Veterans
Related: About this forumInside story of Cairo, the dog that helped catch Osama bin Laden
When Navy SEAL Will Chesney first met a military working dog named Cairo, he didnt know this canine would be The One: a fearless warrior with a soft side, an attack dog who would know the difference between a baby and a bad guy, the lone non-human US soldier to raid Osama bin Ladens compound in 2011.
Nope. Back on that fateful day in 2008, after Chesney decided to become a dog handler, he took his first instruction seriously these dogs werent like pets. They were lethal weapons.
Despite that warning, handlers are dog people, and they know how profound this bond is. As Chesney writes in No Ordinary Dog, his new memoir of life and military service with this storied veteran (co-authored with Joe Layden), Cairo was not my first choice. Might as well be honest about that.
In fact, it was a dog named Bronco that Chesney wanted. Bronco was friendly; Cairo was standoffish. Bronco sometimes wanted to play; Cairo was all about work. Yet after two weeks of training, even as Chesney realized that Cairo was the exceptional dog, he was still resistant.
https://nypost.com/2020/04/16/inside-story-of-cairo-the-dog-that-helped-catch-osama-bin-laden/
Karadeniz
(23,544 posts)Who chose to knowingly put himself between a car with explosives and his comrades in a room, displayed true heroism, soul overcoming brain. He and Cairo are both heroes and if I were in charge, animals would get medals.
procon
(15,805 posts)awarded to valiant warhorses. A few American horses were also recognized by GB for their bravery. I can't recall, by presumably they also award medals to hero military dogs too.
If they can acknowledge the selfless service and bravery of animals fighting in America's wars, so should we. It's a disgrace that we would use these animals, even to their deaths, and not award them for their valor.