By Rebecca Frankel
Best Defense Chief Canine Correspondent

A fall postcard:

Lance Cpl. Sam Enriquez, a military working dog handler with 3rd Law Enforcement Battalion, and his K-9 partner Kally, take part in night operations training during the Inter-service Advanced Skills K-9 course at the U.S. Army's Yuma Proving Ground. Enriquez and 18 other military police K-9 handlers from the Army, Navy, and Marine Corps took part in the advanced pre-deployment course. Since the rigors and dangers of combat don't end when the sun sets, neither does the training the teams go through."

Rebecca Frankel, on leave from her FP desk, is currently writing a book about military working dogs, to be published by Free Press in the fall of 2013.

By Rebecca Frankel

Best Defense Chief Canine Correspondent

A young Army corporal and his detection dog named JaJo, a German Shepherd, suffered life-threatening injuries from an IED blast on Sept. 15 in Afghanistan where the team was on deployment. Family members who have been sending updates to the Military Working Dogs Facebook page (run anonymously by former and current handlers) said that the corporal suffered "severe blunt trauma and shrapnel injuries to his face, neck, and legs." JaJo, who also took a hit, ultimately had "half of his spleen removed and suffered two broken bones in his right-rear foot."

One of the flight medics who says he was on the team that picked up the wounded dog and handler after the blast also wrote in to MWD group about the incident:

"The credit to saving their lives goes to a small surgical team in Afghanistan. They did not have a vet at their location. The surgeon, who is an Army Colonel, attended to [the corporal] first. He later provided the lifesaving chest tube intervention to JaJo. It was his first chest tube performed on a dog. His years of experience and knowledge paid off to save these soldiers lives."

The handler was sent to the intensive care unit Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Germany and his dog to "a medical clinic nearby." A U.S. Army article that came out this week details the team's brief but harrowing stint in Germany following the incident notes that the soldier when conscious asked after JaJo.

"When his nurse told him JaJo (pronounced "zsa-zso") was being treated for injuries at a nearby military veterinary clinic, but was doing fine, she said a tear of relief rolled down his cheek."

Because JaJo, who is part of the Army's TEDD program that pairs detection dogs with infantry men (Tactical Explosive Detection Dog), was well enough, the head doctor of the Military Working Dog Ward at the Dog Center Europe, Captain Catherine Cook, arranged for the dog to look in on his handler. Though the soldier wasn't "initially aware of his visitor, JaJo licked his outstretched hand. ... Moments later, an eye opened as JaJo licked his hand again and the Soldier was alert enough give his friend a loving cuddle."

As of Wednesday, the FB group reports that both handler, who has continually shows signs of improvement, and JaJo are now back stateside and continuing their recuperation.

Rebecca Frankel, on leave from her FP desk, is currently writing a book about military working dogs, to be published by Free Press in the Fall of 2013.

Photo Credit: There is no credit assigned from this photo. It originally appeared with this story.

By Rebecca Frankel
Best Defense Chief Canine Correspondent

Kentucky Agribusiness Development Team 4's Master Sgt. Chris Campbell (right) of Nicholasville, Ky. provides highly trained Zack the military working dog with water from his Camelback while taking a break in the shade in southern Afghanistan July 10. With temperatures exceeding of 110 degrees Fahrenheit, getting lots of shade and water whenever possible is essential to helping working dogs function more effectively as a member of the team. Also pictured is Zack's handler, Sgt. Charles Nelson (left) of Ahoskie, N.C."

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

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.

By Rebecca Frankel Best

Defense Chief Canine Correspondent

Can you spot the war dog...?

Navy SEALs demonstrate the Special Patrol Insertion/Extraction rig during a capabilities exercise at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story during the 43rd annual Underwater Demolition Team (UDT)-Sea, Air, and Land (SEAL) East Coast Reunion on July 21 on Virginia Beach, VA. The annual reunion started in 1969 and has expanded into a weekend of events, contests, and a SEAL capabilities exercise."

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

By Rebecca Frankel
Best Defense Chief Canine Correspondent

Somewhere in the Marshall Islands, cute aren't they?

