Free Republic

The US army is poised to unleash the dogs of war – four-legged, petrol-powered robots to help its troops in battle. Billed as ‘the most advanced quadruped robot on Earth’, BigDog has been devised to support American troops by carrying up to four packs of equipment on awkward terrain unsuitable for wheeled vehicles. Standing at over 2ft tall and more than 3ft long, BigDog comes equipped with all manner of high-tech gadgets, including laser gyroscopes, a video camera sensor system and a sophisticated on-board computer – but, sadly, no wagging tail. The 11 stone machine, created by Boston Dynamics, can...

The SAS is training dogs to parachute into enemy territory on missions to sniff out insurgents and warn of ambushes. The German Shepherds are being taught to jump from planes at high altitude wearing their own oxygen masks and strapped to soldiers. Once on the ground they can be released into enemy territory with miniature cameras mounted to their heads. Live images of enemy positions and possible ambush sites can be relayed back to special forces teams in safe positions. The dogs will be earmarked for use in Iraq and Afghanistan.

DOGS will lead the way in SAS raids after being parachuted in to spy out rebels for troops, The Sun can reveal. Fearless German Shepherds are being trained to jump from aircraft at 25,000ft wearing their own oxygen masks and strapped to special forces assault teams. Once down in hostile terrain in Iraq or Afghanistan, the dogs will be sent in first to seek out insurgents’ hideouts with tiny cameras fixed to their heads. The cameras will beam live TV pictures back to the troops, warning of ambushes or showing enemy leaders’ locations. The amazing tactic – on which The...

SMITHTOWN, NY – Newly enlisted Sergeants First Class Boe and Budge are two black Labrador Retrievers about to embark on a historic mission. For the first time in the history of the United States Army, skilled therapy dogs, provided by America’s VetDogs, will be deployed to Iraq to help relieve combat stress of soldiers in the field. These two specially trained dogs will work with a multidisciplinary team of Army professionals to address mental health issues as they arise in theater. Staff Sergeants Mike Calaway stands with a Black Labrador Retriever in a VetDogs jacket. Photo credit Christopher Appoldt.Says Major...

Marine First Lt. Nathan Nielson plays with his dog Gus on Saturday at the Rancho Coastal Humane Society in Encinitas with society volunteer Diane Johnson, left, and Susan McBride of Animal House Pet Care. Gus is one of a litter of 7 puppies that were transported from Iraq to the society where they were housed and cared for, including medical attention, for about a month until their Marine owners returned from deployment in Iraq Saturday morning. Marine Capt. Jamisen Fox plays with his 4-month-old Turkish sheepdog named Kirby on Saturday at the Rancho Coastal Humane Society in Encinitas. Kirby...

F-18 pilot returns home to canine friend from Iraqi war zone They spent months in an Iraqi war zone cementing a special bond. Marine Major Brian Dennis greets Nubs early Saturday morning at Camp Pendleton. But after more than a month of being apart, Marine Maj. Brian Dennis began to worry if Nubs the dog would still remember him, especially in a new place like San Diego. Their reunion early Saturday at Camp Pendleton clearly showed otherwise. The 2-year-old old dog, named for his two nubby ears, drenched Dennis' face with doggie kisses and said hello with excited whimpers. “You...

Marine Reunited in San Diego With Dog He Rescued in IraqA San Diego-based Marine major was reunited on Saturday with one of his closest war buddies — a 2-year-old dog named Nubs. Nubs greeted Maj. Brian Dennis at Miramar Marine Corps Air Station when the fighter pilot returned from Iraq. It was the first time the two were together since Dennis' family and close friends helped raise $3,500 to fly the dog to San Diego about a month ago. Nubs wasn't allowed to stay on base in Iraq. Dennis, 36, of St. Pete Beach, Fla., had spotted the mongrel dog...

Dog Saved by Marine Coming to Calif. Published: 2/22/08, 9:05 AM EDT By Chelsea J Carter SAN DIEGO (AP) - It began with a simple act of kindness to save an abused, injured dog from becoming one more victim in the Iraq war. But what followed for Marine Maj. Brian Dennis and the mutt was a tale of friendship and loyalty that spanned miles and overcame long odds - one set to take a turn Friday with the anticipated arrival here of the Marine's best friend. "This dog who had been through a lifetime of fighting, war, abuse ... is...

