TASS Is Authorized to Declare...

Transcription

for those welcome everybody uh... mines can clerk and the president ceo the preacher military live and i think all of you for being here uh... we appreciate it's noon time show it and uh... hopefully you get a lot of this uh... talk today i think it's very compelling topic and uh... my guess is great so i know you're gonna like it and today is the five different kind of program for us we have collaborated with the only state controller's office in physical bank issue and bring you this program today and uh... young adult delivered i think is here and she's going to share some words with you in advance of the program starting so on duty if you don't mind uh... well thank you all for coming today and you know uh... unfortunately sergeant corrects himself amply in retirement which of course like alan will tell you about so he's done here today and so they need a little filling for sergeant that's me ass out you know i mean it's just time when they have two dogs were also so it goes our office of the controller's office i think people on the ice well i really so much about being an alliance decides our staff in this link the physical and spiritual life political system but uh... nevertheless we also have a program which i will refer to the rich shortly call controllers critters where we helped get gambles adopted because these days uh... municipalities in mrs lee is another taxing bodies counties anybody who runs public shelters they're very expensive to run if we can get there wilson captain and it just saves money anyting that saves money falls to meet the controller of the chief fiscal officer for the state of illinois now i would like to make note though that we have some very important people here today who have been extremely instrumental in putting this all together in helping to underwrite it making sure that it happens and i think you will and will in the morning run because when i'm through sylvia was divisive president government relations for leila university in chicago that robert sullivan who is the president of the fifty surveying break bank by the way patrick to older men sanity he's for the office above the honorable marker car u_s_ senator we had the honorable to enhance she's the all the length of the sixteen th war city of chicago the honorable aryan perot by us he's the ultimate answer but the rewards city of chicago the honorable raises lawrence was the ultimate thirty-first port city of chicago we have backer alexis newman was the president of the chicago veterinarian medical association that's where all my spare money goes ahead boasts a veterinarian so i just want to know i'm supporting you very very well putting on their kids to school can we also have a report on world he's the director of public education and media relations forced the chicago veterinary medical association and they all came out and get are supportive of this is all sorts of different ways so if you would applies for all accomplished to the heart of all this we are going to connor former marine mike dorling and his canine partner again not here today but he'll tell you all about sergeant racks and uh... we certainly they can start your forces kind introduction can of course is the c_e_o_ here at this very wonderful wonderful institution the prints from military library which i don't think needs an introduction but i want to know every medical military book i can find videotape or whatever i send here because it is the most imp credible institutions to under the so this is a soldier and and correspondent army mom cell as a result i think it pretty seriously this is the packing list for base in canada ewing approved an amazing job uh... i certainly appreciate teaming up with the pittsburgh family the military library as we talk about two of my favorite things animals not necessarily network anyway so that we will listen to my dorling he has a absolutely amazing story to tell because he was deployed iraq's infamous triangle opt out in two thousand four he and his military working dogs sergeant less were part of the first marine toward military canine teams were sent to the front lines of combat since vietnam i don't think we ever really appreciate how much to use military dogs do is saving the lives of our very valuable and wonderful soldiers that's one reason why he wrote the book one reason why i'm here today it was started dresses job to sniff out suicide bombers and devastating explosives then we have a intros and civilians a life dot time and time again my golly woodley army sergeant brice let my guard the tour certainly working together into the inner lives of danger and then the press fifty-nine brought them back to life mike's always had a passion for fostering in training dogs and sincerity restoring trust them with every bit of his heart yes my mother always said you know a good person that they like animals chances are they're going to live in the kind human being as as well as i said that we are very appreciative up expect and all folks who are hiding animals because last year we watched our controllers triggers program to encourage pet adoption and reduce animal control and overpopulation costs that are facing local governments weeks is partnered with more than one hundred animal shelters throughout the state and found for eight hundred animals that's dogs cans rapid city we had to be needed in there as well and there might be an amphibian there too is that they have something and we're not done it yet now i'm also going to stop talking just a second but didn't get a less violence i wanna to get one plugin if you don't mind next month our office will partner with biola university and the u_s_ chamber of commerce to hold a valid veterans jobs there here's a card we have more than eighty-four employers lined up so far which is good because we need to make sure that our men and women who are coming back from of the service are taking care of when they get a whole so if you need more information please c choco kim of our staff inserted a he's the guy putting it all together and he'll make sure you have everything you need and now my as a military mom of major joseph park have been done who is stationed outside of san antonio texas now with while it may have more years to go before he's done his twenty years in the army and my for my father delbarco who was a sergeant world war two we've always been and our family is that military man i wholeheartedly congratulate u and look forward to hearing more of your story so let's get into the csd round of applause to mike dorling with also debating before we knew the production of a printer military library delete a minimum the united states on services preservation of democracy art school from military historian dancing blueprints for military six kanye taillight represents with our special guest mike alley this program is coming to you from the princeton military library in downtown chicago and is sponsored by fit there take in collaboration with honor but judy back to take a state of illinois capt roller interop class later and will be taking questions from our studio audience and from those of you joining us on the internet pet scan military elibrary dot org mike tab main enlisted with the u_s_ marine corps in two thousand one he completed and p school entered the military working dog kindle a squires at camp pendleton he deployed to iraq in march two thousand four where he and his dog tracks were awarded the navy and marine corps achievement medal he joins us to discuss his books sergeant racks dion break a bar bands between a marine and his military working dog please join me in welcoming to the pics tonight a library mike doubt thank you all so much for coming out today thank you so much for the personal to a library for having me uh... completely honored to be here this