The DOGS OF WAR Go Airborne in Afghanistan

[Segami]

:wow: Dogs NEVER cease to amaze me!!


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" Dogs have been involved in the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts since the start; they’re NATO’s best bomb detectors, for instance. But the canines are taking on new wartimes roles – as paratroopers in Afghanistan and as improvised explosive devices in Iraq.


Members of Britain’s Special Air Service (SAS) special forces have begun parachuting into enemy strongholds in Afghanistan with Taliban-seeking German shepherds strapped to their chests. Once on the ground, the dogs hunt for Taliban insurgents in buildings and — with cameras strapped to their heads sending back video — act as forward scouts for the British special forces unit. The work is every bit as dangerous for the dogs as it is for their human counterparts, The Guardian reports. Eight SAS paratrooper pups killed in combat thus far.


Though the missions are officially secret, earlier reports of the pups’ training shed some light on how the British special forces are likely using them. SAS pooches are trained for High Altitude High Opening (HAHO) jumps, in which parachutes are deployed at a high altitude and long horizontal distance away from a target location in order to allow jumpers to glide in without detection. The SAS dogs are trained to jump tethered to their handlers from heights as high as 25,000 feet and up to 20 miles away — or a 30 minute glide — from a target location. At that height, the lack of oxygen puts them at risk for hypoxia, or oxygen deprivation, so the dogs are fitted with special masks to give them breathable air. The Brits reportedly borrowed the tactic from America’s super-secret Delta Force, which first trained dogs to make HAHO jumps.


cont'

<http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2010/11/the-dogs-of-war-go-airborne-in-afghanistan/>

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[BrklynLiberal]

1. The use of dogs for war never ceases to make me want to puke.

but then, war, in general, makes me want to puke...

One more case of mankind assuming every other creature on this planet is here merely to serve their needs.

Are we going to abandon them there, like we did with the heroic canines of VietNam??

http://community-2.webtv.net/Hahn-50thAP-K9/K9History/

[G_j]

2. +1000

[Rhiannon12866]

3. +1001

;(

[pinboy3niner]

4. +1003

I don't know about the SAS, but U.S. policy now allows a dog handler to take the dog home with him or her upon rotation.

A friend who served as a Scout Dog Handler (walking point for the Infantry) in VN tells me that after a succession of 3 or 4 handlers, a war dog is no longer good for the job and may even turn on people, including the handler.

After some 30 years, my friend finally found two handlers who inherited "his" dog, Orion, and learned that Orion died in-country in the line of duty.

I knew how much Orion meant to my friend, so on a trip to D.C. for Memorial Day ceremonies at the Wall, I got him a souvenir there--a statuette of Frederick Hart's "Three Fighting Men" sculpture--and after searching for a while, I found a German Shepherd figurine that was the right scale and glued it to the base. Around the dog's neck I attached a bandana with the insignia of my friend's unit, the 33rd Scout Dog Platoon of the 4th Infantry Division...

[BrklynLiberal]

5. I saw a show on PBS a while back about the War Dogs. They interviewed handlers...some of whom still

had their dog's collars...some of which were torn by shrapnel...the dog had died taking the shrapnel that would have killed the handler.

This was 30 years later...and most of the handlers still cried over the memory of their dogs.

There are War Dog Memorials...
http://www.uswardogs.org/ listen to the song...

http://www.eagleid.com/veterans/dogs.htm

Dedicated to the memory of all those who served . . . Italy, France, Russia, Belgium, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, and Great Britain all have formal monuments and decorations dedicated to war dogs by the military organizations under which they served. War dogs in other countries have also been awarded medals and other forms of official recognition for serving their countries. Of all of the countries to employ the use and help of dogs during times of war, the United States military stands alone as the only world military to not formally acknowledge the contributions made by its canine soldiers. Due to a policy that has existed since World War II, and despite the protests of armed forces personnel, the United States military refuses to formally recognize the accomplishments of its canine soldiers, stating that such recognition is "demeaning to servicemen."

