First Lieutenant Corman of Derby. While stationed in Afghanistan, his team met Etty.

“It’s just making a name out of our embedded training team,” Corman said. “That’s what E.T.T. stands for.”

Etty stayed with the marines, whose deployment was extended to keep the peace during recent elections.

“We took care of him basically for about seven months until we tried to send him home.” Corman said.

That sounds easier than it was. To get Etty stateside would cost around $4,000.

“Me and my family stepped in to take the cost and bring him back here,” Corman said. “It just took a long time to get him out of Afghanistan. There’s a lot of travel involved.”

Etty’s journey took him from Afghanistan to Pakistan. Then he traveled to New York City to Kansas City and finally to his new home in Derby.

Etty arrived before his new best friend, in plenty of time to greet Chris Corman at Mid-Continent Friday night.

Corman says helping Etty was an easy decision, since it was Etty that helped him during times of war.

“It was nice to have something that was more normal than anything else,” Corman said.

http://www.ksn.com/news/local/story/Dog-travels-from-Afghanistan-to-Kansas/R7L1C01Xf0iBXdFCobBRUg.cspx

[TASMANIANRED]

Pooch is a real cutie

[Yorlik803]

Unlike certain current Presidents that will go un-named.

[Yorlik803]

Yes,very sad. All were killed because the military felt they were either carrying diease or were unable to adjust to civilian life.
The more a person gets to know people, the more they like dogs.

[rabidralph]

When Pres. Palin finally gets around to cutting out waste in government, I would not mind if my tax dollars went to bringing these military dogs and adopted dogs back to America so they could stay with their handlers and caretakers.

[blam]

Thanks Chris. Luck dog.

[Semper Mark]

“The brotherhood of patriots and warriors.”

[fishergirl]

Awww! Great story, thanks. They’re both really cute!

[pillut48]

God bless the Marines!! :*)

I love these soldiers rescuing puppy stories! :*)

[Mr. Jazzy]

You said it brother.

[tired1]

The more I know people the more I respect sentient creatures, including various bacteria.

[afraidfortherepublic]

I second that!

[SandRat]

WOOOF!

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