is a fantastic institution are really well but they're doing here and irene really and truly honored to be here uh... popular blogs because i have a dog started tya and um... i am very fortunate very grateful to be able to uh... have told the story and to honor my dog that i handled racks and i have a lot to say about him uh... of so much so that wrote a book about uh... but i never thought i'd actually have a book out uh... michael authored and in the list is a fantastic person uh... approached me about the idea and are convinced me this was a great way to honor my dog in and uh... i wanted wrecks a story to be able to live on along after me so i'm very grateful to have been able to to talent but before i get into our story and i think is really important that you actually have a good by history of the military working dogs in general and how the military work and our program has been such a tremendous success uh... to the war effort in every conflict that military gaza served in they'd they've been tremendously successful and when i originally joined about the marine corps when i first unlisted i had no idea about these dogs i had no idea about what they accomplished uh... no idea what what they did uh... and how long that they've been around so and i crashes then that the uh... entire our two speaking about the history the military working dogs for the so much but i would do the best that i can just a short period time before i can get into uh... my own story with rex and what what we accomplished so uh... the first the twelve most well-known military dog actually wasn't a military guys so to speak it was a dart is sergeant study and use a bull terrier that served in world war one and uh... there was no official military dot program back then most uh... uh... military units adopted dogs is mascots and uh... sergeant study was uh... he was adopted by the army is on a second infantry and uh... actually was with them on the front lines in france in world war one he actually uh... has been known that he found wounded soldiers on the battlefield and he himself has been wounded many times but he survived and lived a long life in you actually met several presidents uh... back in the state is quite a bit of a bit of a uh... celebrity uh... he was in the most gorgeous looking dog was as beautiful as a german shepherd of the belgian down laws that we have today but that doesn't matter he was a dog nonetheless editor's job out there and provided the morale boost that all the troops needed so he tennis at the status of the tone for the rest of military working dogs is are remains a preserved at the smithsonian heterozygotes economic and uh... you used he did a great job just for for what he for his purpose was uh... starting a war were to is when we first saw that actual official introduction a military dogs to help the war effort and the way it was you the way they came about is after pearl harbor there is this you sense of patriotism across the u_s_ and american kennel association along with the dogs for a bit for uh... organization called art for defense which were basically comprises all the top uh... dog breeders in the u_s_ and they want to do something for the war effort on what i love about the military dar program and how will start it was it was started by civilians who were just very patriotic who wanted to give their dogs and dot that they could contribute to the war effort there was a really spearheaded by the military the action notes that she had to be convinced to use the dogs and uh... the army a kennel the army u_s_ army quartermaster corps officially started taking the dollars in january nineteen forty two uh... the marine corps started their canine program and uh... november of that same year and i'll just talk briefly about the first marine corps k_-nine unit ever deployed into uh... into conflicts and uh... and that was the cause they were called the first marine ward are put in and they sailed out of san diego california june twenty third nineteen forty three now and they serve in the pacific and they served with a second marine radha regimen and this is how great of a job but this is a very first k_-nine unit which was kind of an experimental unit uh... sent into combat history the u_s_ military this is a direct quote from the official report of the commanding officer of the second ring greater regiment the ward are putting that proven itself to be an unqualified success and use of darting combat was on trial the first reward our coaching was admittedly an experimental unit and minor defects were found that need to be remedied but the latin possibilities of combat dog units proves itself beyond any doubt the dogs have proven themselves as message carriers scouts and vital nice security they were constantly employed during operation of securing and extending the beachhead so that was the very first report k_-nine unit order serving hot in conflict and they did a fantastic job i'm so thankful to both uh... hammers back then and what they call push for setting the tone for featuring our camera such as myself and again i had no idea about this history when i first on the marine corps up by the way if you want to read about those dog teams exploits on what they call pushes a great book called always faithful by captain wayne putney he commanded a third reward are concerned and uh... he was the commanding officer and that uh... record that marion at that time they did a great job uh... move it on to the korean war how does reader quake uh... this is from the eight united states army about the twenty sixth infantry scout are good to know what they call first and this is the the the the citation recognizing them this was six infantry scout are quitting the study for it exceptionally meritorious conduct of the performance of outstanding services indirect support of combat operations in korea during the period of two june twelfth nineteen fifty-one that january fifteen nineteen fifty three before value of the services rendered by the twenty six infantry scout clark would soon there's no word better understood and more highly recognized in among the members of the patrols with whom the stealth our cameras in their dogs have operated throughout his long period of difficult and has a disservice to twenty-six infantry scout doc watson has never failed those with whom is served has consistently shown outstanding devotion to duty in the performance of all those other duties has one on the battlefield a degree of respect and admiration which has established a dozen unit of the greatest importance to the faith united states for me outstanding performance of the proficiency esprit de corps invariably exhibited by the personnel this platoon reflect the greatest credit on themselves animals are says the united states so again the war dogs came into play in the korean war and had a very significant uh... impacts moving on to the the vietnam war uh... and by the way i appreciate all the talk amorous from those time periods they really went through a lot of uh... uh... trials and should you a shins uh... and actually ridiculed alive uh... because they're such a new unit but in the n they wind up over everyone's respects douglas but especially the the vietnam documents went through so much i appreciate them others there's several books about their uh... uh... they're perot excell which you guys the research and find them and read about them in estimate of four thousand dollars served in vietnam and uh... they're credited with saving at minimum over ten thousand lives which is fantastic there is so factor that the enemies but downey's out on the hammers and the darts uh... and actually during the vietnam area in nineteen sixty eight as when the military actually officially started keeping a record of military dog so every military dog have served in the military but there's