thedrifter
05-08-03, 05:17 PM
Operation Devil Dog aims to cool war dogs
Suzi Drake
Carolina Living Editor
They don’t hold rank, don’t wear uniforms and it would be difficult for them to give a salute. Yet they are extremely valuable members of the military, many of whom are currently serving as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. They are intensely trained, highly intelligent and fantastically loyal Belgium Malinois and German Shepherds who serve at their handler’s side through thick and thin. They are war dogs.
Valued between $30,000 and $40,000 each, modern working dogs receive much of the same detailed care their ancestors who served in Vietnam did. They are regularly groomed, medically treated, follow a strict diet and some have private quarters. But entering the scorching Iraqi desert with their winter coats still in full-force has taken its toll on some of these four-legged warriors.
“They are having a really difficult time acclimatizing to the desert,” said Tonya Nagel, volunteer coordinator for the Marine Corps Museum of the Carolinas. “They are getting sick and some have even died.”
The job of a working dog, especially one sent out in times of war, is to be at their trainer’s side constantly. They receive extensive training at Lackland Air Force Bases’ Military Working Dog School in San Antonio in narcotics and explosive detection as well as patrolling. As part of the coalition force in Iraq, an estimated 200 war dogs are hard at work each day securing bases, searching buildings, sniffing for explosives, controlling crowds and guarding prisoners. They do their job well and they do it under the scalding desert sun.
“When they are out there, they are not only a value to the government and the war effort, they are valuable to the service members they are serving with,” Nagel explained. “They are someone’s partner.”
Nagel and a handful of community members have organized a fundraising effort to alleviate some of the heat stresses affecting the dogs, helping them to live healthier lives while in the desert and do their job to the best of their ability. They are aiming to raise nearly $30,000 in order to purchase and ship 200 Cool-Vests and Cool-Beds, specialty items equipped with long-lasting ice packs, to send to each and every hard working dog.
Operation Devil Dog started when Nagel’s friend, Sgt. Heather Deters, a kennel master currently in Kuwait, told her how the heat was affecting the dogs and said if they needed anything it was Cool-Vests and Cool-Beds. These accessories will keep a dog’s body temperature comfortable for up to six hours at a time.
The Marine Corps Museum of the Carolinas, directed by retired Sgt. Maj. Joe Houle, quickly responded to Deters call for help by setting up a bank account where donations could be sent, Nagel went to work contacting manufacturers of the vests and beds, looking for the best deal and Deters’ partner, a German Shepherd named Nero, has become the effort’s poster child.
Nagel has found a supplier, now they just need to raise the money. The account has already begun to receive donations from concerned individuals, businesses and schools. Summersill Elementary was one of the first to respond, raising $210 for the cause.
Nagel also notes, that while many war dogs who served in past conflicts didn’t return home, the rules have changed and it is the intention of the military to bring each dog home safely.
The group plans to collect funds for up to six months, all the while buying beds. To contribute to this cause, send a check or money order to Operation Devil Dog, MC Museum of the Carolinas, P.O. Box 146, Jacksonville, N.C., 28451 or drop off donations at the Jacksonville, USO. For more information about how you can help, call Nagel at 937-0033. And remember that all donations, no matter how small, are greatly appreciated.
Sempers.
Roger
Suzi Drake
Carolina Living Editor
They don’t hold rank, don’t wear uniforms and it would be difficult for them to give a salute. Yet they are extremely valuable members of the military, many of whom are currently serving as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. They are intensely trained, highly intelligent and fantastically loyal Belgium Malinois and German Shepherds who serve at their handler’s side through thick and thin. They are war dogs.
Valued between $30,000 and $40,000 each, modern working dogs receive much of the same detailed care their ancestors who served in Vietnam did. They are regularly groomed, medically treated, follow a strict diet and some have private quarters. But entering the scorching Iraqi desert with their winter coats still in full-force has taken its toll on some of these four-legged warriors.
“They are having a really difficult time acclimatizing to the desert,” said Tonya Nagel, volunteer coordinator for the Marine Corps Museum of the Carolinas. “They are getting sick and some have even died.”
The job of a working dog, especially one sent out in times of war, is to be at their trainer’s side constantly. They receive extensive training at Lackland Air Force Bases’ Military Working Dog School in San Antonio in narcotics and explosive detection as well as patrolling. As part of the coalition force in Iraq, an estimated 200 war dogs are hard at work each day securing bases, searching buildings, sniffing for explosives, controlling crowds and guarding prisoners. They do their job well and they do it under the scalding desert sun.
“When they are out there, they are not only a value to the government and the war effort, they are valuable to the service members they are serving with,” Nagel explained. “They are someone’s partner.”
Nagel and a handful of community members have organized a fundraising effort to alleviate some of the heat stresses affecting the dogs, helping them to live healthier lives while in the desert and do their job to the best of their ability. They are aiming to raise nearly $30,000 in order to purchase and ship 200 Cool-Vests and Cool-Beds, specialty items equipped with long-lasting ice packs, to send to each and every hard working dog.
Operation Devil Dog started when Nagel’s friend, Sgt. Heather Deters, a kennel master currently in Kuwait, told her how the heat was affecting the dogs and said if they needed anything it was Cool-Vests and Cool-Beds. These accessories will keep a dog’s body temperature comfortable for up to six hours at a time.
The Marine Corps Museum of the Carolinas, directed by retired Sgt. Maj. Joe Houle, quickly responded to Deters call for help by setting up a bank account where donations could be sent, Nagel went to work contacting manufacturers of the vests and beds, looking for the best deal and Deters’ partner, a German Shepherd named Nero, has become the effort’s poster child.
Nagel has found a supplier, now they just need to raise the money. The account has already begun to receive donations from concerned individuals, businesses and schools. Summersill Elementary was one of the first to respond, raising $210 for the cause.
Nagel also notes, that while many war dogs who served in past conflicts didn’t return home, the rules have changed and it is the intention of the military to bring each dog home safely.
The group plans to collect funds for up to six months, all the while buying beds. To contribute to this cause, send a check or money order to Operation Devil Dog, MC Museum of the Carolinas, P.O. Box 146, Jacksonville, N.C., 28451 or drop off donations at the Jacksonville, USO. For more information about how you can help, call Nagel at 937-0033. And remember that all donations, no matter how small, are greatly appreciated.
Sempers.
Roger