Modern War Heroes

In Afghanistan, the US Marines has been employing a different kind of soldier. This soldier is a little shorter and a lot hairier than your average Marine.

Labradors, a popular hunting dog, have been a vital addition to foot teams patrolling in the dangerous south Afghanistan terrain. When they are just puppies, the dogs are selected and trained to “detect five kinds of threat, from military grade C-4 plastic explosive to common chemicals used by the Taliban to make improvised explosive devices (IEDs)”.  This training has proven invaluable and has saved countless lives.

“They are 98 percent accurate. We trust these dogs more than metal detectors and mine sweepers,” says handler Corporal Andrew Guzman.

Since Labradors were originally bred  for use as hunting dogs, their incredible sense of smell is well-tuned to environmental scents. The breed has also proven to be an eager student and is easy to train.

Of course, as anyone who has met a Labrador knows, the dogs are incredibly easy-going and friendly. They have provided much needed companionship, and a break from the daily life in hostile territory,  to the homesick soldiers. The soldiers are able to blow off steam playing with the dogs. Many have even requested to adopt the dogs after their tours are over.

As the use of IEDs by the Taliban goes up, so will the numbers of war dogs. Currently there are nearly 70 dogs working in the southern parts of Afghanistan alone, with more around the country. More of these valuable additions to our troops will be deployed in the coming months.

For more on the “dogs of war”, click here to read an article from Yahoo! News.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD, is a burden on our war veterans. The disorder eats away at their health and causes tears in their lives. Sadly, the articles on the internet highlight the unfortunate directions these soldier lives often take after being diagnosed with PTSD. Some even end tragically by ending their own lives.

The truly tragic side of this terrible illness is that, with proper help, it could be manageable. But the government doesn’t always care for these soldiers, and often, sadly, the soldiers themselves refuse to seek treatment for fear of appearing “weak”.

Enter Pets2Vets.

Dave Sharpe served in the U.S. Air Force. Returning home, he had trouble adjusting to civilian life and felt that he had no one to turn to – no one to share his experiences in Iraq with. This took his toll on him. Before he knew it, he had started displaying violent tendencies. He would wake up in the middle of the night and punch holes in walls or kick down the refrigerator.

A friend took him to an animal shelter and Dave took home a pit bull puppy named Cheyenne. When he next lost his temper and began his violent rampage, he looked over at the young dog staring at him trustingly and broke down.

“I froze, I put down my drink, I picked her up and laid with her in my bed,” he [Sharpe] said. “I cried and I told her the whole story. I didn’t feel judged.” (source)

Given the extraordinary love and support that Cheyenne gave him, Sharpe was inspired to reach out to his fellow vets. He started the organization Pets2Vets. Pets2Vets has the goal to raise awareness of PTSD and to arrange dog adoptions for veterans suffering form the disorder. With these new pets, the veterans have something outside themselves to focus on – a dependent that won’t judge them and will listen to every word said to them.

While family certainly is an important part of the healing process, so often the responsibilities of family can put pressure on the PTSD sufferer – even if that pressure is only imagined. The dogs provide that comfort needed without any strings attached. Just total  love and admiration.

Pets2Vets is still a fledgling operation, but David Sharpe has already seen results. He has hopes to continue to expand across the DC area and soon across the whole country. He also hopes to expand to encompass, not only war veterans, but police, firemen, rescue personnel, and any others who may have emotional trauma.

If you know anyone who may benefit from this organization, or just want more information about it, head over to the Pets2Vets website.