a record of them starting from nine to sixty till today so you could hear x just like myself when i was in the military i have my military service record lasorda dogs uh... which is great so because it is you can looked up all their exploits in and keep track of all the great things that they've done uh... the real tragedy about the vietnam documents however sorry to say was that none of them were allowed to come home and that's a really big issue and that's another reason why i think those being on that perhaps you may be a number on camera so much is because they didn't have the luxury bringing their dogs home and uh... and we did the cream hamas did the world war two dollar cameras they brought their dog so on uh... unfortunately the vietnam guards were or since we left and from vietnam tilted even said today military dogs are known as equipment to the military which is a real tragedy uh... and there's actually current legislation right now this people are trying to push which i hope you a call would support uh... to actually change their classification his yala get another marine as a marine i don't even has a piece of equipment but unfortunately that's what their official label is as of today so that's a real quick crash course on has another military dollars the roles that they played uh... you know why do we even use the whole like what are they doing over there why they sold so efficient and so they wanted nam they were uh... century dog teams which essentially patrolled the bases uh... and then the most aren't then the when the way that they're utilizing losses us out our cameras in this is where they walk point and they could detect an economy ambushes and and the tax of explosives in the rodeway inn and um... they're the ones that really save the most lies in your tracking dogs mine detection don't even have water patrol dogs tekken detect enemies china sneak in in the water they would control on water boats and um... it's amazing what they're capable of doing post vietnam base which the military working dog program from training for combat some more of a lot of course mint i parole patrol work uh... all dogs are trained out of the bilateral air force base three or four first ring a squadron is the largest training facility in the entire world uh... they put out hundreds of dogs each year uh... and not every garg actually makes the cut uh... but the reason why we use them again is because of what their nose right the way we see the world the way human beings interpret the world through the eyes uh... is that there's a good way it is how the dogs view it through their nose they see the world that look through the nose and and and what they want to do uh... with the center for bill this uh... the percentage of the dogs brain that is devoted to analyzing smells is forty times larger the net of a human being taken to texts and identify sense about ten thousand times bhai greater than humans can uh... they can detects orders that are up to forty feet underground and they can't they're capable to taking orders up to two parts per trillion which is amazing taking literally analyze different voters of when the soonest when the surface like when if we were too small uh... anything that's ah... uh... pizza or hamburger or or anything in general that's what we smell of the whole dogs can individually separate those orders anticipates amazing what they can do so that's that's the history the military darts briana fifty dollars a trainee cheered the way i like the bigger the dogs is if you think of the uh... a high school aptly who has tremendous athleticism reno's prolly capable capable of going on a scholarship to be one high school i'm sorry college or university you know that's great he still has his rock talents but he still needs training and he needs help to focus that talents and to become even better with the same thing with these dogs the tremendous the tremendously uh... athletic and naturally gifted uh... from the beginning because the military on the use the best ought to have a specific a program that goes and finds of the stars in the world to utilize but even then that doesn't mean that they're gonna make the cut they still need to go through their own military dog boot camp and not all dogs actually graduate that who cancer by the end when they actually graduate and become a military dog uh... that certified to work and in the military did ben get sent out to uh... of installation a military installation across the world that needs a dog out to get paired up with the hammer and that brings me to my story and with threats which is uh... i love the salt so much rex came to uh... camp pendleton which is where i was station and now the fall two thousand two but there's a lot of history before that even happen i mean the way to main rex came together uh... it's it's it's amazing how you hide immersed in the marine corps and uh... and two thousand one aspect of boot camp on nine eleven happened actually gets free food out of a job that i selected uh... funded those marine corps recruiters right now uh... but it was all blessing in disguise uh... and actually before the marine corps a should be noted growing up i grew up in the census kobe area and uh... there's a are tremendous organizations and sarah phil cogan guidar for replying to my family participate in fostering a raisin guidar for blind people what i was going up not to mention we had our own two to three personal dogs that we had uh... and down the the wrote for me about a mile away it was when the biggest dog parks in all a california call plan isabelle there literally hundreds of dogs appointed to build our parking lot favorite things as a kid growing up i was going on one of six kids i'm right in the middle guitarist catholic family and uh... modem affair that was taking a dogs with my dad down two point is adopting justin and called on the weakens down that and on so i had just had an an affinity towards the animal builders the serendipity that to get where i was that uh... so but when i like i said when i joined the marine corps and no idea that they even have to docs otherwise i wouldn't want to put out the first place but it's a good thing i did and because if i would have chosen the dogs i probably would have gotten it and this is why so when i when i don't think contracts and that's a one star there's a story on how that happened you're not supposed to go hoping to see you when you open contraband is melted cheese the job for you which they usually give you the jobs and nobody wants uh... but that's what i went in as and i guess what the debate on the military policeman which is fine you this obviously a lot worse jobs out there and it wasn't so i went to military police school uh... when i first it was when i first got caught up in reporting on program and what's funny is about one of selective military pleas from the very beginning most of those guys actually got selected to work in the break uh... tend to do break to security at the break was a lot of the contract staff selected to come in peace so it's a good thing actually don't know about the cannot program at the beginning asses are about to have programmed to have that that was that i want to do whatever i could walk out of a military please class issues about sixty students on average about bob seventy percent of the students want to come dog handlers and then we have two to three slots available per class it's very hard to get into uh... and i worked my butt off so hard that i was on a graduate of my military please class i thought that i wanted it and uh... so i just like to be canine hammer went out to camp pendleton and i thought i was just within the good life house in san diego our camp pendleton was known as one of the best for reporting on units uh... in the entire military their dog trainers account massive there was