Dog Day Afternoon
Photo by Behrouz Mehri/AFP/Getty ImagesHell no, I won't go
--Vietnam war protest
I won't be doggone,
I'll be long gone
--I'll Be Doggone, Marvin Gaye
Joyful, joyful, joyful,
as only dogs know how to be happy
with only the autonomy
of their shameless spirit
--A Dog Has Died, Pablo Neruda
________________
Photo caption:
Basco from Patrol Explosive Detector Dog (PEDD) of US Airforce refuses to go inside a tunnel as US sergeant Matthew Templet from 627 Security Forces Squadran, Joint Base Lewis McChord coax him to seek for possible explosives in an abandoned house in Loya Derah village during a clearance patrol in Zari district of Kandahar province on December 28, 2010.
US Army soldiers patrol the abondoned villages in Zari district to re-clear the area from the explosives as the Afghan villagers have started moving back to their homes. The residents left their village about three years ago when it turned into a battlefield against Talibans.
BTB: Why is an Air Force Sergeant on a combat patrol?
[Update 1.18.11: Dog handler Sgt. Zainah Caye Creamer, 28, was killed in Afghanistan 1.12.11. Her dog, Jofa, reportedly survived.]
Labels: al-awlaki phony war on terror, basco, patrol explosive detector dog, pedd, PWOT
posted by rangeragainstwar at 7:40 PM
6 Comments:
Hi Jim and Lisa,
"there are no Milk Bones in that hole."
What a powerful metaphor for the Afghan occupation!
The only explanation for the Air Force Sergeant is perhaps that he is flying the remote-controlled surveillance gizmo. I'm glad he's a Sergeant and not an in-Sargeant. :)
Dave
Glad you like the metaphor, Dave. We have another for you today.
I suspect that it has something to do with a shortage of trained dog handlers in the USA. I looked briefly on the web and found that the USAF has a MWD training course at Lackland AFB and the USN also has a dog handler's course, tho I couldn't locate the site. But the USA doesn't talk about this, and I imagine that it is being done at the MP OSUT at FLWM.
If the conditions there are similar to pretty much everywhere else in the Army the number of trained MWD teams has probably not gone up much since 2001. The sister services, eager as always to prove their "relevance" to the PWOT, will step up and provide the extra bodies, two- and four-footed.
Smart dog, Range. I love it--a canine combat refusal. I don't blame him.
I am Sgt Templet's wife Annika Templet. This was Sgt Templets 3rd deployment. Only a very small percentage of the air force flies. Most jobs are support as we were once one with the army. His is a military k-9 cop and his job entails deploying with army and marines mostly. The air force and navy are the only 2 forces with full time dog handlers. I'd love to awnser any more questions anyone might have.
MW,
I'm glad that your husband is safe and still kickin'.
jim
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