Families Foster Future MWDs

By Elaine Sanchez
American Forces Press Service

SAN ANTONIO, Feb. 6, 2012 – Navy veteran Hector Hernandez leans down to hug his dog as she pants noisily from her most recent dash around the living room. She nuzzles into his hand -- a momentary calm in the storm of activity that’s Bella.

Hector Hernandez watches his wife, Anita, play with their foster dog, Bella, as their daughters, Tiffany, left, and Brianna look on in their home in San Antonio. Bella belongs to the Defense Department's Military Working Dog Breeding Program on Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio. The program, which breeds Belgian Malinois for a variety of military assignments, relies on foster families to socialize the dogs and expose them to a variety of environments. DOD photo by Linda Hosek

“She’s a good girl,” Hernandez said affectionately as he throws the ball she’s already fetched several times from across the room. But this time, she bounds to his wife and two daughters, pausing to lick each member of her new family.

Although they already have a dog and weren’t looking for another, the Hernandez family took Bella in about three months ago -- not out of a sense of obligation because she needed a home, but due to a deep desire to serve.

Like Hernandez, who retired from the Navy, Bella is destined for a lifetime of service. She is one of several future military working dogs placed with foster families across town. These families, all volunteers, raise these dogs for about five months before returning them for an intensive training program at the Defense Department’s Military Working Dog Breeding Program at Lackland Air Force Base here.

This program, administered by the 341st Training Squadron, breeds, trains and raises Belgian Malinois to serve alongside other military working dogs, a select group used by DOD and other government agencies for patrol, drug and explosive detection, and in specialized missions both stateside and overseas, explained Bernadine Green, the program’s deputy director.

The program solely breeds Belgian Malinois, since that breed tends to make outstanding working dogs, able to carry out a mission equally well on an installation or in a combat zone, she said.
Puppies spend their first months of life in the breeding center, where experts begin assessing them for signs of future promise. The puppies that show potential are placed with foster families -- a mix of active duty, veterans and community members -- starting at about 8 weeks old.

“Families love to do it,” Green said. “It’s their way of giving back to the community and the military, and also for the sheer pleasure of caring for a puppy.”...

Read the rest of this great story here.

Wednesday Hero

This Weeks Post Was Suggested By Cindy

Sgt. Jimmie Begay
86 years old from Sawmill, Arizona
1st Marine Division, 2nd Battalion
February 1, 2012


The Navajo Nation has lost another code talker. Sgt. Jimmie Begay passed away Wednesday night at Tsehootsoi Medical Center in Fort Defiance at the age of 88 from a head injury he sustained after a fall. Sgt. Begay enlisted in the Marines in 1942 when he was 17 years old.

Sadly there isn't much information on Sgt. Begay, but you can read more about him here.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives just so others may get to enjoy freedom. For that I am proud to call them Hero.
Those Who Say That We're In A Time When There Are No Heroes, They Just Don't Know Where To Look

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Finally, Afghanistan; (Third) First Impressions

Years from now, when kids not yet born will be learning about the Global War On Terror, there are some writers whose insights must be included in their school curriculum. Old Blue is one such warrior/writer. He is back in Afghanistan:

Old Blue | Tuesday, February 7th, 2012

I’ve arrived at Marmal, a German Air Base near Mazar-e Sharif. Now that the movement is over, I can say that the brigade trickled into theater over the course of about a month. Some of the brigade has been on the ground here for just over a month. Others have just arrived. Most of my team has been in place for several weeks at least. I was on the third to last (out of a bunch) movement to country, which was passed by the second to last and finally entered country at the same time as the final movement arrived. Throughout the long, painful movement into Afghanistan, I kept in touch via email with the Lieutenant Colonel, LTC Grass* who is the deputy team chief for the Security Force Assistance Team (SFAT) that I am a part of.

A couple of years ago, SFAT’s were called ETT’s or PMT’s. Embedded advisors. I’ve done this before, but this time I’m doing it with the Afghan Border Police. Most of the team have been working with them for a little while now....

Go here now, read the rest of this column, and then bookmark Old Blue.

Leonard Cohen Come Healing

Leonard Cohen Old Ideas

"Troop Levels To Be Determined by..."

An important column from War On Terror News:

02/05/2012

"Troop Levels To Be Determined by..."

... "conditions on the ground," "in consultation with the Ground Commanders."

"the Taliban has maintained common cause with al Qaeda" President Obama, West Point, December 1st, 2009

These are things we have heard from the President, the Secretary of Defense, and other Administration officials. I am not the first to have pointed out that the very opposite occurred, that the decision was made to cut Troop levels in Afghanistan before the first Soldier in "The Surge" received his orders to go. Nor am I the first to point out that this is the wrong time, i.e. in the middle of war, to cut the number of Troops available to fight these wars.

"..a group of extremists who have distorted and defiled Islam, one of the world's great religions, to justify the slaughter of innocents. Al Qaeda's base of operations was in Afghanistan, where they were harbored by the Taliban - a ruthless, repressive and radical movement that seized control of that country" President Obama, West Point, December 1st, 2009

Candidate Obama campaigned on making Afghanistan, the just war, his top priority. General McKiernan told him he needed more Troops, but was fired for telling the truth, i.e. that Our Troops had not wantonly or negligently, attacked and killed hundreds of civilians. General McChrystal told the POTUS he needed more Troops, and found himself on the outs with the Administration for trying to convince the POTUS to send them. He was fired for airing his frustration, in a private conversation, publicized by Rolling Stone, fired for telling the truth that the POTUS wasn't just, not listening, but not even giving him the time of day. ...

We are living in very strange and dangerous times, and even as America continues on in the never-ending election campaigning of the current resident of the White House, it is vital that we all stay informed, and pay attention. Go read the rest of this here.

Learn to be still

Wednesday Hero

This Weeks Post Was Suggested By Cindy

Pfc. Donny Eslinger & Smoke
20 years old from Jemison, Alabama
1st Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Bravo Company


It was a mission just as important as any other they had encountered during their time in Afghanistan.

This time the 1-24 Infantry Battalion of the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team were determined to reunite soldier Donny Eslinger - who was seriously injured in a mortar attack in September - with a puppy he rescued during his deployment called Smoke.

And now it is Smoke's turn to rescue Donny, says his father Seminole County sheriff Don Eslinger Sr, who reunited the puppy with his owner today.

When Donny, who was serving in Afghanistan, encountered the pup in August he fell in love with him and stashed him in his backpack to hike back to camp.

You can read more about Pfc. Eslinger here and here

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives just so others may get to enjoy freedom. For that I am proud to call them Hero.
Those Who Say That We're In A Time When There Are No Heroes, They Just Don't Know Where To Look

This post is part of Wednesday Hero. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.