one of the best our trainers i could ask for a about better darshan to learn from they would compete in all these canine competitions and when first through third every single competition that they participated in and i just love the dollar either i was wonder from the best sort of all these great marines belittled that i'd know back k_-nine unit was on her investigation by n_c_i_ s at that time on marketing to enter the details of it but a couple is guys that indeed it does some things that uh... they should have done and they want to make an example the unit source of target if you guys if you want to part of the entire targeting tell you the investigation was underway prior to me actually rickety stationed there and then finally and i got sick and then the spring of two thousand two and then another uh... august two thousand two the entire unit got relieved of duty meaning to get kicked out a canine and um... including myself almost um... i mean this is how close i was i got sent up for the time the and j_p_ which meant that the stand talk on the market i'm commanding officer for worker no and tell him why uh... basically defend myself of the things that i've been accused of and alittle only dot kantor dark and then that unit at that time that was not assigned a dog i was always the decoy owls always the guy that they would use the send out the field by predictor let the dogs by the but i was lovin it you know i was really don't have a great time outlaws all of the one to clean the candles every single day arsenal morning feed the dogs like that all the groundwork admin kennels all which is fine because i was also how do you know you're the right place when you really love all the bad things about your job as well so i got sent up on the pens a p and make a long story short you realize that i was this is brand new marine nothing to do with anything that was going on and i was the only when they got exonerated of the entire unit uh... entitle other case got overturned but at that time it was just me so there are no more hammers of helmet white house liberals brando i was feeling really bad about it because all these great for resorted to a great friends are no longer have the mit uh... anymore but now i have these amazing dogs and i could have the pick of the letter stitches which tired i'm going to handle right well so i thought so uh... blackmun sent out a any value waiter three value with the dogs and dean the dogs unworkable which was complete you know what and uh... personal doctor lewis in the best arcs that i've everson work in my entire life and they were not allowed to work anymore so he decided fight all alone sent them back to lacking and either get adopted daughter became trained dogs to uh... other military to other hammers so now i have no more family rhys and i've not smart cards and uh... and now we need to have to start rebuilding the camp out in canine unit so with myself another hamari progress couple jason cannon who actually he eventually with his case was overturning he got to come back shortly after uh... tibetan other marine complement from japan until the japan or or or he would carry uh... main last about adam can and he's an important personality or later will became great friends of those our job to help rebuild the unit arkarow master uh... uh... staff sergeant massey he took over he he was flown in to take over and next thing you know lacking status in the stocks the first two dogs were a dog named robbie and argument wraps and then and and districts right here i could be a political pick up the dogs with arches trainer at the time uh... the rockies crate first he was a check shepherd and he's a big dr dot almost hundred pounds actually eyes kinda guilty and uh... tell you what that meters kennel crate and just kinda he didn't care he just went right played right back dot i gota rex is kanell he'll stay right back to glaring at me started growling at me and i thought loved it goes off because of the hammered you want to challenge you don't want let's call a push button dog he wanted to august and challenging to that wants to return it uh... your heart that brenda respects because you know that bond is going to be even tight more tightening when it gets developed so we bought the dogs back i got assigned to rex uh... can you get a sign of robbie eventually we got another dog named bruno he'll sign the last couple can and we sort of slowly rebuilding the canine unit we went to work and what's funny is the order become a certified military working dog team on your base the only person i can do that to authorize that is a good time commanders for the same c_e_o_ that have descended talk when i'm about to kick me out a canine unit he has the one to watch an approval busting a military doctrine uh... and he actually became one of our greatest advocates and i was really appreciative of what he did after that so rex and i were the first certified seen since that incident uh... and then the other dog teams follow that day or shortly after and we went to work training that uh... shortly after the war starts kicking off and all right away we liked having listened arthur the gonna send arms wanna marine corps they were really send in dogs they sent one of the couple to uh... afghanistan they has something to uh... to uh... a rack just yet hyping thought i had already sent some uh... but it was really a big mystery if we're ever going to get utilized and when the war actually kicked off in iraq you know by that time rex i'd been together for about a year and we weren't ready you know if the dog team what you want most is to get tested because you do all this training day after day after day after day after day and you just so proficient and uh... and you are in every little nuance adopted dog i mean every little detail that dog is your entire life it really is uh... to build the bond with rex you know i literally spent our i i would sleep at the canine office with them initially to get that bhawna never poor built up and uh... and actually the very first time i wanted to read to scandal we called his house but i want to look at the top ten around his neck uh... he bet me he attacked the attack uh... as if to say hey get often and he didn't for one attack me but he certainly should be sure to give me a nice little by on my hand uh... yeah sad to say i don't know yet and uh... we immediately uh... fought we find in fact because he got a status ead dominance right then and there and i don't plan on the flight as a i'm kicking and punching him in any way whatsoever uh... distances of what uh... what happen actually happened and the canine unit uh... when i first got as you saw this happen between a dog and a hammer when i first got the pendleton when he got paired up with his dog his dog attacked them i kill master was their he told him exactly what to do is to do was colette alpha role on the dog which means you malcolm top your dog and establish that dominates and that's exactly right there with rex with by the way they got i saw that happen because when i see that happen i would have known what to do when it when he attacked the also a relatively new hammer so no was around us is miraculous to attack me i'd media lee acting you know you can have that otherwise you'll never have his respect randomized rope in amman is back out on top of a rat the leash around us now to close at ten ounces right myspace no no no no no got back up you give me again aneta k and that happened uh... that happening the few times though about the late reply as i think it was aren't so it's actually he got the point and on and you realize okay i tested yield you pass a test underdog ryan and from that day on he was fiercely protective of me every single day from that day on uh... and what i loved about rex was how high his drive was so work uh... he it was a complete gained