Nearly 4000 dogs served in Vietnam and saved up to 10,000 American servicemen through their scouting and sentry duties. When withdrawing from Vietnam in 1973, the military classified the dogs as surplus equipment to be left behind during evacuation. Many dogs were left with South Vietnamese allies who were afraid of the dogs and didn't know how to handle them. Many of the dogs were euthanized, and many more perished at the hands of their inexperienced South Vietnamese handlers. Only a handful of Vietnam war dogs made it back to the United States. Many handlers and trainers who worked with these dogs were traumatized by having to leave their faithful companions behind, stating that the dogs saved their lives and often did more work than they did.

Relegated to the status of military equipment rather than personnel, dogs in the U.S. military were drafted for life and were euthanized once they are deemed infirm and incapable of continuing their jobs. The military claimed that these dogs were incapable of being retired to civilian life, despite the fact that police dogs, which receive identical training, are successfully and peacefully retired to loving homes and families upon retirement. As a result of the past indifference shown toward war dogs, many of their accomplishments have been unjustly forgotten, or at best, relegated to the status of "trivia" by war buffs. Many of the records of war dogs and their handlers have been lost or destroyed, and the public remained largely unaware of the contribution by dogs in the armed forces. The military as since changed their policy due to overwhelming protests from both the public and the dog handlers themselves. Military dogs are now returned to the U.S. and are no longer euthanized, but instead are given to their handlers when they are retired. They can then live out their remaining years in the peace and comfort of a loving home.

It is hoped through this message that these dogs will be remembered and appreciated for the services they provided for our armed forces and to our country. Please copy and forward this page or address to as many dog lovers as you can so that these canine heroes are not forgotten. I am proud to be a retired veteran and I and those veterans that I have personally contacted don't consider a memorial to these heroic canines as demeaning to veterans. These dogs deserve more... much more. Doug Foote - Webmaster


PRINCE 347E, German Shepard, Vietnam (see photo). He served our country his entire adult life and was put to rest on October 2, 1968, at the War Dog Hospital, Long Binh, Vietnam. "I have remembered him every day for the last 39 years and will continue to do so until I join him. Thank you very much for honoring those that the military/politicians in DC forgot so many years ago." - Robert L. Ott, Initial Trainer and Handler

:cry:

http://vdha.us/
Viet Nam Dog Handler Association

Memorials around the country..
http://vdha.us/memorials/

http://vdha.us/wardogs/index.php?alpha=o
Has a dog named Orion listed with the tattoo K034. Could it be your friend's dog?


http://www.amazon.com/War-Dogs-Americas-Forgotten-Heroes/dp/B000040OTW
War Dogs recounts the great untold story of the Vietnam War. Witness the emotionally powerful, real-life story of several thousand courageous dogs that fought with allied soldiers and saved countless lives. Utilizing never-before-seen archival footage, private home movies and filmed dramatic reenactment, journey with the War Dogs and their handlers into some of the fiercest fighting ever caught on camera. Under the harshest conditions, we'll see the bond of man and dog reach emotional heights that arise above the cruelty of war. Running time: 70:30.

Website for the movie
http://www.war-dogs.com/

[w8liftinglady]

7. My partner was a dog handler in Vietnam(NOT Cambodia,as we like to joke)

and he,too,has the collar of his dog,Roady.
They guarded my dad in ..not Cambodia.
thank you for sharing this...I will pass it on to him.he still gets teary talking about Roady.

[BrklynLiberal]

8. I added somethings to the post. Perhaps you will be interested.

[pinboy3niner]

9. Yes, the Orion listed at that site is my friend's Orion

I don't know if the listing was already there, or if my friend made sure it was entered when he joined the association. I suspect it was the latter. He always looked out for his dog, and I know he would have made certain that Orion was memorialized.

Thanks, BrklynLiberal, for making all the good info and links available.

:yourock:

[BrklynLiberal]

10. Thank you pinboy. Hope your friend finds some helpful info on the sites.

[proteus_lives]

6. Sad fact is that animals have nearly always gone to war with man.

The cavalry horse, the chariot horse.

The horse and mule pulling supplies.

Carrier birds taking messages.

War elephants.

Dogs in many roles.

There is even a case in WWII where a bear fought along side a Polish battalion.

Voytek (Wojtek) the Soldier Bear.

http://www.badassoftheweek.com/voytek.html