We mean the puppies of course! These four Marines have taken over the job of being foster mother to the pups, after their real mother left behind by the Japanese, gave birth to a litter of 13 and couldn't take care of all of them. The Marines are (from left to right): 2nd Lt. G.H. Hoffman Jr., Corporal Louis R. Bonini, Corporal Edward J. Frankenbech, and Master Sergeant Harold "Porky" May. Their recipe for raising good, healthy puppies --plenty of C rations. All four Marines and puppies were attached to an aviation group with 4th Marine Air Wing."

This photo is taken from the Marine Corps Archives & Special Collections, ca. 1941-1945.

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

By Rebecca Frankel

Best Defense Chief Canine Correspondent

I came across this wonderful photo of Butch and war-dog tribute in his honor on United States War Dog Association's Facebook page this week. I got in touch with the owner of the photograph, Tonja Dubois, and not only did she graciously give permission to share the image here (a photograph her father carried in his wallet until the day he died), but offered more of the story.

"According to my dad, Butch, a French Bulldog, was the unit mascot (sadly, I don't know the unit's identification information) and he was with the Air Force from the time he was a puppy. The whole unit took part in raising him.

Butch was a true companion to my dad and, according to Dad, 'one smart fellow.' He would accompany the men to the garage and "work" with the crew, fetching tools for the mechanics. He was a beloved dog among all the men but was clearly attached to my dad. They were tremendous friends and my dad doted on him with playtime, tricks, belly rubs, and walks.

Butch had such an impact on my father, that Dad developed a love for dogs that I have seen unmatched in other people. He didn't care what kind of dog it was; he loved it unconditionally.

From the way my father spoke of Butch, he was probably the first real confidante he had. He was also Dad's first dog. No other compared to him. Butch reigned supreme in my dad's heart until his death in February 2010."

Tonja writes that he father was allowed to adopt Butch when he left the military -- the Air Force relented after much begging. Butch lived at home with his favorite Airman until his death that, in a remarkable if not sad coincidence, came to pass on the very day Tonja was born in 1965.

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

By Rebecca Frankel

Best Defense Chief Canine Correspondent

During a night mission this past Wednesday, Marine Cpl. Joshua R. Ashley was KIA by an IED blast while on patrol in Helmand Province. Ashley's father, John, told local reporters last night that Ashley's dog, Sirius, who was with him that night, survived.

There will be many reasons why Ashley's death is going to be an especially harsh blow to the MWD community. The first is that this fresh loss comes, once again, too close on the heels of the deaths of MA2 Sean Brazas and Cpl. Keaton Coffey. The second is that, unlike the Brazas and Coffey (who were killed "during combat operations"), Ashley was killed by an IED, the very thing he and Sirius were trained to detect. And the last reason -- or at least the last one I will list here -- is that it's hard to imagine that someone like Ashley could be killed by anything. A formidable presence by any measure, he stood well above six feet tall and was an avid weightlifter; he was, in a word, enormous. And from a distance, Ashley appeared indestructible.  

The above photo of Ashley and Sirius is one I took in March. I spent two weeks with them and the other 16 dog teams who trained at the Inter-Service Advance Skills K9 Course at Yuma Proving Ground in Yuma, Arizona. I won't say that I knew him well, I didn't. But I spent hours watching this pair work, and it was Ashley and Sirius I trailed a short distance behind while they went through a "night mission" during the course's final exams. I chose to follow them because I knew they were a standout team. I chose to follow them because they were fun, lively, and exciting to watch.

Charismatic and a born leader, Ashley originally of Rancho Cucamonga, CA, was admired by many. "He didn't have to try," says Tech Sergeant Justin Kitts who was an instructor from the Air Force when Ashley and Sirius came through YPG. Ashley, who he remembers as "funny and who take care of the other guys," was one of his favorite students and his death has Kitts "shook up." And "after six months of classes coming through," he told me yesterday, "that means something."

In the emotion of this week, in the emotion of writing this post even, it is hard not to stray into sentiment, into too quickly memorializing this young Marine. To be honest, I remember thinking Ashley was pretty damn cocky -- a characteristic most handlers will tell you is a pre-requisite for the job. I also initially thought him aloof and nonchalant which is why I was surprised when, out of the blue, he volunteered to set up this Sirius-drives-the-gator photo shoot for me. As he positioned the four-year-old Shepherd's paws on the steering wheel he did it with a patience and gentleness I didn't expect.