Nubs, a wiry German-shepherd-border collie mix named for nubby ears that were sliced off as a puppy, will stay in Chicago with the family of one of his Marine colleagues until a final hop to San Diego, where a Marine fighter pilot stationed at Camp Pendleton has been given permission to care for the dog until Maj. Brian Dennis arrives home from his second combat tour. More Photos "Touchdown" was the first celebratory word in an e-mail Marsha Cargo received from her son Maj. Brian Dennis, after a dog who survived a 70-mile Hail Mary trek through war-torn Iraqi...

CAMP TAJI, Iraq, Feb. 21, 2008 – Hearing a noise in the hallway, Dean gets out of his bed on the floor and trots to the door as he searches the cool February air for a clue. Army Command Sgt. Maj. Vaneta Vaughn, the top enlisted soldier with 64th Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Multinational Division Baghdad, scratches Dean, the battalion chaplain’s dog, behind his ear at Camp Taji, Iraq, Feb. 16, 2008. Dean deployed to Iraq with the soldiers as the battalion’s therapy dog. Photo by Pfc. April Campbell, USA  (Click photo for screen-resolution...

When Maj. Brian Dennis first spotted a scruffy German Shepard-Border collie mix at a fort in Iraq, the dog wasn't interested in making friends. The dog, who lived in the wild with a pack of canine companions, had already been through a lifetime's worth of pain and neglect. His ears had been cut off as a puppy, and he had been trained as a fighting dog. Now that he was finally free of his tormentors, the dog just wanted to be left alone. But Dennis saw something special in the dog, whom he nicknamed "Nubs," because of his missing ears....

Sgt. 1st Class Boe, a therapeutic dog being used in Iraq to help Soldiers relieve stress, sits in the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division Operations Center, Jan. 10. Photo by Spc. Richard Rzepka, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (AA) Public Affairs. COB SPEICHER — Ever had a Sergeant 1st Class lick your face? For many Soldiers here, these are not freakish events, but regular occurrences.  Sgt. 1st Class Boe is the newest member of the 85th Medical Detachment Combat Stress Control unit at COB Speicher, and is one of two K-9 therapists being used by the...

One of the great concerns of those who are responsible for our military is morale -- how to keep it high. The most effective way to ensure high morale is efficiency and competence. That is, if soldiers know what's expected of them, have the support of their superiors, and are allowed to do their job effectively, their morale is usually good. In war, winning is a guaranteed morale builder. But these days, unlike WWII, "winning" often has a definition different from simply beating the enemy -- which our troops are doing pretty effectively in Afghanistan. Support of the government for...

"It's not going to bring back my brother, but it's something close to it," said Madison Lee as she played with Lex after the ceremony. Military officials initially told the family that Lex had another two years of service before he could be adopted. But the family lobbied for months — even enlisting the aid of a North Carolina congressman — and the adoption came exactly nine months after the 20-year-old Marine was killed and his dog wounded on March 21 in Iraq's Anbar Province. 2nd Lt. Caleb Eames, spokesman for the Albany base, said Lee and Lex were sitting...

Sgt. Richard Miller, from Floresville, Texas, a military policeman with the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Inf. Div., encourages his specialized search dog, Gabriel, before a search exercise at Forward Operating Base Hammer Oct. 24. Miller uses Gabriel in cordon and searches, cordon and knocks, raids, route sanitation and route clearance missions to sniff out explosives, munitions, weapons and ammunition. Photo by Spc. Ben Hutto, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division Public Affairs. FORWARD OPERATING BASE HAMMER — The German shepherd trots from rock to rock, ears pricked upward and nose pointed towards the earth, intent on his mission....

Army Honors Its 'Top Dogs' Sep 21, 2007 BY Lynn Davis Sgt. Scott Warner and Junior get below the wires on the obstacle course low-crawl. The team is with the 241st MP Detachment at Fort Meade. Photo by Department of the Army FORT MEADE, Md. (The Military District of Washington, Sept. 21, 2007) -- The Military District of Washington held the 2007 Canine Competition at Fort Meade last week. Twenty-four teams, each consisting of a handler and his dog, from Fort Meade, Fort Belvoir, Fort Myer, Fort Lee and the National Security Agency competed for four days trying to prove...

I remember hearing a short while ago that the Islamic Republic Police had “arrested” dogs, as a part of their “fight against immodesty”. Today, a very good friend sent a set of pictures of the arrested dogs. Clearly, these dogs are not meant to live in the conditions they are being kept, but, anyways, they do not treat human beings anything better.

