'Sgt. Rex' fetches NCO Corps induction (Sgt WOOF! WOOF!)

Multi-National Force-Iraq ^ | Sgt. Matthew Cooley, USA

[SandRat]

Sgt. 1st Class Rex, a patrol explosive detector dog with the 178th Military Police Detachment, is presented to the audience as a new member of the Corps of Non-commissioned Officers at an NCO induction ceremony in the Morale, Welfare and Recreation tent on COL Q-West, Dec. 12. Photo by Sgt. Matthew Cooley, 13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary).

COL Q-WEST — Sgt. 1st Class Rex, a working dog with the 178th Military Police Detachment, was inducted into the Corps of Non-commissioned Officers here, Dec. 12.

The ceremony, normally for newly-promoted NCOs, inducted 32 human Soldiers and Airmen along with Rex, who was the highest ranking NCO to be inducted, welcoming them to the "time honored corps."

Military working dogs are given a rank one higher than their handlers, so it's normal to have canine NCOs, but very rare to have one officially inducted into the corps, said Staff Sgt. Cully Parr, a McBride, Mich., native and Rex's military police dog handler with the 178th MP Det.

"It's probably the first time they've ever done this for dogs," he said.

The duo paired up in July after Rex, a two-year-old, finished the military's dog version of basic training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Parr said.

"He doesn't work without me – I don't work without him. He's like any other Soldier," Parr explained.

Rex's primary job, explosives detection, is only awarded to dogs that meet very strict special requirements determined by thorough testing, Parr said.

Parr began his career as an Army dog handler in late 2005 because he enjoys working with dogs and believes he can use the skills he's learned in a civilian career someday.

"It's one of the best jobs in the Army," he said.

Parr said that having Rex inducted was good for the other Soldiers' morale and showed that military working dogs are Soldiers, too.

"People just light up when they see him," Parr said.

After the ceremony, dozens of Soldiers went to Rex to pet him and have their pictures taken together.

Parr cautioned that not all military working dogs are as well socialized as Rex though, and that one should ask the handler before petting one.

According to Parr, the Army tries to pair working dogs and handlers with similar personalities as it helps them work together better as a team.

He also said that he enjoys taking Rex to such events because it might get Soldiers interested in the program.

All of the NCOs inducted into the corps were presented with a certificate and introduced by name to the audience as they stood, one by one, under crossed sabers.

"Being an NCO is more than acquiring skills, passing boards or completing courses ... ," Sgt. Elizabeth Whitehead, 15th STB personnel NCO, said during the ceremony. “ … It is a change in the mentality of how we conduct our day-to-day business."

Prisoners of war and Soldiers missing in action were honored at the ceremony by the presence of the Fallen Soldier's Table, a small empty dining table set for one.

Master Sgt. Terry Moten, a Dallas native and 15th Special Troops Battalion training and schools NCO in charge, was the ceremony's guest speaker. First Sgt. Willie Johnson, A Company, 15th STB, first sergeant and 1st Sgt. Jeanette Short, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 15th STB, first sergeant, administered the Oath of the United States Army Non-commissioned Officer and Charge of the Non-commissioned Officer, respectively.

Although Rex could not take the oath, he barked excitedly after the ceremony.

"He is also a Soldier," Parr said.

[SandRat]

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[e_castillo]

Thanks for posting.

[SueRae]

Great story!!!

[shibumi]

ping

[JoeProBono]

Q-West Military Dog Fetches NCO Corps Induction

[GSP.FAN]

Wow that is excellent,thank you for the ping.

[freekitty]

He’s beautiful. I always ask before I touch any dog I don’t know. Most police do not want you to interact with the dogs; mostly when on duty. They are working dogs.

[MadMax, the Grinning Reaper]

Freekitty: You are right about the police not wanting people to interact with their dogs while on duty.

My son is a K-9 handler and one day a tourist came over and started his “here kitty, kitty” routine and tried to pet his dog.

My son, who can bark a command (I had to put that in there) upbraided the man by saying “I don’t come over and try to pet your wife and say “here wifey, wifey” so don’t come over here and do that to my dog.

“My dog” is a 70 pound Belgian Melanoise with a jaw bite power like a car-crusher. However, I can put my fingers in her mouth and she just licks me. A big pussycat under all those canines, but don’t piss her off or she’ll hand you your hand and change.

Like ALF, she does love cats - for breakfast, lunch and dinner, which poses a problem to 2 of our 6 cats. The others just claw her once in a while to show who’s boss while the others lick her. Two are scared crapless of her and give her wide berth. To say that “Elvis has left the building” is an understandment. Elvis, one of our cats, can dive thru a pet-door faster than a Democrat after a dollar.

Our house is a zoo and we love it.
PS: None of our neighbors give us any crap. Gee, does a big dog (and a smaller tough dog), a badge, and a bad-ass shotgun really keep the riff-raff away? YES!!

[freekitty]

I love the Belgians. My trainer trains and raises Belgians for the Texas police departments.

Yes our house is a zoo too; and I love my guys. They are so important to me. I am into showing, etc; but pretty much have decided to fix all but one or two of the guys. Just a lot of bad people in the business. Two of girls are already champions; and my white shepherd dog’s dam is the highest titled white shepherd in the country right now so I may continue to show him to title him. They all have their seperate personalities. It’s funny to see who matches up with who. My 120 lb male is best friends with my 27 lb hound. They just love each other.

I do understand the types that just come up and start petting away. I have no problem telling people not to pet my guys until they know them and I don’t blame your son at all. He is right; especially since he has a working dog and that dog is doing it’s job.