Air Force Staff Sgt. Amanda Cubbage, 355th Security Forces Squadron, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., reunites with her recently retired military working dog, Rick, in Tucson, Ariz., Aug. 8, 2017. Cubbage worked with Rick while she served as a military working dog handler at Osan Air Base, South Korea. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Michael X. BeyerTUCSON, Ariz., Aug. 21, 2017 — After nearly a year apart, it was an emotional moment when Air Force Staff Sgt. Amanda Cubbage of the 355th Security Forces Squadron at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, and the military working dog she worked with in South Korea were reunited here Aug. 8.

The dog, Rick, was flown in from Osan Air Base, South Korea, after a lengthy adoption process.

"It's [like] getting part of your heart back," Cubbage said.

Cubbage and Rick served together at Osan for 11 months. On duty, they conducted exercises, and bomb threat and security checks. Off duty, they were each other's wingman.

"Being stationed in Korea unaccompanied, he was my support," Cubbage said. "He was there for everything I needed. He was there when I was happy, he was there when I was sad. Everything I needed came from him."

As a military working dog handler, Cubbage has worked with several other dogs. She described parting ways as bittersweet.

"It's just like having a kid moving off and going to college," she said. "You still love your kid. It's just the fact that they're growing up, they're going out, and they're doing other things."

Rick was different from the other dogs, Cubbage said. He instantly won her over with his headstrong personality.

Rick's Retirement

After seven years of service, Rick was retired due to his age. Cubbage found out about the opportunity to adopt him from a fellow handler. "And that's when I reached out to the American Humane Society," she said. "They said, 'Absolutely, we'd love to help out.'"

Military working dogs are allowed to be adopted after retirement due to "Robby's Law," which was passed by Congress in 2000. The adoption process can be long and drawn out, involving tedious paperwork, immunizations, and, in Rick's case, crossing the Pacific Ocean.

"You sit there and you wait and wait, and you just count down the days, count down the time, until you're reunited with him," Cubbage said.

Now that he is finally reunited with his companion, Rick will live a quiet life in retirement, filled with rest, relaxation and plenty of treats.