Posted on 05/05/2011 10:45:51 AM PDT by Second Amendment First
Dogs have been fighting alongside U.S. soldiers for more than 100 years, seeing combat in the Civil War and World War I. But their service was informal; only in 1942 were canines officially inducted into the U.S. Army. Today, they're a central part of U.S. efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan -- as of early 2010 the U.S. Army had 2,800 active-duty dogs deployed (the largest canine contingent in the world). And these numbers will continue to grow as these dogs become an ever-more-vital military asset.
So it should come as no surprise that among the 79 commandos involved in Operation Neptune Spear that resulted in Osama bin Laden's killing, there was one dog -- the elite of the four-legged variety. And though the dog in question remains an enigma -- another mysterious detail of the still-unfolding narrative of that historic mission -- there should be little reason to speculate about why there was a dog involved: Man's best friend is a pretty fearsome warrior.
Above, a U.S. soldier with the 10th Special Forces Group and his dog leap off the ramp of a CH-47 Chinook helicopter during water training over the Gulf of Mexico as part of exercise Emerald Warrior on March 1.
(Excerpt) Read more at foreignpolicy.com ...
Daredevil dogs: The question of how the dog got into bin Laden's compound is no puzzle -- the same way the special ops team did, by being lowered from an MH-60s helicopter. In fact, U.S. Air Force dogs have been airborne for decades, though the earliest flying dogs accompanied Soviet forces in the 1930s.
Dogs usually jump in tandem with their trainers, but when properly outfitted with flotation vests they can make short jumps into water on their own. A U.S. Navy SEAL, Mike Forsythe, and his dog, Cara -- pictured above -- recently broke the world record for "highest man/dog parachute deployment" by jumping from 30,100 feet.
Wish these guys would drop in on Michael Vick for a visit....
Good dog!
What a tremendous story and WOW the pics.
I particulary like knowing a dog was part of killing OBL and hope it pisses the muslims off.
Aren’t dogs considered unclean by muzzies?
THANK you for posting this
Parachuting doggies.
Wow. Thanks for posting.
Who needs sharks with frickin lasers?
Why blind people don’t go sky diving.
It freaks out their dogs!
Doggy sings “I wanna be an Airborne Ranger!!!!”
One thousand dogs - they test today
Only one - wears the green beret.
God made man, and seeing him so feeble - gave him the dog.
Wow. I have jumped with radios, machineguns, desks, you name it.
But I have never jumped with a dog.
I didn’t even know such a thing exists.
Awesome.
In memory of my beloved German Shepherd Max.
RIP July 4, 2009
C’mon Buddy! Last one in’s a rotten loser.
not to be out done, satan saw the event and gave women cats
For anyone who hasn’t seen it, I recommend the documentary film “War Dogs: America’s Forgotten Heros”. Primarily about the history of dogs in combat and of dogs that had to be left behind in Vietnam.
I think it’s only available on VHS, but a must-see. There won’t be a dry eye in the house of dog lovers.
AH SA
Tonight I will hoist a glass of wine and hug my golden/ GS Mix in Max’s honor.
Vietnam is the worst place for a dog to be left.
Sorry to hear that happened.
Did this documentary also cover their service in WWII? I saw a show on the Military Channel about it...fascinating! I think they play it fairly often.
ping
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.