By Rebecca Frankel
Best Defense Chief Canine Correspondent

Marines with Military Working Dogs Platoon, 2nd Law Enforcement Battalion II-MEF (Fwd) pay their final respects to Sgt. Joshua R. Ashley during a memorial ceremony in the Regional Command Southwest chapel, Aug. 17. Ashley, from Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., was killed in action July 19 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province.

Ashley's partner, MWD Sirius, was also at the memorial.

Rebecca Frankel, on leave from her FP desk, is currently writing a book about military working dogs, to be published by Free Press.