and just like this to all these dogs uh... we would do allotted to of detection working and and the great thing that can help and it's it's it's so huge such great training facilities all over the base so you so many different kinds of uh... of training well ala tass in my own head i would'nt really share with any of the other hand was killed by the way we like to compete dollar cameras would like to be competitive with each other enhancing his dog can work the best and uh... and all the darker grey separate ad so i think uh... basketball can at the time of dog bruno also don't know how that dog graduated luke blog boot camp you know sometimes the squeezed by but the thing about was so great about west woke and was he was so dedicated and committed to being hammered that you put in so much work into that dollar to make a good and eventually he became a really great dog but in the beginning he surely wasn't anyways so we would uh... we were time our dogs to go through a training each time you said it is really long problems and uh... that would take on average forty-five minutes to go through warehouse rex to do it in hundred thirty twenty five minutes at that and which was a good five at least five minutes ahead with his long-time when searching there must be of a dog so he wasn't and he never false responded to force response into gaza respond is nothing there just but they can get the reward and on and so that's the right away i was really happy to have pricing we'd knows how good he was and eventually they got to the point now where we were ready to be tested so now when the time can or cannot serve after training so they were sent arms into the iraq war and uh... just to give you guys a heads up i've decided i'm going to send it cameras into teams here from pendleton actually featuring core base has been a cop up one or two teams and you guys going to be the first group for the marine corps and your sole purpose is the work on the front lines because the number one threat as white i_d_'s right explosives and they decide to run they're looking for every avenue that they could to counter that so and actually the way dogs were broad and general matters who's leading the marine corps effort from what i'm told well the one who spearheaded effort in getting dark things up there and from what i don't want also told me uh... there are people who don't really have images in combat in vietnam in a real extensive way and he said we'll figure it out get them out and if you have a big hit with the how they do so starting started coming in from the different parts of the cut from different parts of report but basis they all came to camp pendleton we all started training together we can provide a good month to the best that we could try to simulate combat environment two know none of us enemies no we never take a look infantry right we had no idea what their tactics where we just want to have basic mc t uh... which is more in combat training which is what is only a month and um... we try to set up is that uh... said you know the simulated training and because we didn't know right we would just do whatever we could go on on the flight and one critical thing that happen to us before we deployed was the basis the bases that marion came to you as a crash course on how to take care of our dogs in the field and thank god she gave us like that we love our pets so much by the way they are i mean there are recant hammers local love their bets and uh... because this is she taught us how to put i_d_'s and into the dog had a check for dehydration how to put on this point if they handled themselves and uh... and that training actually say essay the dogs all the time but i personally use that several times on rex because it's hot in iraq uh... and eye-to-eye give 'em i_d_'s several times so weekday when i return and we could there is only dot twelve of us jumped on a c_-seventeen and throughout our act then and uh... spring of two thousand four uh... we got there but no one had any idea what to do with us we got position that we got attached to different units across the country now iraq so they're like well let's give a dart into this unit over here let's give a team of two this unit over here i got attached a second attack second marines to to uh... their basic and was room and are they were operating in a city called mama d uh... which is uh... that area known as the triangle of death and determined that the system on a deal with the fear uh... and the city i think it was on the reason why they call that it is on the map we put those three cities together illicit that kind of a triangular area and that was there any other area of operation and right next to mom india about twenty thirty minutes wes was full loser and has been two thousand four which was really bet on the first battle for luger wasn't by people two thousand four lott to forget about the first off a little which was really bad anyway so we got sent there i guess i will really got dropped off wheat which by the way we have any convoys we have any helicopters take us anywhere in order to get where we needed a cantor which we flew into northern iraq in al-assad and it's ok you need to do this you know this candidacy okay how do we get there figure it out seriously we literally had it had to ride on comp on on hamel supply convoys in whatever we could i was going in that direction to get to where we were going to give station that highly leveraged arrive probably three times uh... to get to where needed to mom india and uh... uh... the first significant marine actually that we came across was in ramada on my way down was uh... at the time colonel don for his now this is to come on the marine corps not general conference and he personally gave us dog handlers a brief uh... in ramani about their expectations how excited they were to have no uh... explosives detection toxins in combat was a great honor for me to say that um... in front of this amazin marine it was a legend in the marine corps in he's phenomenal anyway so those of reviewed experience rather we spoke a lot of pressure to be honest with you because from the very top level we were already told me a lot of discs expected from you there when i got to mama diem i'm very first day there as i'm getting settled general mattox decides to take it or of of the uh... basis in that area and so i'm walking out of the supply room later that day after i get stationed there and has on walking out the door general madis comes walking around uh... the corner with his aides behind them you know the colonels and majors walk my dog anissa right away i snap throughout the rest of the hill and i and pensioners myself and you can render a salute and now the first thing he did out his face lit up the he was just an amide they could care less about me the will of the racks and the he had a huge smile on his face and he went down to try and had had and um... was by the way reticent or is providing some of the most powerful almost biting some of the most powerful people in the world actually uh... almost fighting you know these are trained working dogs so i did intervene assets are located petrescu he's a working dot i don't wanna risk administered by he starts laughing that's quite alright moraine you just make sure he writes the bite you just make sure he buys the right you know what and i think it'd go and uh... and i was and as soul within two days ahead the tune to the top marine uh... marine officers in the country tell me how much they're looking for different arkansas out there uh... is quite a unique experience so i did not know how to to was gonna receive me i don't know if they were going to be excited to have a i know bosnia ridicule like the dark things in the past give people with our people people of docs you know if we never went out that we were not there never have