DOGS OF WAR SUIT UP

Following up on a Defense Tech item from a cou­ple of weeks back, the Associated Press takes a look at mil­i­tary dogs in Iraq get­ting bul­let­proof vests.

The U.S. Army has some 30 dogs in Iraq, guard­ing bases and check­ing cars for explo­sives. [Army ken­nel mas­ter Staff Sgt. Jarrod] Zaleski says the dogs have uncov­ered car bombs and have such sen­si­tive noses that one was able to smell an ammu­ni­tion clip in a woman’s pock­et­book.
With vio­lence esca­lat­ing, the Army shipped vests for all of its dogs to Iraq about two weeks ago. War dogs in Afghanistan already have the vests. Soldiers have worn vests since the start of the inva­sion of Iraq in March 2003.
Zaleski said no dogs have been killed in Iraq although sev­eral have suf­fered injuries to their paws while walk­ing through debris or shat­tered glass.
On some mis­sions the dogs are now equipped with padded boots to pro­tect their paws from get­ting cut up.
“Someone just needs to come up with a hel­met for dogs and we’d be good,” quipped Zaleski. 

May 17th, 2004 | War Update | Comments Off Both comments and pings are currently closed.