The small group of veterans gathers at March Field Air Museum in Riverside, Calif., once a year, traveling from all corners of the country, to mourn forgotten heroes of battle. They come to honor the dogs that saved lives by detecting booby traps and watching over military camps, dogs that became trusted friends in times of loneliness. snip The Vietnam Dog Handler Association estimates that dogs saved 10,000 soldiers' lives during the Vietnam War. They would alert handlers to tripwires blowing in the breeze or the otherwise undetectable scent of buried explosives. Depending on their level of aggressiveness, the dogs...

Head over to Eighty Deuce's place and read the story of Charlie, a dog in which Eighty has grown very close to. He could use a bit of help contacting Military Mascots to help get Charlie to the States. Their website isn't exactly working at this moment in time, though. You investigative types mind lending your skills to Eighty? I know he would appreciate it and you'll get a thank you from me, too.

  Military Working Dogs Get New Digs Four-legged war fighters receive new kennels. By U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Ryan R. Jackson2nd Marine Aircraft Wing (FWD) AL ASAD, Iraq, Aug. 10, 2007 — Throughout the theatre service members are continually asking for and receiving operational gear they need to accomplish their mission. The latest troops on Al Asad to get new mission essential equipment were the four-legged war fighters, more commonly known as military working dogs, of Task Force Military Police, 1st Battalion, 12th Marine Regiment, who received new kennels during a ribbon cutting ceremony, July 18. "Now, when we...

Members of the Royal Army Veterinary Corps, currently deployed in Iraq, are helping their colleagues to fulfil crucial roles that share many of the risks undertaken by conventional 'teeth arms' units. Personnel from 102 Military Working Dog Support Unit based in Germany deployed to the Contingency Operating Base at Basra earlier this year to work with dog handlers from RAF Police and other Army Regiments. Prior to deployment, members were given intensive preparations to enable them to cope with the operational conditions and unexpected situations. This included being able to fulfil tasks whilst under fire or deal with potential bomb...

FORT HUACHUCA — When it comes to using dogs as part of the Army’s military police community, a small number of two- and four-legged teams are involved in providing protection. The 18th Military Police Detachment’s Military Working Dogs section on this Southern Arizona post has eight dogs and handlers assigned, but not all of them work on the fort. As members are being called to deploy to Iraq and Afghanistan, so are the working dog teams. One team, Sgt. Stephen Gruden and Staff Sgt. Goliath, is currently deployed. On Saturday, Sgt. James Adolfson and J.R., another four-legged staff sergeant, will...

A medal awarded to the only dog to be officially registered as a prisoner of war in World War II went on public display for the first time. Judy, a mascot on board a torpedoed Royal Navy vessel in southeast Asia, helped dozens of men survive a Japanese PoW camp in Sumatra after she was captured alongside marooned members of the ship's crew in 1942. Frank Williams, a British airman at the camp, befriended the pedigree pointer -- and later successfully persuaded Japanese officers to register her as a PoW. She went on to survive gunshot wounds and alligator bites...

Honor our war dogs, group says By LISA HOFFMAN, Scripps Howard News Service August 3, 2006 Veterans of three combat tours together, two U.S. Marines ran out of luck when they approached a suspicious-looking man outside an Iraqi police-recruitment center in Ramadi in January. Marine dog handler Sgt. Adam Cann sensed trouble when Bruno, his bomb-sniffing canine partner, became agitated, signaling the proximity of explosives. In a flash, the suspect detonated the pounds of explosives he'd hidden in his suicide-bomb vest, leaving dozens of dead and injured all around. Cann, 23, fell fatally wounded as he tried to shield his...

Veterans of three combat tours together, two U.S. Marines ran out of luck when they approached a suspicious-looking man outside an Iraqi police-recruitment center in Ramadi in January. Marine dog handler Sgt. Adam Cann sensed trouble when Bruno, his bomb-sniffing canine partner, became agitated, signaling the proximity of explosives. In a flash, the suspect detonated the pounds of explosives he'd hidden in his suicide-bomb vest, leaving dozens of dead and injured all around. Cann, 23, fell fatally wounded as he tried to shield his German shepherd from harm. In the aftermath of the blast, Bruno, his fur bloodied by his...

