Military Working Dog - Coursework Example

MILITARY WORKING DOG (MWD) Thesis ment: This paper aims to establish the fact that military war dogs have played an important role at wars and their roles have not only been limited to spying and smelling but also at discerning much needed information which no other soldier could possibly make it, significantly within the war contexts. The jobs of MWDs have changed over the course of time. They have come to be known as the most lethal weapons after men and machinery. They seek to trace information which soldiers are unable to get their hands on. They are specially trained for carrying out certain acts – activities which are in line with spying on enemies and finding infantry details and so on. They bite into the hamstrings of the enemy targets and thus become a pivotal part of any army. Their training requires huge patience and endurance since they are animals at the end of the day and cannot be trained like men in any manner possible. MWDs have been employed almost everywhere – from the Vietnam war to the present day Afghanistan one, from World War I where Stubby was most famous for his promotion to the rank of sergeant to the World War II heroes in the form of Chips and Smoky. Similarly, MWDs were used by England when it went to war against the Celts based in Ireland. The history presents an evidence of a number of instances when MWDs made their mark to the basis of army training and war regimes. The uses that these MWDs have been put into are manifold. Some of these include the Sentry dogs which act as the defense shields of the army camps at night time. Their role is to bark or growl at the sound of a stranger’s presence. Then there are the Scout dogs which find out the location of the booby traps and tell about the same to the armed personnel. They also look out for snipers and other forms of concealed enemies. The Scout dogs have keen senses of smell and hearing and thus this makes them pretty effective when it comes to telling the armed personnel about the presence of any humans nearby. Mine dogs find out the location related with the installation of mines and prove to be a significant force in the combat operations. Messenger dogs bring and take information from different personnel to each other within a war zone. Messenger dogs need two loyal masters for its own self because if this is not the case then the Messenger dogs might take a lot of time in delivering the message. Anti-tank dogs were used in World War II as they proved to be a success for disabling the German tanks but the idea of having such dogs did not prove fruitful in the long run and thus these kinds of MWDs have been abandoned. Lastly, there are the Attack dogs which essentially attack much like the soldiers. They are strapped with armor and spiked collars at times and are ordered to go after the enemy and attack in the most violent manner possible. Romans and Greeks made best use of these Attack dogs in historical times and with the change in technological regimes within war situations, the Attacks dogs have also been abandoned for reasons just mentioned. Military Working Dog (MWD) is also known by the term K-9 in the present times. The reason for the same is that they are not employed in front line formations but are limited to the rear zone of the war formations. German Shepard in the past and more recently the usage of smaller dogs has indicated to one and all that the MWDs have played an effective role, no matter whatever the war situation is like and the kind of situation the army is undergoing at a particular moment of time. They help at patrolling the area, bringing food for the soldiers, smell and detection work as well as keeping away the civilians and the unwanted guests or strangers at the site of the army deployment. They are on a continuous look out for individuals who have got nothing to do with the army or its regimes and are just pestering for reasons best known to them. The MWDs indicate to the armed personnel the presence of any such strangers in a quick manner and thus the unknown strangers are easily arrested without any hiccups. The MWDs see to provide information to the law enforcement agencies and thus play an active role at providing the much needed knowledge regarding the war situations and the like. Different K-9 funds have been set up with the passage of time, which essentially aim to look after the needs of these MWDs as well as provide similar dogs to individuals who want them for their domestic pets. Police has also gained a lot of advantage whilst having the MWDs within their regimes and it is only because of these MWDs that the police departments’ effectiveness has increased over the years, whereby they now easily hunt down the terrorists and their related activities which are going on in the civil society. The US Army has made best use possible of these MWDs whereby different funds and institutions are set in their names. These organizations provide a point of coordination and liaison with the law enforcement agencies and departments to that of the common citizens of the land. They also provide dogs which are needed by the domestic households. Within the US Army, there are specific departments which are dedicated to the effective usage of the dogs itself. These include the Defense Department’s Military Working Dog Program which is headed by Army Colonel David Rolfe. He has dedicated his entire army career with the MWDs and continues to cherish each and every moment spent with the MWDs. He considers them to be the best possible line of attack and defense in a war situation. The Colonel’s Program is responsible for the best possible health and welfare regimes that could be established in the name of these MWDs. They look after these MWDs like any other armed personnel who are giving in their best to the Army and indeed the whole of the United States of America. This Program also employs within it a number of dog trainers who know best how to communicate and interact with the MWDs and what suits best for these animals and what is disliked by them. This builds a situation of trust and love between the master and the dog and indeed it helps in the long run since these MWDs put in their best possible effort in war situations and make the whole nation proud. There is a lot of expectation from the MWDs all over the United States of America. The Army considers them the prized possessions that they have and expect a lot from them as well. The US military has been making use of the MWDs since the Revolutionary War where they were employed in the capacity of the pack animals but later on their roles changed and they were given more responsible roles. In the end, it would be fitting to suggest here that the MWDs must be given the proper health and welfare facilities which they deserve since they give in their best alongside the armed personnel (men and women) and thus they merit no less than these people. Their role has been enormous and it will continue to be manifested in the times to come. The promotion of these dogs to different grades and ranks every now and then suggests that the Army appreciates their roles and wants them to give in their best at all possible times and instances. Earnest efforts need to be incorporated so as to get the best possible results from these MWDs as well as seek for advantage points in the form of attack, smell, detection and similar programs that they are more famous for. BIBLIOGRAPHY Watson, Cynthia. The Political Role of the Military: An International Handbook. Greenwood Press, 1996 Howard, Brian. Memphis’ Military Legacy. E, Vol. 12, July 2001 Author Unknown. US ‘War Dogs’; Canines are Overseas, Too. The Washington Times, 5 September, 2005 Word Count: 1,329 Read More