Seems like a major waste to me: bomb-sniffing dog retired just to give his handler a companion

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Seems like a major waste to me: bomb-sniffing dog retired just to give his handler a companion

Posted: 2/1/2006 12:33:57 PM EDT

news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060201/ap_on_go_pr_wh/state_of_the_union_notebook&printer=1

Bomb-Sniffing Dog Gets Good Seat at Speech

By LAURIE KELLMAN, Associated Press Writer
Tue Jan 31, 10:50 PM ET

First lady Laura Bush's guests at her husband's annual address to Congress certainly were diverse. One, in fact, wasn't even human.

Rex, a 5-year-old German shepherd, fit in with the other Iraq war veterans who were guests of Republicans and Democrats.

Rex sniffed out bombs in Iraq. He's been the subject of congressional legislation. He's famous, and Wednesday night he became one of Mrs. Bush's guests at the State of the Union speech.

How Rex landed such a coveted seat - actually a spot in the aisle labeled "Rex" on the official seating chart - is quite a tale.

His owner, Air Force Tech Sgt. Jamie Dana, awoke in a military hospital last summer badly injured by a bomb in Iraq and crying for her bomb-sniffing dog. Someone told her Rex was dead.

Later, Dana found out that wasn't true. But it would take an act of Congress before she could take him home to Pennsylvania.

The Air Force said it had spent $18,000 training Rex and that, by statute, he needed to finish the remaining five years of his useful life before he could be adopted. Dana's congressman, Rep. John Peterson, R-Pa., helped abolish that policy in an end-of-year defense bill, the White House said.

While I feel sympathy for the wounded soldier, it seems like that dog's proper place is in Iraq, protecting other soldiers from bombs, not sitting in Pennsylvania to keep her company.

Posted: 2/1/2006 12:40:24 PM EDT

[#1]

he'll be replaced. not a big deal.

Posted: 2/1/2006 12:42:26 PM EDT

[#2]

I don't mind letting 2 American heros stay together.

Posted: 2/1/2006 12:43:05 PM EDT

[#3]

The dog sustained serious injuries that prevented him from being returned to duty IIRC.

I think it was great that they retired the dog and gave it to the handler. Dogs after WWII, Korea and Vietnam were supposed to be brought back but were put to sleep instead.

Posted: 2/1/2006 12:43:47 PM EDT

[#4]

I thought the dog was injured in the same explosion.

Posted: 2/1/2006 12:43:59 PM EDT

[#5]

You were never a "Puppy Pusher" in the military, you would'nt understand.

Posted: 2/1/2006 12:44:22 PM EDT

[#6]

considering some of the disgrasefull things we have done in the past to our war dog heros, this is a good thing..

Posted: 2/1/2006 12:47:18 PM EDT

[#7]

I actually went to school with the girl since kindergarden.

She was extremely close to death when she was injured.

ETA:

IIRC at the end of vientnam they just shot the dogs rather than bringing them home.

Posted: 2/1/2006 12:48:35 PM EDT

[#8]

I've heard and read some amazing things about .mil folks and their dogs... the story doesn't bother me in the least.

Sounds like a good pooch and a fine Air(wo?)man.

- BG

Posted: 2/1/2006 12:49:41 PM EDT

[#9]

Oh good grief. I think the dog should be with Sgt. Dana. There are plenty of other bomb sniffing dogs. The dog and it's handler do usually develop an emotional bond and I see absolutely nothing wrong with the 2 of them being together.

There are far more important things to be concerned about.

Posted: 2/1/2006 12:52:47 PM EDT

[#10]

Quoted:
I've heard and read some amazing things about .mil folks and their dogs... the story doesn't bother me in the least.

Sounds like a good pooch and a fine Air(wo?)man.

- BG

+1 she looked pretty hot last night. I wouldn't mind calling her my g/f.

Posted: 2/1/2006 12:54:24 PM EDT

[#11]

Quoted:
Quoted:
I've heard and read some amazing things about .mil folks and their dogs... the story doesn't bother me in the least.

Sounds like a good pooch and a fine Air(wo?)man.

- BG

+1 she looked pretty hot last night. I wouldn't mind calling her my g/f.

Trust me she isn't even close to being hot.

Posted: 2/1/2006 12:55:20 PM EDT

[#12]

She deserves the dog IMO. To the military, its a dog. Easily replaceable, nothing special. To the handler, well, those who have had a bond with a dog will understand and those who havent wont. That simple.

Posted: 2/1/2006 12:57:26 PM EDT

[#13]

Quoted:
While I feel sympathy for the wounded soldier, it seems like that dog's proper place is in Iraq, protecting other soldiers from bombs, not sitting in Pennsylvania to keep her company.

It's amazing how some people can be wrong nearly 100% of the time.

Posted: 2/1/2006 12:59:31 PM EDT

[#14]

Quoted:
You were never a "Puppy Pusher" in the military, you would'nt understand.

Neither was I. But I understand. They are a team, a partnership. Retiring the dog to her is a very good thing. His presence and love will immensely aid in her recovery.

pyro6988 be sure to pass along our best wishes and hopes for a full and speedy recovery to your friend.

Posted: 2/1/2006 1:00:54 PM EDT

[#15]

Quoted:

pyro6988 be sure to pass along our best wishes and hopes for a full and speedy recovery to your friend.

Thanks, I will. She has been on the front page of our small town newspaper at least 3 times since she was injured, including today.

ETA: Here is the article from our paper today.

www.bradfordera.com/site/tab2.cfm?newsid=16033803&BRD=2725&PAG=461&dept_id=562849&rfi=6

Posted: 2/1/2006 1:02:49 PM EDT

[#16]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
I've heard and read some amazing things about .mil folks and their dogs... the story doesn't bother me in the least.

