Dogs have a very long history in warfare, beginning in ancient times. From being trained in combat, to their use as scouts, sentries, messengers, mercy dogs, and trackers, their uses have been varied, and some continue to exist in modern military usage. (From Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dogs_in_warfare )
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| A soldier parachutes with a dog |
From Scholastic News
One night in 2011, a team of United States soldiers carried out a daring raid in Pakistan. They found and killed the world’s most wanted terrorist, Osama bin Laden. Bin Laden had planned the September 11, 2001 attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people in the United States.
Short Video About the September 11, 2001 Attacks
The team included 30 to 40 highly trained soldiers, all outfitted with the latest technology. But one of the team’s most important assets was a four-legged soldier—a dog named Cairo. Cairo’s main job was to find anyone who tried to escape.
The U.S. military uses about 2,700 dogs like Cairo. These dogs use their powerful sense of smell to sniff out bombs, weapons, drugs, and enemies. By finding hidden dangers, they help keep soldiers safe.
The Nose Knows
When a dog sniffs the air, odor molecules enter its nostrils. These tiny, airborne particles travel to a membrane that contains scent-detecting cells. Dogs have about 220 million scent cells. That’s 40 times more than humans have. That’s why a dog gets much more information from a whiff of air than we do.
Dogs’ noses are so powerful that they perform even better than machines. “Dogs find stuff that our sniffing technology can’t find,” says U.S. Marine Gunnery Sergeant Greg Massey. Massey is in charge of the Military Working Dog Program at the U.S. Marine Corps headquarters in Virginia.
A Working Dog’s Life
Military dogs go through months of tough training. They learn things like obedience, defense, and how to sniff out certain scents. Then each dog is paired with a military handler, with whom it forms a special bond. Finally, the hard work begins.
On the battlefield, dogs often walk far in front of their units to sniff for bombs. They’ll also enter buildings first to see what’s inside. Dogs will even parachute out of airplanes with their handlers! Dogs usually go to war several times, until they are about 9 years old. Then they retire and are adopted by families—a fitting reward for years of putting their lives on the line.
“These dogs do great things,” says Massey. “They are heroes.”
The team included 30 to 40 highly trained soldiers, all outfitted with the latest technology. But one of the team’s most important assets was a four-legged soldier—a dog named Cairo. Cairo’s main job was to find anyone who tried to escape.
The U.S. military uses about 2,700 dogs like Cairo. These dogs use their powerful sense of smell to sniff out bombs, weapons, drugs, and enemies. By finding hidden dangers, they help keep soldiers safe.
The Nose Knows
When a dog sniffs the air, odor molecules enter its nostrils. These tiny, airborne particles travel to a membrane that contains scent-detecting cells. Dogs have about 220 million scent cells. That’s 40 times more than humans have. That’s why a dog gets much more information from a whiff of air than we do.
Dogs’ noses are so powerful that they perform even better than machines. “Dogs find stuff that our sniffing technology can’t find,” says U.S. Marine Gunnery Sergeant Greg Massey. Massey is in charge of the Military Working Dog Program at the U.S. Marine Corps headquarters in Virginia.
A Working Dog’s Life
Military dogs go through months of tough training. They learn things like obedience, defense, and how to sniff out certain scents. Then each dog is paired with a military handler, with whom it forms a special bond. Finally, the hard work begins.
On the battlefield, dogs often walk far in front of their units to sniff for bombs. They’ll also enter buildings first to see what’s inside. Dogs will even parachute out of airplanes with their handlers! Dogs usually go to war several times, until they are about 9 years old. Then they retire and are adopted by families—a fitting reward for years of putting their lives on the line.
“These dogs do great things,” says Massey. “They are heroes.”
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