U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class “Lucky” sniffs for weapons and explosives while manning a traffic control point at the Sadr al Yusufiyah water treatment facility May 14, 2006. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Doug Pfeffer Soldiers Have ‘Luck’ On Their Side Sgt. 1st Class Lucky is a two-year-old white lab that specializes in locating weapons caches by scent. By U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Doug Pfeffer2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment CAMP STRIKER, Iraq, June 13, 2006 — While deployed to Iraq, soldiers from 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, have gained assistance in the searching of...

War Dogs The Army Quartermaster Corps began the U.S. Armed Forces first war dog training during WWII. By 1945 they had trained almost 10,000 war dogs for the Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard. Fifteen War Dog platoons served overseas in World War II. Seven saw service in Europe and eight in the Pacific. In 1951 the responsibility for training military dogs was given to the Military Police Corps. Dogs continued to serve the armed forces with distinction in Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm, Afghanistan and Iraq and many recent contingency operations. WE FEARED NONE My eyes have seen...

Military working dogs first entered the service in March of 1942 to serve in the Army’s K-9 Corps. Today, the dogs, who have an actual military service record book assigned to them, are still playing an active role in searching for explosives and seizing the enemy. ---Turn your Speakers up get out the Pop-Corn n Sodas Sit Back Relax and CLICK to start the show.

Trainer Rescues Dog from Fire Sergeant low-crawls through smoke to save his military working dog from blaze. By Chrissy Zdrakas 78th Air Base Wing Public Affairs ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga., March 16, 2006 — It was a clear, cool night at Forward Operating Base Wilson near the city of Tikrit in central Iraq. Staff Sgt. Christopher F. McCleskey gave his canine partner, Katja, food and water and left her in their quarters after a mission.      He ducked into a dining hall shortly before 9 p.m. Jan. 28 for a quick bite to eat.  A half hour later,...

KIRKUK, Iraq (Army News Service, March 14, 2006) -- With a modified ballistic vest, a Screaming Eagle combat patch and a Combat Action Badge, Zeko still may not look like the average Soldier, but he has become a valuable asset to the troops of Forward Operating Base McHenry. The explosive detection dog has found improvised bombs buried several feet in the hard desert ground. Zeko has brought new meaning to the phrase “man’s best friend,” said Bastogne Soldiers of 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, stationed at FOB McHenry. “He’s got a good rapport with the Soldiers,” said...

3/10/2006 - KIRKUK AIR BASE, Iraq (AFPN) -- “Get 'em!” With one swift movement, military working dog Breston is off like a flash, covering the distance between his handler and his target in just a few fluid strides. The reward for his speed and agility is a nice juicy bite. Of course the juicy bite was just the “bite suit” but Breston, a Dutch shepherd, delivers an impressive 900 pounds of pressure per square inch -- enough to tell any offender he means business and enough to knock a full grown man to his feet. Breston is one of the...

CAMP AL QA’IM, Iraq (Feb. 14, 2006) -- Inter-service rivalry is almost a tradition in the armed services, Marines, soldiers, sailors and airmen have all, at one time or another, joked about believed deficiencies in other services. Nothing is truer than the rivalry between the Marine Corps and the Air Force. Conflicts in the 21st Century, however, have yielded more opportunities for service members of all branches to work together toward a common goal. The western Al Anbar province of Iraq is no exception. Air Force Staff Sgt. Matthew D. Pierce, a military working dog handler with the 62nd Security...

...Was watching the CBS Evening News tonight (which I'm not usually in the habit of doing) and heard some sad news. ...Not sure if anyone recalls this story from back in November (see below) but apparently Capt. Smathers died last week, after collapsing during Reserve training. Capt. Smathers was an attorney in Maryland. During his year in Iraq, he earned four Bronze Stars, two Purple Hearts and an Army Commendation medal during his year in Iraq. Might be nice if we shared our expressions of sympathy, as well as our gratitude for his service to our country. If you'd like...

AL ASAD, Iraq (Feb. 7, 2006) -- On Jan. 5, a suicide bomber tried to interrupt Iraq's rebuilding process at a police academy in Ramadi, but honor, courage and commitment by Iraqis and Marines alike was the only lasting result from the attack. The bond between one Marine, Cpl. Brendan N. Poelaert, a military working dog handler with 5th Battalion, 14th Marine Regiment Provisional Military Police Battalion, and an East Kingston, N.H., native, and his MWD, Flapoor, a 4-year-old Belgium Malinos, came through the carnage unscathed, even if the pair did not. Poelaert, an Exeter High School graduate, joined the...

