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Memorial Day Spotlight: The Dogs of War

By  //  May 25, 2014

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NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC

Out in front of America’s troops, combat canines and their handlers lead the way onto the most dangerous battlefields on Earth.

By Michael Paterniti, National Geographic

At the height of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the U.S. military had a force of roughly 2,500 military working dogs.

In Afghanistan a helicopter transports an IED-detecting Belgian Malinois named Oopey, sitting next to his handler, Air Force Staff Sgt. Jonathan Bourgeois. (Photograph by Adam Ferguson)
In Afghanistan a helicopter transports an IED-detecting Belgian Malinois named Oopey, sitting next to his handler, Air Force Staff Sgt. Jonathan Bourgeois. (Photograph by Adam Ferguson)

Some have entered the American lexicon as as heroes in their own right: Cairo, a Belgian Malinois hailed for his work with the Navy SEAL team that killed Osama bin Laden. And Rex, a shepherd; his handler, Mike Dowling, wrote a book about their harrowing exploits in Iraq, saying, “It was Rex who gave me the strength to get up and to carry on.”

On Memorial Day, the United States will honor all those who died while serving in the country’s armed forces. Take a look at the dogs and their handlers who lead the way onto the most dangerous battlefields on Earth.

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