In addition to all the tactical training they teach out at YPG, the instructors there also work hard to impart the kind of lessons you can't train for, to instill upon their young servicemen and women the state of mind necessary to do the job of clearing roads for bombs. I heard it repeated over and over whenever a handler would get tripped up and when nerves and frustration would well up, taking over. "When it's your time to go, it's your time to go," they would reason, saying, "Relax. Just trust your dog." The sad truth is that it doesn't matter how good the handler or how spot-on the dog, there simply is no foolproof way to get past every IED.

The instructors who trained Ashley and Sirius during the IASK course are taking this loss hard-they're sad, pissed off. But those still working at YPG are out in the hot sun as I write this, training up another class of handlers. One such instructor, Sgt. Charlie Hardesty, marveled that a big man like Ashley could be so humble and that his fellow Marines followed him without hesitation.

And then, "I wish this war was over."

Ashley's family is planning a memorial service for Monday. He is survived by his parents and two brothers.

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

By Rebecca Frankel

Best Defense Chief Canine Correspondent

Looks like we've hit the dog days of summer over here at the Best Defense workshop. While Tom is taking a well-deserved break from blogging after a long haul of book writing, I will be more or less doing the same. Except this hiatus comes just in time as I have a long haul of book writing ahead of me this summer. Instead of our regular Friday war-dog post, I'll be offering a Friday war-dog photo-postcards if you will, like this one:

Zzarr, a 6-year old Dutch Shepherd and his K-9 handler U.S. Army Sergeant Nathan Arriaga (partly hidden by Zzarr), are shown before leaving Forward Operating Base Walton to patrol with 1st Battalion 67th Armoured Regiment, Task Force Dealers in the Arghandab district of Iraq. Both Zzarr and K-9 handler Sgt. Arriaga did their first combat duty in Iraq in 2009."

If you have a good MWD photo -- or pics of a soldier stray -- from the front you think deserve a viewing here, send 'em to wardogoftheweek(at)gmail.com.

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

By Rebecca Frankel

Best Defense Chief Canine Correspondent

MA2 Sean Brazas, who was killed in action in Afghanistan on May 30th, was laid to rest this week at Arlington National Cemetery. Earlier in the week, family and friends from his hometown in Greensboro, NC gathered for a memorial service. His high school also paid tribute, flying its flag at half-mast. 

Brazas's parents and sister spoke to a local news team about their son -- who leaves behind his wife and their 13-month old daughter -- and how proud they were of him. "If I could turn out to be half the man..." his father started before stopping to regain his composure. "He got to be married and have a family, just not long enough... At the end of the day you want your kid back, it's that simple."

Two other fallen servicemen were remembered in a memorial service held on June 1, on a military base in Afghanistan -- MWDs Nina and Paco. Both of the dogs' handlers got up and spoke about their fallen partners. Sgt. Adam Brown, Paco's "one and only handler," said, "There's only a few times in my life that I've come across an opportunity that's changed my life, Paco was one of those opportunities." Nina's handler Sgt. Daniel Wilker said he knew the two shared a special connection when Nina accidentally bit him one of the first times they trained together. "She laid next to me and had this look on her face that she was so sorry."

Among the mourners at Arlington National Cemetery and among those gathered to pay respects in Afghanistan, were fellow canine handlers and their dogs.

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

By Rebecca Frankel, Best Defense Chief Canine Correspondent

The Washington Times ran an article yesterday that caught my attention. The story's subhead, "Fewer canines on battlefield," made me raise a skeptical brow, but its opening line, "In Afghanistan, a soldier's best friend is no longer a bomb-sniffing dog, but an electronic sensor" had me scoffing out loud.

The news of the piece is focused around the comments of Rod Korba, identified in the article as a spokesman for JIEDDO; comments that the reporter says represent a supposed "shift" in the organization's strategy. I assume Korba's statement is recent though no date or forum is mentioned. Though some readers might understandably assume this article is commenting on the MWD program at large, Korba is talking about JIEDDO's investments, saying that JIEDDO-engineered hand-held sensors are outperforming the JIEDDO-funded IED detection dogs (different than MWDs). "What it comes down to," says Korba, "is we have other resources that we have had greater statistical success, handheld sensors and things like that."

