The dogs of war

[Ragnar]

Man's best friend on the battlefield:

War Dog - An FP Photo Essay By Rebecca Frankel | Foreign Policy

Dogs have been fighting alongside U.S. soldiers for more than 100 years, seeing combat in the Civil War and World War I. But their service was informal; only in 1942 were canines officially inducted into the U.S. Army. Today, they're a central part of U.S. efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan -- as of early 2010 the U.S. Army had 2,800 active-duty dogs deployed (the largest canine contingent in the world). And these numbers will continue to grow as these dogs become an ever-more-vital military asset.

A very interesting and short read over at FP. It does at one point however, tug on the heart-strings...

Not only are these dogs fierce assault weapons, they are loyal guardians. When Private First Class Colton Rusk was shot after his unit came under Taliban sniper fire during a routine patrol in Afghanistan, Rusk's bomb-sniffing dog, 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 was granted early retirement so he could live with Rusk's family.

 

[Trajan]

Woooofonimo!!!!!!

 

[AllieBaba]

The longer I live, the more I appreciate God's gifts...and dogs are among those that I marvel at the most.

 

[Toome]

OK, fine but who's going to clean up all that shit in the aircraft!