An Cosantóir

www.military.ie THE DEFENCE FORCES MAGAZINE | 33 of Sergeant Stubby of America's 102nd Infantry Regiment who went from mascot to hero during WWI after being smuggled into battle by Private Robert Conway. Sgt Stubby sniffed out enemy gas, barked out warnings when enemy troops were near and located the wounded on the battlefield. Sgt Stubby remains a symbol of military bravery and heroism and he also forged the way for canine soldiers who followed with some dogs even becoming members of elite special forces teams such as Cairo, a Belgian Malinois who took part in Operation Neptune Spear, which is more commonly known as the killing of Osama Bin Laden. Not all dogs can become the next Sgt Stubby, for example, the suitability rate within the US military runs around 50%. In other words, to produce 100 serviceable dogs, the program will attempt to train about 200. Dogs are extensively tested for aggression, weapon shyness and basic search behaviour, once a dog has been approved both temperamentally and physically then the main training begins. The training is based on positive reward or praise, the epitome of the classical conditioning model developed by Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov. When the dogs manoeuvre through one obstacle suc- cessfully they are rewarded. Then, they manoeuvre two obstacles and are rewarded, so training builds upon previous lessons where hopefully the dog will do the entire obstacle course without a reward until the end, which is how trainers develop the dogs' instincts to want the reward. During the initial phases of training the dog is never permitted to ignore a command or fail to carry it out completely. If a dog fails to execute a command properly the reward is withheld, then the dog is placed in the desired position where the warranted praise is given. The military dog is never allowed to suspect that there is any cor- rect response except for total obedience towards their handler. A service dogs' loyalty to their handler means that they will gladly deploy to areas of conflict. A terrier called Boxer, who was always steadfast by the sides of his fellow troops of 11th Hussars, even embarked on the infamous charge of the light brigade against Russian guns at the Battle of Balaklava in 1854. Boxer thankfully survived this onslaught and would later become a decorated hero also becoming a regular sight in the Curragh Camp and Portobello Barracks around that time. Naturally what goes up the dog's leash also goes down the dog's leash, the connection of troops towards their mascot cannot be underestimated. The black Labrador mas- cot of the RAF 617 Squadron, more famously known as The Dam Busters, was killed in 1943 on the day of the dam raid such was the troops affection for the dog it was decided that most of the flight crew would not be informed of his death until after the operation for fear that it might be regarded as a bad omen. During the 1967 Six-Day War a Jordanian Captain fighter pilot looked for clarifica- tion if the runway at the bombed Mafrak airbase was serviceable for landing. A voice, which he did not recognise, replied that it was serviceable and suspecting that something was amiss the captain asked the controller what was the name of his dog, everyone at the airbase knew the name of the Captain's popular dog. When no answer was forthcoming the captain diverted to Amman as it was a ploy by the Israelis in an attempt to damage more Jordanian Air Force aircraft. While militaries have utilised a dog's agility and physical prowess as an advantage over the enemy's forces for hundreds of years, it should be remembered that military dogs are exposed to the same risks as the ground troops, suffering injuries and sometimes death on the battlefields. There have also been reported cases of military dogs suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder after they have finished their service. While the heroics of dogs in combat operations are unquestion- able, the role of mascot dogs such as the Air Corps Finnegan for military personnel are just as important although their output is unquantifiable, they are part of unit history and their loyalty is unwavering and omnipresent. The fearless dedication of military dogs was best described in a 2008 address by General David H. Petraeus, the then commanding general of Multi-National Force in Iraq, when he stated that "the capability that military working dogs bring to the fight cannot be replicated by man or machine. By all measures of performance, their yield outperforms any asset we have in our inventory." 9/11 SAR Dog Riley. World War I hero dog Sgt Stubby. World War I 'Mercy Dog'. Cave markings showing a dog.

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