Sounds like a good pooch and a fine Air(wo?)man.

- BG

+1 she looked pretty hot last night. I wouldn't mind calling her my g/f.

Trust me she isn't even close to being hot.

LIES!!
Your just trying to keep her all to youself arent you? I'm on to you!

Posted: 2/1/2006 1:46:42 PM EDT

[#17]

What does she rate on the Army scale? What about the civillian scale? Ha. I personally think that the dog should stay with her. I'm sure the army spent more than 18 grand to train her, alone.It kind of reminds me about that king of the hill episode, where the one guy(forget name) gets fired from the army because he was a gigantic waste of money. "The army spent 2 million dollars training me...."

Posted: 2/1/2006 2:01:46 PM EDT

[#18]

Anyone have a pic of her and her pooch?

Posted: 2/1/2006 2:02:25 PM EDT

[#19]

Quoted:
Quoted:
While I feel sympathy for the wounded soldier, it seems like that dog's proper place is in Iraq, protecting other soldiers from bombs, not sitting in Pennsylvania to keep her company.

It's amazing how some people can be wrong nearly 100% of the time.

Well he is at least consistent.

Let her have her dog.

Posted: 2/1/2006 2:05:56 PM EDT

[#20]

It IS a "waste" in terms of the training that went into the dog.

But here's the thing: The dog/handler come as a pair. There's training involved to get the two to work together, and the bond that forms between dog and handler. It's not like a rifle that can just be passed on to the next guy.

I guess you never had a dog.

Posted: 2/1/2006 2:06:34 PM EDT

[#21]

Quoted:
Anyone have a pic of her and her pooch?

www.afspaeagle.com/pro1-danaj.htm

Posted: 2/1/2006 2:20:20 PM EDT

[#22]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
While I feel sympathy for the wounded soldier, it seems like that dog's proper place is in Iraq, protecting other soldiers from bombs, not sitting in Pennsylvania to keep her company.

It's amazing how some people can be wrong nearly 100% of the time.

Well he is at least consistent.

Let her have her dog.

Hey guys, fuck you both.

She wants a dog, get her a puppy.

If "Rex" was injured, fine, bring him home, but the Army didn't seem to think he was unable to continue to perform his duties, seeing as how they wanted to keep him in service. I assume they're not so hard up as to want to keep a dog around that the handler has to drag from spot to spot.

Or maybe we should just bring ALL the dogs home. Who cares if a few more troops get blown into dogmeat because a dog wasn't available to sniff out an IED, right? They're just grunts. But dogs are important. If we don't bring all the dogs home, we're no better than the Soviets who trained "dog mines" during WWII.

Posted: 2/1/2006 2:24:03 PM EDT

[#23]

The free goodwill and PR the .MIL gets by keeping the two togather greatly exceeds the financial costs of retiring the dog early.

Posted: 2/1/2006 2:26:58 PM EDT

[#24]

I thought during training the dog is taught to screen out other voices and only respond to it's handler (at least that's what they do to Oakland K-9 units).

It doesn't seem like a bad move to me..

Posted: 2/1/2006 2:28:14 PM EDT

[#25]

She should be keeping that dog, and the senator did good.

Posted: 2/1/2006 2:28:22 PM EDT

[#26]

I don't have any problem with it. I think it is nice.

Posted: 2/1/2006 2:29:40 PM EDT

[#27]

I presume military dogs are similar to police dogs. It is likely the dog would not work well with anyone else once bonded with a handler. Regardless of this, the dog deserves to go to a home that loves it and being blown up and injured once rates the same treatment as the handler. Let the dog retire and quit your complaining.

Posted: 2/1/2006 2:31:02 PM EDT

[#28]

Quoted:
he'll be replaced. not a big deal.

One of the biggest sourcing shorfalls we face is in military working dogs.

Posted: 2/1/2006 2:37:38 PM EDT

[#29]

Quoted:
You were never a "Puppy Pusher" in the military, you would'nt understand.

+1

Former 81152A here.

They used to put MWDs down at the end of their service. I'm glad that policy has changed.

Posted: 2/1/2006 2:40:25 PM EDT

[#30]

Quoted:
I presume military dogs are similar to police dogs. It is likely the dog would not work well with anyone else once bonded with a handler. Regardless of this, the dog deserves to go to a home that loves it and being blown up and injured once rates the same treatment as the handler. Let the dog retire and quit your complaining.

No, MWDs are trained to accept a new handler. The first MWD I worked with in the field had eight handlers before me. His first reaction to me was "Great. I have to break in another FNG."

Posted: 2/1/2006 2:43:11 PM EDT

[#31]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
While I feel sympathy for the wounded soldier, it seems like that dog's proper place is in Iraq, protecting other soldiers from bombs, not sitting in Pennsylvania to keep her company.

It's amazing how some people can be wrong nearly 100% of the time.

Well he is at least consistent.

Let her have her dog.

Hey guys, fuck you both.

She wants a dog, get her a puppy.

If "Rex" was injured, fine, bring him home, but the Army didn't seem to think he was unable to continue to perform his duties, seeing as how they wanted to keep him in service. I assume they're not so hard up as to want to keep a dog around that the handler has to drag from spot to spot.

Or maybe we should just bring ALL the dogs home. Who cares if a few more troops get blown into dogmeat because a dog wasn't available to sniff out an IED, right? They're just grunts. But dogs are important. If we don't bring all the dogs home, we're no better than the Soviets who trained "dog mines" during WWII.

Get a clue.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Seems like a major waste to me: bomb-sniffing dog retired just to give his handler a companion

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