One Of Our Nations Silent Heroes Has Four Legs!

Military War Dogs - By Staff Writer on Thursday, May 5, 2011 - 15:05

One of the heroes in this weeks major news story was actually a dog.  While the breed is not known, Belgain Malinois or German Shepherd Dog are the most likely, one of the silent heroes of the capture of Osama Bin Laden was a military war dog.   It is believed that the dog was used to either detect weapons or people in the Bin Laden compound or to capture anyone who fled during the fight. 

Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander of United States forces in Afghanistan, said last year that the military needed more dogs. “The capability they bring to the fight cannot be replicated by man or machine,” he said.

Thousands of dogs are used in military forces across the world and serve a very important task of helping keep our troops save and aiding in the capture of opposition.  Paired with modern technology, troops are even able to remotely command the dogs.

Last year, the Seals bought four waterproof tactical vests for their dogs that featured infrared and night-vision cameras so that handlers — holding a three-inch monitor from as far as 1,000 yards away — could immediately see what the dogs were seeing. The vests, which come in coyote tan and camouflage, let handlers communicate with the dogs with a speaker, and the four together cost more than $86,000. Navy Seal teams have trained to parachute from great heights and deploy out of helicopters with dogs.

So when you think of the troops risking their lives to give us freedom, remember the dogs that run along side them.

Full Article [NYTimes]