US Marine Corps/Lance Cpl. Tayler P. Schwamb
Cpl. Hunter Gullick and Military Working Dog Shiva play fetch at the Marine Corps Installations Pacific K-9 kennels on Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan, February 13, 2018.
- Military working dogs have been on the front line alongside US service members for generations.
- Each dog also trains with service members, forming a particular bond with their handler.
- "They get attention, exercise, training and medical care," a Marine working-dog handler said.
CAMP LEJEUNE, North Carolina - From detecting improvised explosive devices in Afghanistan to being on the front lines during World War I, military working dogs have been used to help service members win battles for generations.
The same holds true today, as Cpl. Cody Hebert, military working dog handler, 2nd Law Enforcement Battalion and his military working dog, Ziggy, give us a look into their everyday lives.
"We start our daily duties when we come in every morning," Hebert said. "Those duties include cleaning out the kennels and doing any tasks like preparing for any type of training that we might be doing that day."
When it comes to training, there can be different variations that can influence the handlers and the dogs in order to become mission ready.