Army

Oct 4, 2009

Military Working Dog Makes Historic Tandem Parachute Jump

Al , Working Dogs

I saw a brief newspaper article about this jump a few weeks ago with a small picture and figured it was just a matter of time before we’d see the usual hi-res official Army photos.  Well, sure enough, they’re out (click on them for the giant versions):

U.S. Army 1st Sgt. Chris Lalonde, center, holds his military working dog, Sgt. Maj. Fosco, and jumpmaster Kirby Rodriguez behind them, as they free fall through the air making history with the military’s first tandem airborne jump from an altitude of 12,500 feet on Fort Leonard Wood, Mo. Sept. 18, 2009. Lalonde is assigned to Company D, 701st Military Police Battalion, and Rodriguez is assigned to the 342nd Training Squadron. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Vince Vander Maarel

U.S. Army 1st Sgt. Chris Lalonde, center, holds his military working dog, Sgt. Maj. Fosco, and jumpmaster Kirby Rodriguez behind them, as they free fall through the air making history with the military’s first tandem airborne jump from an altitude of 12,500 feet … Read More

Sep 3, 2009

“Seventy-pound Labrador retrievers take up half the bed.”

Al , Working Dogs

I cracked up when I read that in this story today about military working dogs at Joint Base Balad in Iraq:

“MWDs ‘out of the doghouse’ at JBB”

U.S. Army Specialist Chris Belville, 25th Infantry Division dog handler, spends time with his canine, Cookie, in his living quarters here Aug. 28.

It doesn’t surprise me – I know enough handlers to know how they are about their dogs, and the stories over the years about them sleeping with the dogs, usually under hostile conditions in the field, are legion.

But … Read More

Aug 8, 2009

MRE For An MWD: Meal, Ready-To-Eat For A Military Working Dog

Al , Working Dogs

1st Lt. John Reed, a Milton, Del., native and platoon leader with 15th Brigade Support Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, attempts to evade Capka, a military working dog, during a demonstration at Forward Operating Base Warrior in Kirkuk, Iraq, Aug. 1.
1st Lt. John Reed, a Milton, Del., native and platoon leader with 15th Brigade Support Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, attempts to evade Capka, a military working dog, during a demonstration at Forward Operating Base Warrior in Kirkuk, Iraq, Aug. 1.  (Click on photo for larger version)

There are military working dog articles on the military websites (e.g., Defenselink.mil, Army.mil, AF.mil) all the time with a lotta great pictures – this one just struck me as funny.

If you read the accompanying article, you’ll … Read More

Aug 7, 2009

Double Amputee Military Veteran Parachutes Into Walter Reed

Al , , Veterans

Don’t really need to say anything about this one – the video speaks for itself.

Read more here:
Double Amputee Skydives at Walter Reed
Dana Bowman

… Read More

Jul 23, 2009

Sergeant First Class Jared Monti Awarded Posthumous Medal of Honor

Al Veterans

It’s just been announced that Sergeant First Class Jared Monti from Raynham, MA has been awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions in Afghanistan in June 2006.

Here’s a must-watch three minute video:

You can read more details of his actions that day at Blackfive:

“SFC Jared Monti – Medal Of Honor (Afghanistan)”

… Read More

Jun 5, 2009

Fort Carson Red Cross Station Manager Strongly Supports Wounded Warriors

Al , , , Veterans

Very nice article in the Fort Carson, Colorado Mountaineer newspaper today about my friend Susanne Harlandt, the American Red Cross Station Manager there.

Susanne Harlandt, Fort Carson Red Cross station manager, speaks with Sgt. Eddie Doyle, 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, May 29.
Susanne Harlandt, Fort Carson Red Cross station manager, speaks with Sgt. Eddie Doyle,  1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division.

It’s a very personal interview where Susanne really lays out her feelings for the troops and where those feelings come from. Very enlightening, too, since I don’t know that most people understand that the Red Cross does the kinda things she talks … Read More

Jun 1, 2009

Air Force Coach Troy Calhoun Visits Wounded Warriors

Al , , Veterans

I don’t know Coach Calhoun personally (just missed him during his days as a cadet at the Academy), but I have a number of close friends who do, and this very much tracks with what they’ve told me about the kinda guy he is:

The visit is part of Coaches Tour 2009, where a number of NCAA coaches are visiting the troops – next stops are Turkey and Iraq. You can read more here:

“NCAA coaches visit wounded warriors in military hospital”

… Read More

Mar 27, 2009

New Red Cross Therapy Dog Program at Fort Carson, Colorado

Al , , Therapy Dogs

Nice article in today’s Fort Carson Mountaineer newspaper about the newly established Red Cross therapy dog program at Evans Army Community Hospital. Of course, I’m a little biased because that’s our wonderful dog, Zephan, in the picture:

Red Cross Therapy Dog at Fort Carson Colorado

There’s no direct link to the article – you have to get the complete newspaper pdf and then look on page 21. One caveat: “service dog” wasn’t used accurately in the article – they should’ve just been described as therapy dogs. Nothing sinister there, just an honest mistake somewhere along the way in … Read More

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