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This is a story for dog lovers. Get out the Kleenex before you read about Pfc. Colton W. Rusk, Marine machine gunner and dog handler, and his dog Eli.
War Dog – Photo Essay
by Rebecca Frankel
Foreign Policy Magazine, May 4, 2011
The Dogs of War: Beloved Comrades in Afghanistan
by Elisabeth Bumiller
NYT, May 11, 2011
Note that you can click on any picture in any post to see it without interference.
Can you believe this snapshot? Look at the other shots in the photo essay even if you don’t have time to read the articles.
The dog, being smarter than people, seems to be reaching back with his front leg for the helicopter. The Naval Seals are no dummies either – unless maybe they learned by experience – note the muzzle on the dog. If my best friend ordered me to jump out of an airplane, I would absolutely try to bite him.
The Special Forces prefer German shepherds and Malinois but Marines in Afghanistan rely on pure-bred Labrador retrievers. In Afghanistan, the job is to sniff out IEDs and the Labs have the superior nose. I’m guessing but I bet the Labs are great ambassadors too when the situation allows.
The best military IED-finding hardware bats about 500 – the dogs find 80%. Look at this Rover as ROV:
He has lights and cameras and goes anywhere. I don’t see communications equipment on this dog but the article says they have it, along with doggie bullet proof vests and other gear.
So far, 20 Labrador retrievers out of the 350 have been killed in action – most in explosions of homemade bombs. Within the Special Operations Command, the home of the dog that went on the Bin Laden mission, 34 dogs were killed in the line of duty between 2006 and 2009. Like their handlers, dogs that survive go on repeat deployments, sometimes as many as four. Dogs retire from the military at the age of 8 or 9.
Over the last two years, there has been an effort to rapidly increase the number IED detection dogs in Afghanistan and Iraq. The Marine Corps has plans to deploy as many as 600 dogs to their program before September 2012. In late 2010 the Marines awarded a $35 million contract to American K-9 Interdiction to train and kennel their dogs. Marine Commandant Gen. James Amos stated that he'd like to see "a dog with every patrol."
Combining the two reports we get the following story about Colton and Eli.
During his deployment in Afghanistan, Marine Private Rusk sent his parents a steady flow of pictures and news about his beloved bomb dog, Eli, a 3 year old black Lab. When Colton was shot by a sniper, Eli crawled on top of his body, attacking anyone – including Rusk's fellow Marines – who tried to come near him. Rusk did not survive the assault but Eli, who was the first name on the survivors listed in Private Rusk’s obituary, was granted early retirement so he could be adopted by Private Rusk’s parents.
After the dog’s retirement ceremony in February at Lackland Air Force Base, an event that generated enormous news coverage in Texas, the Rusks brought Eli into their home for the first time. “The first place he went was Colton’s room,” Mrs. Rusk said. “He sniffed around and jumped up on his bed.”
There’re more great pictures here:
War Dog II
by Rebecca Frankel
Foreign Policy Magazine, May 12, 2011
Note that you can click on any picture in any post to see it without interference.
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