The dogs working with special operations and EOD teams have certainly proven their worth the past decade. So much so the military continues to invest in protecting and caring for these animals in combat.
Marine Corps Special Operations Command has put out an inquiry to buy an X-ray machine that Marines can take to the field and examine the dogs in case of an injury.
MARSOC leaders have already picked out what model they want. The Marine Corps issued a formal solicitation on July 9 to purchase the DR 3500 Flat Panel Digital Navigator System, which would include a digital imaging unit, Dell laptop computer, and Work Station Vet Ray software.
The most common breed of working dogs are the German Shepherd and the Belgian Malinois. The military also uses Labrador Retrievers and German short-haired pointers. German Shepherds make up almost half of all working dogs, according to military statistics.
In 2010, the head of the Joint IED Defeat Organization notably said that bomb sniffing dogs were more effective than any sensor the military had yet to develop. Lt. Gen. Michael Oates said a dog and a dismounted Marine or soldier could find about 80 percent of bombs.
"That combo presents the best detection system we currently have," Oates told National Defense Magazine.
And then of course there's Cairo, probably the most famous dog since Rin Tin Tin, who was part of the Seal Team 6 mission that killed Osama Bin Laden. Here's a breakdown of some of the kit he wore on the mission.