Unfortunately, that "statistical success" is not shared in the Washington Times' report nor is it validated by any reports of on-the-ground experience. Korba might only be speaking of JIEDDO-funded dogs, but the lack of clarity here undermines the work of the entire community. None of the program managers, or handlers I've spoken to who have worked -- or are still working -- dogs downrange, say these sensors outperform MWD teams. Furthermore, those that have seen the sensors in action have told me they've observed battery failure, false readings, and say that to be utilized to full effectiveness these technologies require very controlled situations. (There's also a failure here to address some basic points. For example: Korba references the hand-held sensor which implies the person holding it has to be close to the source of explosives to make a reliable find, while a dog can be worked off leash alerting to odor at a reliable distance from source, but more importantly a safe distance from its handler.)

Furthermore, I didn't find Korba's comments about canines to ring with much truth -- especially his asinine critique that dogs' effectiveness is diminished because troops "end up befriending these animals" -- and their presentation in this instance borders on irresponsible. Korba is quoted early on in the piece saying, "We are sort of de-emphasizing [dogs] because we find that other technologies are far more effective"

Sort of? Well, we are sort of still sending our dog teams out on missions. After spending this last week talking with those in the MWD community struggling with the loss of fellow handlers (as well as canines) who were recently KIA in Afghanistan, this is particularly infuriating.

To be sure, there is no perfect dog or infallible dog team. Dogs get tired, overheated, or they may lose their nerve. Handlers also get worn down; some might even get lazy and neglect reinforcing obedience training (a far greater offense than showing affection to their canine partner). And combat zones are unpredictable and terrible places -- the reality is there is simply no way to avoid every roadside bomb.

Now that the U.S. military is struggling with budget cuts that are likely to deepen with a troop drawdown, we need to make sure that the troops still fighting have the best support funding allows. The real danger with an article like this is not only that it is intellectually or journalistically weak, but that one day soon our troops might be conducting combat operations with electronic sensors in their hands when what they really need is a dog by their side.

Above, U.S. Army Sergeant Nathan Arriaga walks with Zzarr, a 6-year old Dutch Shepherd at FOB Walton, on patrol mission with 1st Battalion 67th Armoured Regiment, Task Force Dealers in the Arghandab district on July 25, 2011.

By Rebecca Frankel

Best Defense Chief Canine Correspondent

Lance Corporal James Wilkinson was a mere two meters away when a roadside bomb exploded, sending shrapnel spray into his hip and stomach, severing the femoral artery in his leg. The blast launched Wilkinson off his feet, and though he was able to take stock of the severity of his wounds, he blacked out before he could call for help.

When he came to he found Tam, the yellow Labrador who'd been his bomb-sniffing partner during their three months in Afghanistan, standing over him. After the explosion Tam, who had not been injured in the attack, stuck close by his handler through the billowing black smoke and barked "like mad," not only bringing Wilkinson back to consciousness, but also drawing their fellow soldiers to his aid. They treated him quickly, applying a tourniquet to his leg and getting him onto the U.S. Black Hawk helicopter that brought him swiftly to Camp Bastion's military hospital. 

The doctors who repaired the extensive damage done to his hip and leg told Wilkinson, a dog handler with the 104 Military MWD Squadron of the British Army, that if he'd arrived at the hospital "a minute later he would be dead." His surgeries lasted an entire day.

Originally from Yorkshire, Wilkinson, 26, is still working through his recovery. "It is a slow process," he told reporters, "but I am getting there. I am walking, which is the main thing. A lot of guys who get caught by IEDs (improvised explosive devices) end up losing a leg or both."

Unfortunately, his career as a military dog handler is over. Wilkinson suffered nerve damage in his leg and still has shrapnel in his body. The Army has classified him as "non-deployable." His wife Kerry has left the Army and hopes that her husband will decide to join her in civilian life and return to his former job as a gamekeeper. They are expecting their first child this summer. But Kerry, who was also a handler with the 104, knew Tam and saw the connection between her husband and his canine partner. "They had a great bond. Jim loved that dog."

