Uncle Sam's Dogs

Dogs in the army get outfits too!

Most military working dogs are German and Dutch shepherds, Belgian Malinois and Labrador retrievers (for their sense of smell). These dogs, along with their handlers, are deployed worldwide to support the war on terror. There duties include guard duty, base security, individual and crowd control, tracking, and explosive and narcotic detection. Most dogs are dual-purpose trained: police dogs first, then with a specialty skill such as bomb detection. Just like Simba is trained as my cuddly puppy first and a specialty in the area of escape artist:)

In Iraq, several hundred Military Working Dogs perform their duties in heat and sandstorms, just like other soldiers. Heat exhaustion is a major concern and there must be frequent breaks and ample water to cope with it. In 2004, civilian volunteers worked with the military to provide Doogles (that's right goggles for dogs!) and other comfort items for the MWDs to protect them (like bullet proof vests!). So its not only Simba with a dog wardrobe, tough army dogs have outfits too! I've also learned from an army Military General, that these special army dogs and their handlers only travel on airplanes in first class! Sounds about right to me!

I am constantly asking Kyle to take and send pictures of ALL the MWDs at his camp! Kyle has even volunteered to take part in their training by suiting up for a takedown. Hmm, padded suit or not, this doesn't sound like a good time to me.