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Normandy, France. (June 22, 2022) America almost didn’t make it.
When the American Colonists declared independence from Great Britain, they started a war whose outcome was far from certain. In fact, the odds heavily favored the British as America’s army in 1776 was a hodgepodge of citizen soldiers thrust together under the direst conditions.
America had picked a fight with an enemy that was superior in numbers, experience, training, and equipment. At the time, Britain had the largest navy in the world and the funding for a long-term war. America, by contrast, had a weak central government with little money to battle the enormous and well supplied British Army. America depended on patriotic volunteers to carry the day.
Constantly outnumbered, George Washington’s Continental Army of 20,000 volunteers was short on equipment, lacked formal military training, and constantly struggled just to feed itself. British General William Howe’s 32,000-man expeditionary force, by comparison, was well armed, highly trained, and well-supplied.
Were it not for the willingness of ordinary citizens to sacrifice their blood and treasure, the United States would not exist.
Today, America continues to rely on patriotic volunteers to fill the ranks of our armed forces and, as we gather with friends and family this 4th of July, we should honor their sacrifice and dedication to our nation’s freedom.
In this photo by Specialist Vincent Levelev, World War II veterans attend the Eternal Heroes Memorial in Normandy, France, to honor fallen paratroopers who liberated the town of Ravenoville in June 1944. Veterans and representatives of veterans who could not be there received “challenge coins” during the event.
Read more: AMERICA ALMOST DIDN’T HAPPEN… DECLARING INDEPENDENCE WAS A GAMBLE.
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Dog lovers everywhere wince at the thought of a working dog being euthanized when they become unfit for military duty. It would be an even bigger crime to end the lives of these loyal creatures after years of faithful service.
Thankfully, that doesn’t happen.
In 2000, Congress passed Robby’s Law, legislation that allows retiring military working dogs to be adopted by their former handlers or civilians. Before being placed in homes, adoptees must pass a behavior assessment and the new owner must pledge that the dog will not be used in working service again.
Read more: THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE… WHAT HAPPENS TO MILITARY DOGS WHEN THEY RETIRE?
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Okinawa, Japan. (June 4, 2022): America’s military working dogs save lives in many ways, from detecting bombs to guarding sensitive installations, but nowhere is their service more valuable than in combat.
Much as in civilian police work, military dogs and their handlers accompany foot patrols into dangerous urban environments, places where humans cannot or should not go. These skills are vital for door-to-door searches, subduing bad guys, and alerting units to danger.
Working dogs have proven so essential to America’s combat units that the Air Force created a new course, Combat Dog Tracker, at its joint training facilities at Lackland Air Force Base. To combat the deadly threat from improvised explosive devices (IED’s), military dogs are trained to search from the location of an IED explosion tracking the scent back to the perpetrator. The goal is to find the terrorist bomber to neutralize the threat and prevent further attacks. This new course is expected to graduate 10 K-9 teams a year.
Read more: WORKING DOGS ON PATROL… SAVING LIVES, FINDING THE BAD GUYS
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Lackland Air Force Base, TX. (June 15, 2022): Since ancient times, dogs have served alongside their handlers in all manner of combat situations. During WWII, America established the War Dog Program with the requisition of 11,000 dogs needed for combat service around the world. In 1965, the Air Force fielded dog and handler teams for missions in Viet Nam that evolved into today’s Air Force Security Forces Center/Army Veterinary Corps, 341st Training Squadron.
The school houses up to 900 dogs graduating approximately 270 multi-purpose warriors a year. Dogs are selected for their temperament and acumen and only half qualify for training as working dogs. Dogs and their handlers must pass a grueling 93-day course at Lackland followed by a field portion at Yuma, Arizona. The school teaches a Specialized Dog Course (for dogs dealing with explosives or narcotics), a Dog Handler's Course, and a new Combat Dog Tracker Course that just graduated its first set of Marines and their dogs.
In this U.S. Army photo, Specialist Michael Coffey and his dog Max, assigned to the 550th Military Working Dog Detachment, 503rd Military Police Battalion, practice “controlled aggression” during training at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Max is an explosive detector dog trained for work on dismounted patrols in combat situations.
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Our K9 Warrior support program yields fun moments like this recent K9 Christmas Party!
Good Morning Ma’am, -- Words can’t express how grateful the MWDs and their handlers are for your gracious acts of love throughout this entire year. You have continuously kept our K9s in your thoughts and it is tremendously kind of you. I thank you from the bottom of my heart and I hope you have a great holiday. The generous gifts that were donated allowed us to throw the hard working dogs of Yokota a party. Our MWDs are very happy and so are the handlers. ~~ OCONUS location
These K-9 teams face some of the most stressful and dangerous assignments in the military. At Support Our Troops.org, we have a tailored assistance program to ship much needed items for their care. Please be one of their best friends by donating to https://supportourtroops.org/donate.
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Today’s Working Dog teams developed from a mutually beneficial relationship between man and dogs going back centuries. The earliest evidence of humans domesticating dogs was in cave paintings in Germany dating back 14,000 years. It is believed wild wolves would hang around human hunting camps looking for scraps that grew into the partnership with dogs we enjoy today.
In 600 B.C., hounds were used to break up enemy formations by charging into enemy ranks, scattering soldiers to the four winds. During America’s Civil War, the most famous war dog was Jack, the mascot for the 102nd Pennsylvania Infantry. Jack joined the regiment when he was adopted by the unit after he wandered into their fire station. Jack accompanied the fighting 102nd in numerous battles throughout the war, patrolling the perimeter, acting as a sentry, and he even delivered messages between units.
Then, as now, America’s K-9 Corps is the first line of defense for our troops around the world.