Free Republic

YUMA, Ariz. — Aster, a 1-year-old long-haired Labrador Chesapeake, had an upset stomach and threw up in the examining room of the Yuma Proving Ground’s veterinarian clinic. The dog is one of several dozens that just arrived from Indiana, where they embarked on a military working dog training program. At YPG’s Mine Detection School, the dogs will train in detecting explosives in buildings, vehicles, buried in the roadway or somewhere in the field, probably in Afghanistan.

FORT POLK, La., May 24, 2010 – FORT POLK, La., May 24, 2010—For troops seeking the most realistic training experience possible before deploying to Afghanistan, most wouldn’t expect to find it within the pine forests of western Louisiana. The Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk, La., prepares rotational training units with scenarios that replicate situations they’ll encounter during deployments to Afghanistan. DoD photo by Donna Miles  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. But here at the Joint Readiness Training Center, that’s exactly what the 101st Airborne Division’s 4th Brigade Combat Team is realizing, as it goes through a rehearsal...