There is no questioning the role the dog played in saving this soldier's life. Of Tam, Wilkinson says, "He was my world. He was a good companion and I trusted him."

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

By Rebecca Frankel

Best Defense Chief Canine Competition

In last week's post I sent a dispatch from Lackland AFB in San Antonio, Texas where I attended the DoD's K-9 Trials -- a dog team competition that hadn't been hosted there since 9/11.

The competition itself spanned three long days. Each day every team had to complete a series of new tasks, which stretched from detaining unruly and aggressive "suspects" they encountered on a patrol, to multiple cordon searches for explosives (or for the narcotics dogs, drugs), and finally to the Iron Dog challenge. The competition overall was designed to push each team to the edge, forcing them to dig into all areas of their handling-skills and to call up the full-length of their training. But without question the Iron Dog -- a six-mile course outfitted with a series of obstacles, including a dog carry up and down a 100 meter incline, a mud crawl, a dash through a low-rising river, a few walls to hup over with the canines, and a human carry (basically a fireman's dummy that I heard weighed upwards of 150 lbs) -- was the most arduous leg of the trial. On this day contestants, who were judged by noted experts in the field on a scale of points, were rated as they had been days prior, but the Iron Dog was without a doubt, a race to the finish.

I stationed myself at the first obstacle -- the dog carry. The weight and size of these dogs varies greatly. The first German shepherd to get hauled up the hill weighed 98 pounds. (That's a lot of weight to begin with, but not all of these dogs enjoy getting a bumpy ride on their handlers' shoulders and struggled the whole way up, and all the way back down.) A few teams opted out of this obstacle altogether, taking the ten-minute penalty rather than enduring the climb. But more than just a remarkable feat to watch, this part of the challenge is a great example of how important a skill carrying a dog actually is when these teams are downrange for real. Handlers do not leave their dogs behind; they must be able to bear the weight of their four-legged partners. One of the lessons a handler learns in preparing to deploy is that when he or she is assigned a mission they must convey to the mission's commander one unrelenting and crucial thing: Where I go, my dog goes.

It was not a remarkably cool week in San Antonio, and the Texas sun, which drove temperatures in the mid-90s, coupled with oppressive humidity, made for challenging conditions for not only handlers but for the dogs as well. There were veterinary techs stationed around the course checking the dogs to make sure their temperatures hadn't climbed to a dangerous level and on hand to douse their backs with cool water. While no dogs were seriously injured, I did hear that a couple weren't able to withstand the heat and couldn't complete the final run.

But in the end, most of the teams crossed the finish line at a run -- hot, tired, bruised and blistered, but deservedly proud, with their dogs trotting in fine form beside them.  

Following is a small gallery of photos from the event along with the official list of winners. Special thanks to photographer Christy Bormann for generously sharing these images with us, and who also happened to be great company during the competition.

Read on

Last week, France lost one of the fiercest among their canine fighting force, the 132e Bataillon Cynophile de L'Armee de Terre. On April 17 Fitas, an eight-year-old Belgian Malinois, succumbed to injuries he sustained while serving in Afghanistan. 

According to the Armée de Terre's Facebook page in April of last year, while on patrol in Afghanistan, Fitas uncovered an ambush awaiting French troops. Apparently, the dog not only alerted to the danger, but was key in warding off the insurgents during the attack that followed. Unfortunately, during the upheaval, Fitas was captured and held captive for months.

My French is a little rusty but from what I could tell, there are at least two accounts of what happened after that fateful night. As one story goes, Fitas was found (some versions say rescued) by the Afghan National Army and returned to his unit stationed at Camp Warehouse near Kabul. According to Facebook, the brave dog escaped on his own mettle though it doesn't detail how he made his way back to his fellow troops last August.

Sadly, what finally took down this warrior dog was an injury he suffered either during the initial attack or while poorly treated during his captivity. Reports say Fitas contracted some kind of disease or infection from the wound, something that was apparently too pernicious or too far advanced to treat.

For his bravery, Fitas received commendation from General Ract Madoux, who awarded the dog with the Gold Medal of National Defense with the Silver Star.

In the above photo, Fitas poses with a French soldier in Kabul on Sept. 10, 2011. Note his front-left paw, the site of his injury, easily distinguished by the reddish coloring.

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