Photo By Capt. Aaron Moshier | Then, Sgt. Allen Chrans and his military working dog, Alan, stop for a photo on their...... read more read more
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They say a dog is man’s best friend. But in the military, they are also friends you trust with your life.
Capt. Allen Chrans, Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, First Army, spent four years as a K-9 handler. While he served with several K-9s, one in particular stands out.
“Alan was the best dog I could have asked for to deploy with,” explained Chrans. “On several occasions he sniffed out explosives that could have gone off; killed myself and killed others.”
Chrans says it’s not just physical dangers Alan kept him safe from. Chrans handled Alan in 2007, the same time the Department of Defense was beefing up their presence in Iraq and Afghanistan. Soldiers like Chrans were being extended from 12 month deployments to 15 months, missing out on special moments with their families and going longer and longer without seeing them.
“I was able to wake up every day knowing I had a partner that not only relied on me, but that I could vent to,” Chrans said. “Alan was a consistent in my life amongst so many inconsistencies. That certainly kept me emotionally stable. Alan had a huge impact on me.”
Chans remembers K-9’s, like Alan, who are members of our armed forces. As Chrans said, these K-9’s deserve as much respect as their human counter parts.
“They dedicate their lives to protecting our service members,” said Chrans. “Plus, military working dogs are a force multiplier. We don’t have to send out two squads of Soldiers or mine detectors to clear out a field. We can send one team, a dog and handler, and they can clear a field faster than Soldiers.”
Chrans said the ultimate way to show our respect for these veteran K-9’s is to adopt a K-9 that has retired from the service.
“The 341st Training Squadron has military working dogs available for adoption,” Chrans explained. “If you truly have the desire to thank a military working dog veteran you should sign up to provide a home for them.”
| Date Taken: | 03.13.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 03.15.2018 17:08 |
| Story ID: | 269239 |
| Location: | ROCK ISLAND ARSENAL, ILLINOIS, US |
| Web Views: | 256 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, A tribute to a K-9 Veteran, by Aaron Berogan, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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