Southern Afghanistan - Military Dogs And Handlers Patrol In Afghanistan - News

FORWARD OPERATING BASE JACKSON, Afghanistan After the suicide bombing, your U.S. Marine doggy handler place for a stretcher, his bloodied hip and legs laced with shrapnel. They earned his wounded dog, too. Blood dripped in the haunches with the Belgian Malinois.

Seven Afghans passed away in the insurgent attack on Sept. 8 in close proximity to a Marine battalion headquarters with southern Afghanistan . Sgt. Kenneth Fischer as well as his dog, Drak, were being flown simply by heli-copter with a greater base for emergency treatment, and then outside the country for surgery. Both will check out Texas for rehabilitation, along with eventually, in accordance with government custom, Fischer could take up Drak plus have the pup home.

"I have honestly expended more hours with Drak when compared with I have by myself daughter," Fischer, 27, said by means of phone number previously this particular weeks time through their hospital bed with a government health-related center within Bethesda, Maryland. The Marine have been effective with 4-year-old Drak pertaining to 2 yrs and used a total with nine several weeks inside Afghanistan. His daughter, Cheyenne, will be 19 weeks old.

Much is made of the attachment concerning men during arms, women and men partnership concerning man plus dog in a resist zone seems in the same way tight. Handlers as well as teeth which sniff to get explosives as well as narcotics patrol together, day time after day, linked with a leash plus an innate perception of each other. Sometimes, they rest alongside in navy cots. They experience the same problems together.

A component with handlers and also canines works away from Camp Leatherneck, the chief Marine starting in southern Afghanistan , dwelling in order to insurgent strongholds. The coaches and teams supporter out throughout Helmand domain plus beyond, working with Marines plus some other limbs with the U.S. military, as well as Afghan causes and, at times, British troops.

Eight in the 30 handlers are actually injured this year, but Drak has been a common dog to get wounded, said Staff Sgt. Morris Earnest, inspector on the unit, which is part of that I Marine Headquarters Group. Half attended property because the severity with their injuries. Three of the lost braches to handmade bombs, but their particular pets surfaced "without some sort of scratch."