Welcome to PWB Peeps. We hang out here every afternoon around 2 PM Eastern. We talk about our beasties, big and small, finned, furry, feathered or something else, share stories, ask questions, have a few laughs, and maybe shed a tear or two now and then. This is our little corner of the intertubes and we are happy to have you join us for a bit of relaxation. The rules are simple. Behave yourself, don't pick fights or hijack threads, be nice, leave what's happening in the outer blog in the outer blog, no politics, no debates. If you don't like this kind of diary, that's cool. Just be on your way, please. No harm, no foul. If you do like them, c'mon in, grab a cuppa, and enjoy a bit of relaxation among friends. Please feel free to share your pics if you'd like to. And, as always, please feel free to join the conversation. We're all friends here and you are most welcome amongst us!
I love dogs, a lot actually. Given the right location and circumstance I can easily see myself surrounded with 3 or 4 or 7. Big dogs - Irish wolfhounds, standard poodles, German shepherds, Dobies. All rescues, all mixed - or not. Don't get me wrong, I am a dyed in the wool, through and through cat person. It works for me and I have been blessed with some wonderful companions who have graced my life with theirs in our forever home.
But, I cannot deny that there is something I see in the eye of every dog I meet which tells me absolutely that within that fine creature's chest beats the heart of a superhero ready to leap into action and save the world if only given the call. I see it in my neighbor's dog, Honey, a rescue boxer-mix. I see it in the grey bearded old chocolate lab that another neighbor travels the block with twice a day at exactly 7 AM and 3 PM.
This diary is about some special dogs that I became aware of recently and I wanted to share them with you. My dear friend and quilting buddy, Edwina, has two grandsons who are currently active duty SEALs. The story touched my heart. I hope it will touch yours.
When President Obama went to Fort Campbell, KY for a highly publicized, but very private, meeting with the commando team that killed Osama bin Laden, only one of the 81 members of the super-secret SEAL DevGru unit was identified by name: Cairo, the war dog.
Cairo, like most canine members of the elite US Navy SEALs is a Belgian Malinois, a breed similar to the German shepherd but smaller and more compact. German shepherds are still used as war dogs, but the lighter, stubbier Malinois is considered better for the tandem parachute jumping and rappelling operations often undertaken by SEAL teams.
Like their human counterparts, canine SEALs are highly trained, highly skilled, highly motivated special ops experts, able to perform extraordinary military missions by Sea, Air and Land (thus the acronym SEAL).
The dogs carry out a wide range of specialized duties for the military
teams to which they are attached. With a sense of smell 40 times greater than a human's, the dogs are trained to detect and identify both explosive material and hostile or hiding humans. The dogs are twice as fast as a fit human, so anyone trying to escape is not likely to outrun Cairo or his buddies. The dogs, equipped with video cameras, also enter certain danger zones first, allowing their handlers to see what's ahead before humans follow.
SEAL dogs are even trained parachutists, jumping either in tandem with their handlers or solo, if the jump is into water. Last year canine parachute instructor Mike Forsythe and his dog Cara set the world record for highest man-dog parachute deployment, jumping from more than 30,100 feet up - the altitude at which transoceanic passenger jets fly.
Both Forsythe and Cara (above) were wearing oxygen masks and skin protectors for the jump. (Photo by Andy Anderson.)
As well, the dogs are faithful, fearless and ferocious “incredibly
frightening" and efficient attackers. When the SEAL DevGru team (usually known by its old designation, Team 6) hit bin Laden's Pakistan compound on May 2, Cairo 's feet would have been four of the first on the ground.
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And like the human SEALs, Cairo was wearing super-strong, flexible body
armor and outfitted with high-tech equipment that included "doggles" -
specially designed and fitted dog goggles with night-vision and infrared
capability that would even allow Cairo to see human heat forms through
concrete walls.
I would like to thank Jim and Gloria Slater in Manitoba, Winnipeg, CAN whose self deemed "hi-tech mom-and-pop business" designed, created and and continues to provide all of the marvelous equipment that allows these amazing animals to work as full members of any SEAL team privileged enough to count one among their members. These images and body text are from one of their promotional e-mailings that was forwarded to me by my friend, Edwina, who is the proud grandmother of two SEALs currently in active service.
Coded by BirderWitch
Word clouds by ccmask