Man’s Best Friend, a Soldier’s ‘battle Buddy’

BAGHDAD - Soldiers trust their battle buddies to have their backs in any situation. Regardless of the danger, it is a bond of war; a closeness that is rarely verbal, just understood through a simple nod or pat on the back. These highly trained and proficient canines and their military handlers perform to the highest standards in some of the most dangerous of situations.

---

AF SSgt. Joel Townsend, and his partner, Sgt. 1st Class A-Taq, a 2 year old Belgian Malinois, are a military working dog team assigned to the K-9 Stryker Unit, 1st Cav Div. During their 13 months of working together in Iraq, they measure success by finding enemy IEDs, weapon caches, and in some cases, the enemy themselves. “A-Taq is very proficient in explosive detection and attack work,” said Townsend. “For him, it’s not because he is vicious or malicious; it’s fun for these dogs. It's their mission. Finding a bomb or a bad guy, that’s his reward and A-Taq is very good at what he does. I know he will never hesitate. Every time we go out the wire I put my life in his paws, and so far we’ve been doing all right.” Classified on paper as a sensitive item worth more than $80,000, Townsend treats his 4 legged partner much differently than just another piece of govt equipment. “I sweep him every morning for scratches and bumps, anything out of the ordinary that could keep us out of the fight. We do physical training together every morning, and we train everyday, just keeping him proficient in his tasks,” Townsend said. “We do have those times when he knows it’s OK for him to be a dog. He knows how I feel about him, and he shows me as well. It’s more than just a working relationship.” Just watching these animals in action, it doesn’t take long to realize how specialized and difficult their training must be. Dogs like A-Taq receive and perform commands with clock-like precision for nothing more than a positive word or a pat on the back. Military working dogs are trained to overcome typical dog “behavior,” explained Townsend. When passing by the entry to a dark building, most dogs will tuck their tail and turn away. A military dog is trained to enter that building, as the handler’s eyes and ears, to recon and alert his partner to whatever is inside. “It’s not just the training,” explains Townsend. “These guys are a little nuts to begin with.” This ignites a barrage of long, wet tongue kisses from A-Taq — his form of approval for the joke. After joining the AF as a SF officer, Townsend said he spent 3 years as a “decoy” just trying to get in the dog handler program. While waiting from approval by his chain of command, he did whatever he could to be involved in the military working dog program. From cleaning kennels to “catching dogs,” a reference for being on the receiving end of bite training, Townsend paid his dues and earned his opportunity to join this elite team. All military handlers are required to attend the Military Working Dog Program Academy at the Yuma Proving Grounds in Yuma, Ariz., prior to deploying. The program is the closest and most realistic deployment training experience for these dogs and their Soldier/Airmen counterparts. “They simulate downrange so well, you and the dog feel like you are in Iraq,” remembers Townsend. “Pressure plate IEDs, buried weapons caches, one-five-five rounds, the villages; it is exactly what you are going to see over here. We are living together, working together, learning together … the training prepared us both for coming here. It’s an indescribable confidence that A-Taq and I gained.” “Everything I feel is transferred right down the leash. He knows when I am anxious, uneasy, excited, or upset; he feels that. These guys are the 4-legged unsung heroes of this war … the last things you want to do as the handler is throw that off because you may not be having the best of days.” From their everyday heroics, to the times they spend together as best friends, Townsend is adamant to show all service members that the opportunity to work alongside A-Taq is not just another aimless business relationship. It is an opportunity to trust the Soldier next to you. “This is hands down the coolest job in the military; we have a bond with these dogs that are as attached to us as we are them. I have gone to war with this dog, and I would do it again in a heartbeat. I will go to the end of the world and back again for this dog, and I know he would do the same.”

---