intention of serving on the front lines of the world such an idea is does have the dollar's up in general is a huge morale booster it's all that you know it's out there in and uh... the first marine that sauce on base uh... welcomed us with huge open articles i love my god we have a dollar team this is also then down and and that's the how the rest of the time a fellow actually uh... fortunately the word to get to the infantry companies that i was there i was mainly i sorted out my understanding gate to gate duty which by the way that area mom india back there was a tremendously awful terrible carryovers violence literally every single day and and lots of guys get wounded in that unit and you can hear although although fights in in violence going off in in town and we're getting more drew rocketed every single day our base which is a follow up with a four operas really tiny chicken factory was there was awful haba actually uh... but would you would you expect frank i wasn't complaining as long as i had rest right which was fine so alice in in the gate for about a good week week-and-a-half and i said you know our whole purpose of being out there was to work on the front line so i wasn't waiting for word to come down for me to come on and on a mission actually went to the uh... all the first sergeants of egypt at your company into the office and i said i walked in i just wanted them to be where make sure that i was there that we were there available tool and they had no idea for some reason and they cut me off guard walked arrested mid afternoon for starters i wanted to send them before you get back to get on when i'm coming off the sick and antarctic bombs soviet socialist report so i have a mission for tonight can you go on it tell us what i'm here for a garbage or with just for by the way uh... so that's what we're therefore and uh... so the i'll tell you about this first mission i'm so grateful that we went on this our first mission was anathema overnight rating on what they thought was a safe house version surgeons in the middle of it in the countryside of mama dea and uh... there are going to go in and and and uh... raid the house since answers the house in and questioned all the guys over there and they want me to go up so the whole mission was this uh... the rates are going to take it over once they secure the building and the surrounding area my dog how we're gonna go in and attacked for any cachet is search on the area for any by explosives i_d_'s and what not and so sensible enough in actually the marine that and i was sitting in on the briefing which by the way these briefings usually had you know the officers and all the ranking uh... to senior officers enlisted and then here i am a lowly corporal right because on the expert on the dog u_n_ action really appreciated it that about the marine corps in offices there was they understood that they didn't know more than i did about my own dog and they would ask me how you are you like to dog in a situation how do you think it would be best new artist and i've been in this are reflected that they did that so bay they said hey since this is your first mission how about just stay in the humphrey weapons secure the area and then when the security can go in a search for supply and demand that they would go up sounds easy well on that mission everyone it who was in the briefing room wasn't on that mission word was passed down and the staff sargent was leading that ray did he win in the briefing room so we're rolling out there in the middle of the night and on and we get dropped off a a couple hundred yards behind this a palace which you can see in the distance and then the vehicles takeoff and they go hang out while we while they wait for the marines a get dropped off to move in the position behind them once they get a position boundaries were coming from the front to secure the place as the reloading the marines off the staff sergeant says document come with us assist us and i was brief to stay in the vehicle missus around you but you know what you come with us i said you know stephan drop right out their vehicle just like that the vehicles were gone and the refer also uh... informal my entire life you know here i have a dog but hammer and return with the infantry before commonweal worst areas in the world uh... at that time uh... i've never met any of those marines literally never met any one of those guys prior to that mission and uh... and ham operating with them colspan exciting and uh... analyst challenging so the first thing we we had was a barber uh... barbed wire their way to cut through the kid not a big challenge cutthroat rapists and were were running through this up on growth about the uh... palm trees uh... the problem is in iraq they have tons a stray dogs lots of stray dogs they'll domesticated dogs out there but they let him run free all over the place and the uh... there'd filled with diseases and all those things but there's a whole pack of them hangin out this bomb growth right now to the marines that's not a big deal but that's everything to my dark chemicals talks near martin erection of course they see racks and now they want to pursue which they start doing and i know this is not an arranged on the other no sisters were lightly actually where almost of the full sprints uh... because they they moved fast and furious but were proceeding tell this was in the first rodeo and uh... and i'm runnin and i know this is all sort of info circles in closer but if i identify gotta pick up a rock is restored it of course now on the deadbolt right as i run out the cover-up brought them but then i realized if i throw a rock animation no reason why you are position the way i want to start all the other marines so i just i grabbed the marina sorry i can't let these dollars did to my darkness a getting going for himself in between are uh... those dollars in ten thousand we kept running and the darts indicate the dogs back enough finally we get up to about fifty yards behind the building well behind the safe house they have concertina wire which is razor wire it's not barbed wires as late you know at what you see on prison walls and that the two feet high well again these brings a trend pros in the like nothing they just decompress a bit is jump right over it and it's not going to them wide-area drexel behind and i can just pick them up and broke from over thank god for training is what you train because a camp pendleton we had with salsa six-foot law every stringer dogs to jump or and up and rex could be he could jump on a proposal for breaking clear it uh... from the start of summer is in the kitchen stove that thing like it's nothing uh... burress it will help so we trained to wear output money out and also help a popular ryan jump off line a envio declared no problem saul landau uh... that's what i did not put it back about fifteen feet a had a marine jump over to put a rifle atop decompress the wire asset right up up up he would run yeah she's stop for some of the money up for scissors i try to get in the clear ripple without me and he looked at me like i was crazy and uh... supper time back another fifteen feet and i have remembered ok birmingham and the epa needed a tease john splaine hesitated anne was in the nuclear threat is gone away right on top and i knew right when he drops out their moms underneath all u_n_ in on my arms feel i got cut through the uh... through my uniform uh... and he actually had a little bit cut on the other side uh... but not terribly bad and then the other marine grandmother color with room over nuclear and i actually thought he was gonna start yelping to make all this noise made a tiny little cute you know he knew datos expense but this is not we have the same in the document e motions rundown lesion their own up again what that means is your soul in tune with your dog in and