(CBS) You weren't seeing things if you thought you saw a German shepherd in the audience during President Bush's State of the Union address Tuesday night. Rex, a 5-year-old German shepherd who served as a military bomb-sniffing dog, was "seated" near first lady Laura Bush, as was his handler, Air Force Tech. Sgt. Jamie Dana. Dana and Rex trained together for three years before deploying as a team to Pakistan and then to Iraq, according to the White House. On June 25, 2005, they were riding in a Humvee in Kirkuk, Iraq, when a roadside bomb exploded, injuring Dana. "The...

2/1/2006 - WASHINGTON (AFPN) -- As the president spoke to the nation during the State of the Union address, an Airman sat in the gallery, dressed in blues, displaying the combat medals she earned in Iraq. America’s most prominent leaders were gathered in one room on Capitol Hill for the annual speech Jan. 31. Sitting attentively at her feet, the Airman’s German shepherd attended the speech too. Tech. Sgt. Jamie Dana is an Air Force security forces specialist and military working dog handler. In June she was severely injured by an improvised explosive device while on duty in Iraq with...

CAMP LIBERTY, Iraq (Army News Service, Jan. 23, 2006) – Staff Sgt. Archie, 67th Engineering Detachment, greets everyone with warmth and friendliness. His tail wags and his tongue lolls from his mouth as he places both huge paws on his visitor’s chest and gives them a dead-on look in the eyes. Staff Sgt. Figo greets her visitors with a serious stare, more aloof than her counterpart, but still friendly. She’ll gladly accept a pet on the head for a moment or two before turning to more important business. The 67th Engineering Detachment adopted the program, began by the British Army,...

MARINE CORPS LOGISTICS BASE BARSTOW, Calif. (January 19, 2006) -- "We were looking for weapons caches, improvised explosive devices and mines. That was our primary job," said Sgt. Neil Fucci, MCLB Barstow dog handler. Fucci and his Belgian Malinois, Rambo spent the majority of last year deployed to Iraq. While most Marines would try to avoid IEDs and mines, Fucci and Rambo, were searching specifically for them. In April 2005, Fucci and Rambo deployed from MCLB Barstow and arrived in Al-Asad, Iraq in mid-May. Forward Operating Base Camp Gannon in Husaybah, a town that sits very near the Iraqi and...

Ron Aiello's vision glows in bronze. The long-awaited statue, depicting a U.S. Marine kneeling beside his military service dog, stands tall in artist Bruce Lindsay's studio. In a few months, the monument will be moved to a Holmdel site, where it will become the nation's first sanctioned U.S. War Dog Memorial. "It is life-sized," he said, "but it is larger than life." Aiello, a Burlington County resident, was among a handful of veteran dog handlers who took on a mission six years ago to see that their canine partners and other war dogs were not forgotten The Memorial will be...

WASHINGTON - Severely injured when her Humvee was bombed in Iraq, Air Force Tech Sgt. Jamie Dana woke up in a military hospital and cried out for Rex, her bomb-sniffing dog. She was told Rex was dead. Later, she found out he was alive. But her joy soon turned to sadness when she was told she couldn't adopt him. Now, under a compromise announced Thursday between House-Senate negotiators, it appears Rex, a German shepherd, will join Dana full-time. He might even make it there by the holidays. "I don't really know how to put that into words," said Dana, a...

CAMP FALLUJAH, Iraq (Nov. 10, 2005) -- Some Marines stationed in Iraq have had the unique experience of deploying or crossing paths with a relative or other loved one while here. For one Marine serving with 2nd Military Police Battalion, II Marine Expeditionary Force (FWD), she had the opportunity to deploy with her best friend. Lance Cpl. Megan Leavey, 22, military police dog handler, arrived in Iraq late May with her partner Rex, a German Shepherd, to provide force protection for Camp Fallujah as well as security at entry control points in the city. Leavey and Rex began training together...

AR RAMADI, Iraq (Oct. 25, 2005) -- ‘Man’s best friend’ is a term of endearment that has been used by dog lovers for years, and in Iraq that brotherhood continues saving the lives of hundreds of service members. The noses and training of the military working dogs here assist in finding some of the largest weapons caches in Al Anbar province. Leading this pack of dedicated canines is a select group of Marines and an Airman. For Cpl. Justin T. Hanna, his dog Chang, 6, Lance Cpl. Andrew D. Johnson, his dog Charlie, 4, and Air Force Staff Sgt. Brook...

