Military dogs - getting the honor they deserve!!
The military dog, Jay with his handler in Iraq!!!
I have highlighted the role of dogs as companions in many entries and even spoke about the many dogs that servicemen have befriended and brought home from Iraq. However, I felt on this Memorial Day, it would be proper to honor those dogs who have served all branches of the military and many of whom have lost their lives doing so.
The first dogs used in military service was in World War I. In World War II, the dogs walked combat patrols and could sniff out the enemy at about 1000 yards, which was long before the U.S. soldiers would be aware of them. Abiout 1500 dogs were used in the Korean conflict, primarily for guard duty and in Vietnam, more than 4000 dogs were used to counter the enemy and officially 281 of those dogs were killed in action.
Today, many of the military dogs are still used for guard duty. However, their duties have expanded as well to include mine sniffing, enemy location and tending to the wounded. Dogs are a vital part of the military forces in our fight against terrorism. Simply having a dog by a soldier’s side is a strong deterent to an enemy fighter. Somehow a growling and snarling dog is more scary and intimidating than a soldier who is armed.
Most training for these military service dogs is completed at the Defense Department’s Military Working Dog Program that is housed at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas. There are approximately 2300 military working dogs currently serving. Most of the dogs today are being trained as sentries and bomb sniffers. The numbers are growing based on the need to increase and win our fight against terror. Prior to 9/11/2001, only about 200 dogs per year were being trained. Since 9/11, about 500+ dogs per year are being trained.
So when you say your moment of silence today for the those who gave the ultimate sacrifice, say a little extra prayer for their 4 legged counter parts. They deserve it.!!!
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