vice versa you know that you guys feed off each other's emotions and he can sell when my adrenaline is pumping you can tell when it's a serious situation and he responds accordingly so clear the fence we turned and i i stepped into a assess full of of this horrible trent's of sewage right and you can tell i'm not a pro and uh... iraq's comes in with me goes it's awful and uh... and then we walked out of that uh... anan ameri starting closing on the building and on watching these marines do what they do which is uh... taking over this this facility average on this uh... emmett right after my peripheral i see uh... a person start sprinting down the the role of the guide jumped out of the window never and on the road well here's our view about the military dogs this are not the strength of that the tax well strain to attack and and uh... what we'd like to call it apprehend and uh... arrest loves to apprehend people i'll tell you that you know right set a split personality sexy wrecks it gives you such a gorgeous darden ikeda this wagar about allman and there were all like a six year actually walking in the room right uh... but he was also ferocious and i mean ferocious and uh... he had a nice set of canine tooth and he loves to use them sorrow calm sector tyrannosaurus rex t-rex and um... then he quickly switch from uh... uh... uh... you know he got or not he saw this and we both that one site has turned i recognize that he was uh... a potential insurgent definitely not the marine and i didn't want someone to get away in the marine but certainly has a class in my doggie like hell yeah i heard uh... devereux rod up sanam after this person well unfortunately uh... iraqi was that the twelve-year-old kid right i've no idea are going to also darkened things you know it's so quick to basis happened so fast uh... but i could sell because you're an attorney for streetlight down the down the road and i can tell her can tell right away that he was a young person and i don't want that oman conscious being out there well that's another beauty about the dog if we have taken a shot you can't recall that bullet you know it dog as likable you can recall because once you send it out you can call it off if you realize when you made a mistake or to the enemy gave up well one we made a mistake sold by call rex often he's more than half way through pursuit and he's fast too he was closing ground fast irish out out out out out out of that as i can and he's doesn't really out is more like slowing down and look and a light you know uh... in her her that's so funny to think about it now uh... an ally rights out pennies finally said and that's on the said he sits down is really amazing that the kiddies you know you want to get after i call them back and uh... and we searched the facility found some weapons and i was a and we took that we took back some of the uh... the guys over the proved to be insurgents and i was our first mission and i'm so happy that we went to that because we had all these challenges anorexic proved himself to be capable of working in a real life mission all the marine side by side and uh... it was phyllis is fantastic i get my i went to the uh... to the uh... marine chefs though the coats on the base and i got it they had steaks they are very few a-bomb and i got one for expert doing that i want for reward him for that so that was that that set the tone for the rest of our mission are for the rest of our deployment from then on the word was out hey we got documento a compass roles every single day were away from that point on and alikum mind you i'm the only dark tune for the entire battalion of marines at that time and so in every control launches a dialogue quickly realized rex can do walking controls that much he doesn't last as long pluses off power bridges a hundred fifteen hundred twenty degrees out there i mean it's in the heat but the dogs actually acclimate pretty well well we quickly learned that there is not just walking patrols is also wrong patrols is what's called a captain combine entire armor team i think if i remember right cap white blue cat red and ages with their the humphries with all the heavy weapons the fifty cows and uh... and all those thing and they're all around the and they put you on the vehicles and i would open for what that might have rescued on the vehicle and then we go about pata which are on the first vehicle and i pop out night surgeon and alia roadways something suspend that they would suspect and i can just go out to the search comeback in lhasa a lot longer throughout the day sold that uh... with the majority of work that we did was with them uh... i'm gonna tell you about a first firefight that was actually my biggest fear which car wrecks was gonna react in a actual firefight and that happen if we just after the first cut-off luger uh... they took our unit and brought him up there victor help out afterward and are no longer mama d s in our operative pollution archetype commander one at a soup dot setup right outside the city so the entire convoy the of the unit started uh... growing out there in the west sixty vehicles and i'm right up there in the front right and as soon as we pull up to this compound that we're going operate out of uh... the dissect the entire city open up on us there was a in all it i mean most firefights out there really quick maybe couple minutes ten minutes if that this fifi lasted two and a half hours long those humongous and that was our entire battalion you know most five fights have upto two a school-wide there was an entire but i know all too chill was fighting and alma and then yet and i'm looking up and you see all these all these little flashes from muscles from the insurgents shipment as our marines uh... so we get out and uh... you know wrecks on to protect the you know they tell us has a dog handler you are that dogs hammer if you need to put yourself in a position to jeopardize you are the dog and don't because we need you guys stay quiet you know 'cause you're the only daughter into this unit so we just hung out on the other side of this burn none literally does watching this show of this humongous firefight take place and then the whole reason why stop us because we have air support come in two and a half hours later and is leveling tired place which was on there if you get pat but rats was looking at me the entire time you know in training he didn't like loud noises he would not really he wouldn't really be obedient he dog act out like i say motions run down the sharply she knew exactly what was going on and he took ages so well incredibly well i can aspirin to behave better than what he did and that's for all military dogs you know they just naturally just they know what to do what they know how to how to really do that and we also noticing trust your dog you know you train with them so much so that i what they do when you start questioning their abilities you're wrong you know what you need to trust that date the something might be there something might be off and uh... you just need to go with that song now in the midst of my entire deployment uh... i had a personal thing going on my dad was the greatest person in my life to me and i'm so thankful forum yet terminal cancer and uh... i'll let you know option not to deploy uh... but of course you can give them a ring that option you know final diploid number and i think he gets heard how my gun away with that for a small life you know so i want to find that was disposal live halfway through my deployment uh... you survive the entire time until i got home and rex was their as a there p the whole time i was doing with that which is another added benefit on top of everything else uh... that he provides so deficit glance of our story says something wrap it up rex is now retired i'm so happy to say he had the average daga stuff six to eight years