Photo By Senior Master Sgt. Denise Johnson | Bojar, a military working dog with the 380th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron,...... read more read more
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By Tech. Sgt. Denise Johnson
380th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
SOUTHWEST ASIA -- Bojar arrived at this undisclosed deployed location a little more than a week ago. He came off the C-130 Hercules with a bloody mouth and cracked tooth...again. Man! He hates to fly.
Bojar, a 380th Expeditionary Security Forces Military Working Dog, is one of six new dogs that arrived since the beginning of August on deployment rotation.
"Bojar suffers from flying anxiety," said Tech. Sgt. Duane Stinson, 380th ESFS kennel master. "He chewed on his kennel during the flight which caused fairly significant damage to his gums and teeth."
Canine dental problems in Southwest Asia can pose unusual challenges. Not every deployed location maintains medical facilities or specialists to support the MWD mission. Bojar's location is no exception. Veterinarians are few and far between; canine dentists are even fewer and further between.
Sergeant Stinson and Staff Sgt. Sarah Merklinger, Bojar's handler, donned civilian attire in lieu of military uniforms Monday and loaded Bojar into the back of an unmarked sport utility vehicle. The MWD team, under the guise of civilians, headed to a veterinarian in the local area for an exam and dental X-rays.
The vet is contracted by the U.S. Air Force to support the medical requirements of the MWD unit here.
"We really appreciate doing the work for the U.S. base on a number of fronts," the veterinarian said. "Firstly, because of the people - the personnel who come in, they are so polite, so respectful, it's such a nice relationship."
The doctor added that the dogs are obviously well looked after. "They come with thorough medical records and histories," he said. "The history prevents us from wasting time and going down avenues that have already been looked at. It makes my job easier."
The foreign veterinarian conducted his exam of Bojar and attained the required photos and X-rays of the damaged teeth. He will share the results of the exam with U.S. veterinarians who are deployed in another location in the Area of Responsibility.
"When I speak with the U.S. vets, they're very responsive," the vet said. "It's a very professional relationship."
The local MWD team reciprocated the respect and appreciation.
"We're very lucky to have this vet looking after our dogs' medical needs," Sergeant Stinson said. "He's highly qualified and has provided us with top-notch service."
Bojar underwent anesthesia and had X-rays taken at the civilian facility. He woke several hours later to his handler's voice. "Hey, Bojar, how ya doin'?" Sergeant Merklinger said as she kneeled beside the groggy canine. Bojar found his feet and leaned against his handler's legs for support.
"I will leave it to the military specialists and let them decide the fate of Bojar's teeth," the doctor said. "We don't want the dog to be in any pain obviously."
According to the veterinarian, there are a number of options for Bojar's continued care. He could have his teeth capped or extracted. Another option is to put him on antibiotics until he rotates home.
"His well-being is critical," Sergeant Stinson said. "Any time we lose a dog for health issues it hurts the mission and another team has to pick up the slack."
A military working dog like Bojar will generally have two responsibilities: patrol work and detection. Patrol work requires the animal to be able to bite so Bojar will be on a brief respite from those duties until the situation with his teeth is rectified, according to Sergeant Stinson. He will continue to work, however.
Bojar's detection reputation precedes him with several finds in Iraq including weapons caches, explosives and buried explosives, according to Sergeant Merklinger.
"Bojar alerted on a cement wall in Iraq," Bojar's handler, explained. "Soldiers tore the wall down and found a round casing. He's very special."
The canine is no less ardent in his new duty location, regardless of his dental woes. He alerted in a warehouse on his first day on the job here, three days after his arrival. Although the alert didn't turn up any explosives, it's possible the item he alerted on had been exposed to something prior to arriving here.
"The item could have been used to touch old cartridges or munitions," Sergeant Stinson said. "We'll never know for sure; but we do know we need to trust our dogs."
Bojar's teeth will be on the mend before long as he continues to receive expert care from his handler and the professional medical team outside the perimeter.
And although his patrol duties may be temporarily limited as far as his bite goes, his keen nose will stay on the job.
| Date Taken: | 10.16.2008 |
| Date Posted: | 10.16.2008 05:36 |
| Story ID: | 25072 |
| Location: | (UNDISCLOSED LOCATION) |
| Web Views: | 211 |
| Downloads: | 164 |
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