Free Republic

Menomonee Falls — It's one thing to have a major surgery like an ACL and meniscus repair. It's another thing to work through the physical therapy and exercises required to get it back up to snuff. Especially when you're a four-legged retired war dog like Flo, who survived seven months of combat in Afghanistan before returning home to be cared for and adopted by his handler, Cody Crangle of Menomonee Falls. Under the supervision of Scott Fellenz, Flo had major surgery in August at Family Pet Clinic in Menomonee Falls. People from all over the world rallied when they heard...

Best friend. Hero. Marine. Max is all of these, and what’s more, he’s a dog. “Max” is also a movie, and as a family film mixed with adventure-film intensity, it’s something to woof home about. You may think you’re looking at a German shepherd, but Max is a Belgian Malinois, a member of the sheep-herding family to be sure. But this is a breed so strong, agile, smart and hard-working that it has become in many corners the “dog of choice” among the military as well as law enforcement. The movie is a work of fiction, but it is an...

Dogs have been fighting alongside U.S. soldiers for more than 100 years, seeing combat in the Civil War and World War I. But their service was informal; only in 1942 were canines officially inducted into the U.S. Army. Today, they're a central part of U.S. efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan -- as of early 2010 the U.S. Army had 2,800 active-duty dogs deployed (the largest canine contingent in the world). And these numbers will continue to grow as these dogs become an ever-more-vital military asset. So it should come as no surprise that among the 79 commandos involved in Operation...

A dog that fought off a suicide bomber in Afghanistan, saving the lives of several US soldiers, was euthanized by mistake by animal shelter staff in Arizona.An investigation was underway Tuesday into why Target was put to sleep at the Pinal County Animal Care & Control center. An unnamed employee was placed on administrative leave for failing to follow procedures.The shepherd-mix dog was picked up last Friday after going missing from its owner Sgt. Terry Young's home in the San Tan Valley area, southeast of Phoenix. The dog, which was not microchipped or licensed with the county, was euthanized Monday.

The devastating and long-lasting effects of PTSD are something Tom has discussed at length on this blog. It seems that the trauma of war does not discriminate -- war dogs get PTSD, too. Despite their special training, some dogs don't ever adapt to the conditions of a war zone or life as a bomb-sniffing dog. Such was the case with Gunner, a yellow Labrador with "liquid brown eyes." When Gunner first arrived to serve with Marines in Afghanistan his trainer decided he was too distracted and "so skittish that the troops never risked sending him on patrol." The Marines decided...

Ben, a mine dog with the 49th Mine Dog Detachment and his handler, Army Pfc. Thomas Martin, also of the 49th, clear a path to a “wounded” soldier during a training exercise at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, Sept. 14. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Jim Wilt Efforts Continue to De-Mine Afghanistan Afghanistan is one of the most heavily mined countries in the world, and removing them is no easy task. By Sgt. Jim Wilt Combined Joint Task Force-82 BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan, Sept. 24, 2007 — For most people, running over a land mine equates to a bad day. For contractors...

CARACAS, Venezuela — President Hugo Chavez called U.S. Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld a "dog of war" on Tuesday, saying the defense chief has no business suggesting neighboring countries are concerned about Venezuela's arms purchases. Chavez said it's disingenuous for Rumsfeld to say he knows of no country that is threatening Venezuela, and he insisted that the U.S. is a threat. The Venezuelan leader called on Colombian President Alvaro Uribe to clarify whether he shares Rumsfeld's worries about Venezuela's recent military acquisitions, including helicopters, fighter jets and assault rifles. CountryWatch: Venezuela "If this man is saying that my neighbors are...

President Hugo Chávez asked Tuesday his Colombian counterpart Álvaro Uribe to clarify if his government is concerned about recent purchase of weapons by Venezuela, as stated by US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. During his presentation at the meeting of Defense Ministers of the Americas held currently in Nicaragua, the US senior official argued that neighboring nations were concerned about recent procurement by Venezuela of arms and the possibility of such weapons ending in the hands of leftwing rebels. President Chávez rebutted these remarks and labeled Rumsfeld as a "war dog." "The only neighboring country of ours having guerrillas is...

CAMP HURRICANE POINT, AR RAMADI, Iraq (August 6, 2005) -- Shawn M. Gallagher routinely puts his life on the line to support the ongoing war on terrorism, but he doesn’t let the risks get him down. “It’s an adventure out here for me,” said Lance Cpl. Gallagher, “and I enjoy it.” Each day the 21-year-old from Fairfax, Va., takes to the streets of the Al Anbar capital with Marines of 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment and conducts security and stabilization operations in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Gallagher has maintained a high level of motivation throughout his deployment, which is...

Vet is shepherding war-dog honor By Mike McPhee Denver Post Staff Writer Thursday, March 31, 2005 A Vietnam War veteran and Denver-area native is on a mission to create a national monument in Washington, D.C., to the dogs that soldiers used in combat. John Burnam, who served two tours of duty as a war-dog handler in Vietnam during the 1960s, presented his case Wednesday to the Colorado legislature, which passed a resolution supporting his efforts. More than 4,000 dogs, mostly shepherds, were used in Vietnam for scouting, finding hidden explosives and tracking. Most died in Vietnam, with only about 250...

Mark levy Herald/Review 04-20-04 Sgt. Garrett Davison shovels dirt on the grave of military working dog Pike. The dog was buried with military honors behind the 18th Military Police Detachments facility were the units military working dogs are kept on Fort Huachcua.Herald/Review FORT HUACHUCA - He had a short life, taking his first breath on Oct. 21, 2000, and his last on April 9 of this year. He was a GI, in the real sense of being government issued. But to the men and women of the 18th Military Police Detachment, Pike was like them a soldier - a...

Military working dogs Don (on bench) from Fort Knox, Ky., and Goro wear donated Doggles, eyewear designed especially to protect dogs' eyes from heat and desert sandstorms, while working in Iraq with their military police partners. American citizens organize donations for dog handlers in Iraq By Sgt. 1st Class Reginald P. RogersApril 9, 2004 FORT MONROE, Va. (Army News Service, April 5, 2004) -- The military police motto "of the troops and for the troops" has been taken to heart by some American citizens concerned for the Army's four-legged troops: the military working dogs. The MWD teams, an intricate...