of service races than ten heated three comment deployments the full lives uh... ramani back to full loser all back-to-back he's found hundreds of weapons and explosives and cash aise uh... i was his first attend hammers and on one of the uh... pretreated vinaigrette such a young women in combat in the finest their comment deployment he found i_d_ unfortunately went off before you get away with underneath him in his hand at the time and the government but they both fully recover and uh... you know deployed again after that we continue to serve the u_s_ and he just retired this table might the book was published in december he retired in april went down to a ceremony and uh... it was just amazing i'm so happy for men is live in the good life with the hammer he was wounded with and i really appreciate that i wish i had more time taken to so i can tell you about all the legislation to help support military dogs that's out there but please do your research doin adopt notes are working darcy can do so there's a lot of resources for you to do that i appreciate all you guys coming out here today and uh... and thanks so much for listening about my sort of uh... mice or with rocks fratricide so we have some uh... time for some question answer yes ma'am thank you for your servicing if you receive experience creating useful you say he had ten different handlers as the dog yes is two different handlers no i mean he's trained for certain command center in the book that changed seek to seek sikh sikh and deal n_t_s_b_ workflow yall estou some of the idiosyncrasies of the job so that the new himmler doesn't have to start from scratch uh... that's a good question and yes you always add to that to that military dogs records every detail that you think the hamas should be aware of you know whether you change the reward i would be change of command or just a certain um... habit yes you can take that as much as possible and even if you don't annotated you know when i gave rex over i was always available to the new hammer as you can contact me anytime she wanted i want to supporter in any way i can once they got carried out you know that's out you put so much work into that dog you want to see that dog continue on to do great stuff and so you wanna set that camera for successful effort failure so absolutely give as much information over to them as possible one of the bill number so we can write to her senator in representing us in the changed in but that's not a support the legislation for actually i did but now what they're trying to do is call the cannot force canine uh... members of the armed forces act got approved of the house the night in the senate yet and has to change the status from equipment so they can unite i really don't care what they call the stock on equipment in truth i might actual service members because i'd you know it is it really bothers me a lot going on in the hammer community uh... but more importantly house with the adoption process uh... helps pay for it uh... you know there's there's finances when it went dark it's adopted out the that not all the medical expenses for the rest of their lives com for them to get flown to the family cost money and as organizations non-profit set up to help with that all you need to do is contacts your state senators office and encourage them to uh... past the canine uh... members of the armed forces act yes yes they want from this day absolutely whether you like them out leak or uh... recruit puri cues week orchestra belonging in military uh... the rabin streak so out of had a heart of the military to their dogs there's uh... individuals apple akron air force base their entire job there's procurement which is uh... the notation breeze though they were breeding program at wack when but they also get a lot of the dogs of from avengers in europe uh... from the top european breeders out there and they go and they have not agreed feelings that they what they do or how many document how much the dogs are but they have if a process that they have with a test their little puppies that put those puppies through certain tests here's a look at this one has potential business potential and and and that's how they make a decision but like i said before it even and that doesn't mean that they're going to make the cut this on the growth of the training madonna who can this is just such a compelling story i think can envision of sergeant rex the movie removing how heroic people wanna said you know that's uh... that's not up to me others really happy i got this right did tell his story if whether people want to see it in another type of media or do whatever then fine but you know and they're not just one part of the story you know what he's done so much for a work after my path after the work that we did as well percentage seeking q free service charge country thank him and also to racks and also how many other animals in the workplace uh... that's very questions so ten dollars part of it for the dart to transition one st retire right well first of all the military has a tremendous is successful adoption program writing never ever euthanize the dogs unless it's a drastic situation whether medical or just over aggressive uh... and even then it's extremely rare uh... to do everything in their power to find you know the comm equipment the military that hammer community does everything they can further talks and down yes the dogs do you make a transition you can just adopt them out and also to put them in a home they're trying to attack and all these high-speed operations and and uh... you know there's a dog i served on the been lawton rate with the navy seals you know in that's so advanced that they are not these days so there's a d training period that they have to go through the production process takes at minimum three months to get them through that process and yes there is a d training period for the dogs there has been that has been a successful program as been proven that they can transition six successfully uh... yes uh... mike thank you rig and very much for your service uh... have you had an opportunity to compare your experiences has a dog handler with those handlers who served in vietnam were serving previous wars five banks that just one minute answer this past saturday yes absolutely about love all the might bother better and our cameras that are watching repairing attendance thank you so much for everything you guys have done uh... i've read all your store i've read most of the stories and and want to talk to all of them and yes we certainly todd i've met vietnam dog handlers uh... communique i still do to to this day uh... and i really wanna say thank you all them for centigrade example for today's veterans because they welcomed us home of so much in advance so much for today's that's uh... i just wanna say thank you too old for alternatives in general but yeah i will talk about cameras and all my fellow hamas that i deployed what they were equally is great and they indulgence can today continued to really great things facing thanks to mike downing for joining us the book is sergeant rex the unbreakable bands between a marine and his military working dog published a trio bucks this program is that in fact if their date with special thanks to its president robert sullivan aunty anna belle judy back to take a state of illinois have try at her office you can learn more about the library download the audio podcast or view other accent programs they visiting us epics tonight a library dot org thanks for joining us she's expressed in this program are not necessarily the views of the library the printer military library present is made possible by members of the library ended sponsors you're going to be a part of our studio audience critters military this job poster production has presented in association with mobutu military library