Dogged Determination

[Crossfire Bulldogs]

By TOM ROEDER THE GAZETTE

At Peterson Air Force Base, members of the 21st Security Forces Squadron exercise in the snow with their bomb-detecting dogs.

Most of the dogs and many of their handlers have worked in a far more difficult environment — the war-torn Middle East.

“They called my dog ‘Saddam Dog’ because they were so afraid of him,” said Staff Sgt. Tony Davis, who served with his dog, actually named King, at Talil Air Force Base in central Iraq.

The dogs that patrol local Air Force bases play a crucial role in Iraq, where their finely tuned noses can sense explosives and can track down insurgents seeking to infiltrate U.S. installations, Davis said.

The animals love the work, the airmen said.

“The dogs think it’s a game,” said Staff Sgt. Chris Ebeling, who deployed as a dog handler to a Persian Gulf base, the exact location of which is classified.

But the desert conditions are difficult for dogs, whose fur intensifies the extreme heat.

In Iraq, a German shepherd is only good for half an hour of hard work between respites, Davis said. And even that requires special equipment.

A jacket filled with ice cools the dog’s flanks, and booties shield its feet from the searing ground.

Davis said his dog proved adept at finding guns and even tracked down a bomb strapped under an 18-wheeler.

But to keep King going required constant pampering. Davis said he even skipped meals in Iraq to ensure that King ate his dinner.

The job can be dangerous, too.

In June, Peterson Tech. Sgt. Jamie Dana was critically injured when a roadside bomb detonated near her Humvee in Iraq. Dana is recovering from her wounds in Black Forest, and her Air Force dog, Rex, remains by her side.

Congress on Thursday approved a provision that, if signed by President Bush, will allow Dana to adopt Rex, whom she credits with helping in her recovery, rather than returning him to the Air Force.

Staff Sgt. Bruce Estep said dogs and their handlers become very close while deployed overseas. At Peterson, the dogs stay in their kennels when they aren’t working.

Estep said during his deployment to Pakistan, his dog stayed with him in a tent.

“It’s like having your house dog with you,” he said.

Ebeling said having a dog with you overseas helps avoid loneliness.

“No matter how bad a mood you are in, the dog is always happy to see you,” he said.

In Iraq and the Middle East, the dogs work at traffic-control points to sniff out car-borne bombs. They also are used on base security patrols and work alongside soldiers during neighborhood bomb searches.

When the dogs and their handlers get home, the work doesn’t stop. Locally, the 21st Squadron’s dogs patrol area bases, and are on call to help civilian authorities detect explosives.

In recent weeks, Peterson dogs have also helped provide security for Denver visits by President Bush and Vice President Cheney.

Davis, who like several other Peterson dog handlers proudly displays a German shepherd tattoo, says despite long hours and frequent deployments, he likes the work.

“It’s the best job you can ask for,” he said. “That’s why most of us have a dog or a paw tattoo.”