CAMP VICTORY, Iraq — A call for help is being answered. But this time, instead of sending in the Marines, it is the Leathernecks who are seeking the help of the 69th Signal Company’s cable dogs. A group of soldiers from the unit’s 1st Platoon, who will help put in a 40 miles fiber ring at an undisclosed Marine headquarters in this war-torn nation, left late Monday night on the assignment. When the job is done, Sgt. 1st Class Bobby Brown said it would not surprise him if 70 miles of communication cables of all types are installed. Since the...

Military Working Dog Takes Away Bomb's Bang. By Lance Cpl. James B. Hoke Marine Corps Air Station Miramar MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, Calif., Oct. 26, 2005 -- From the deserts of Iraq to the grassy slopes of Afghanistan, there has always been an impending threat of disaster. However, with the help of one of man’s best friends, Kwinto, this threat has been slightly reduced. Kwinto, a military working dog on Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, is an 8-year-old Belgium Malinois whose area of expertise is patrolling for and detecting explosives.“Kwinto was accepted for training in September of 1999,�...

Laurel lawyer John E. Smathers, a captain in the Army Reserve, returned from a year in Iraq with a broken arm, a wrecked knee and a chest full of medals. During his tour, Smathers helped thwart a bank robbery and assisted in recovering stolen Iraqi artwork. He survived an ambush and a high-speed auto crash. After a 17-month quest to bring his adopted dog from Iraq to Maryland, Capt. John E. Smathers was reunited with Scout in late August at Dulles International Airport. Scout had acted as a watchdog for Smathers's Army Reserve unit, above, in Iraq. After a 17-month...

For the freedom you enjoyed yesterday... Thank the Veterans who served in The United States Armed Forces. Looking forward to tomorrow's freedom? Support The United States Armed Forces Today!! Good morning TROOPS!!Today we look at Military Dogs 1) When did using dogs for war efforts begin? 2) What breeds of dogs are used? One breed of dog. 3)Are dogs being used currently in the Iraqi Freedom effort? 4) Training the dogs.Click this link... bentfeather/Peanuts and Canteen Crew.

HADITHA DAM, Iraq (Oct. 18, 2005) -- The use of dogs as guardians of military camps to protect against surprise attacks dates back to ancient Egypt. Today, dogs are not only guarding bases but also patrolling with Marines of 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment in Iraq. Sergeant James J. Wasmer, a Chatham, Mass., native, and his search dog, Euro, are one K-9 team busy doing weapons caches sweeps and entry control point searches to keep citizens of Iraq and Marines safe. Recently the team conducted a sweep with the battalion’s Company L to look for weapons caches and other explosives...

The mother of Cpl. Jeffrey Boskovitch, killed in Iraq on Aug. 1, wants to honor her son's wishes and adopt a fellow Marine from his company -- a scruffy dog named Beans. Kathy Wright of North Royalton cherishes a photo of her son holding the mixed-breed puppy that Weapons Company Marines bought from Iraqi villagers. "They paid three jelly beans and a quarter for her and that's how Beans got her name," she said Friday. "In July, my son e-mailed me saying he was trying to figure out a way to bring Beans home with him when his time was...

At a checkpoint leading to the US-protected Green Zone, Gordy stands sentry. The affable Belgian Malinois has a nose finely tuned to detect the nitrates, plastic explosives, gunpowder, and detonation cords that suicide bombers use to blow up people. On a barren stretch of road in northern Iraq, a dog rigged with explosives approaches a group of Iraqi police officers. Detonated by remote control, the bomb rips the dog apart but does not harm the officers. Abdel Salam Kubaisi, a spokesman for the Muslim Scholars Association, a hard-line Sunni Arab clerical organization sympathetic to insurgents, called the practice un-Islamic. ''Our...

BAGHDAD -- These are the dogs of war. At a checkpoint leading to the U.S.-protected Green Zone, Gordy stands sentry. The affable Belgian Malinois has a nose finely tuned to detect the nitrates, plastic explosives, gunpowder and detonation cords that suicide bombers use to blow up people. On a barren stretch of road in northern Iraq, a dog rigged with explosives approaches a group of Iraqi police officers. Detonated by remote control, the bomb tears the dog apart but doesn't harm the cops. In a war where the line between civilian and soldier is blurred, even man's best friend has...