It's a well established fact that the proliferation of IED's in Afghanistan is the number one danger to the lives of our troops there. Every month more of our troops are injured or killed by IED's than engagements with Taliban fighters.
During a visit with wounded Marines at the military hospital in Bethesda, Md., Marine Commandant Gen. James Amos asked how many had a bomb-sniffing dog with them when they were injured. Half did not.
The Marine Corps is now on a crash program to increase the number of its dogs in Afghanistan. "I'd like a dog with every patrol," Amos said.
Because of the increasing threat of IED's to our troops in Afghanistan, the military is ramping up their deployment of these specially-trained mutts. These dogs are so important to our troops, save so many lives, they are indispensable.
We want to encourage the use of these trained dogs to save more lives - so we're sending care packages to units with K9 teams, including boxes of doggie treats, along with the normal care package items. Sponsor one now!
"Electronic equipment is great in the laboratory, but out on the battlefield, you can't beat the dogs," said Bill Childress, manager of the Marine Corps working dog program. "The most versatile, mobile piece of equipment we can find is the dog's nose."
In four months, Marines using dogs, electronic gear and intelligence from villagers have found more than 400 buried roadside bombs in Sangin, long a Taliban stronghold. More than 100 bombs exploded before discovery.
That 4-to-1 ratio is considered a sign of success in the grinding fight against improvised explosive devices. Still, 31 Marines have been killed and more than 140 wounded since late September.
In Afghanistan, the Marine Corps has 170 bomb-sniffing dogs, Childress said. The plan is to begin, by late summer, increasing that number to about 280, spread among 20,000 Marines and sailors.
Dogs have deployed with the U.S. military since before the Civil War and have continued ever since. As in other wars, the bonding between the dogs and their Marine handlers in Afghanistan is the stuff of legend.
With more dog and handler teams deploying to Afghanistan to combat the threat of IED's, shouldn't we do something to support the K9's who help keep our troops safe from roadside bombs and other threats. For a limited time only - MAF is including doggie treats in the care packages, and mailing to units with these specially trained canines!
It's a well established fact that the proliferation of IED's in Afghanistan is the number one danger to the lives of our troops there. Every month more of our troops are injured or killed by IED's than engagements with Taliban fighters.
During a visit with wounded Marines at the military hospital in Bethesda, Md., Marine Commandant Gen. James Amos asked how many had a bomb-sniffing dog with them when they were injured. Half did not.
The Marine Corps is now on a crash program to increase the number of its dogs in Afghanistan. "I'd like a dog with every patrol," Amos said.
