.Army search dog 'sniffs out trap' in Afghanistan
An Army search dog who saved British soldiers in Afghanistan from a booby trap "did not know how to sit" a year ago, according to his handler.
Chocolat, a Belgian Shepherd, sniffed out enough explosives to make 10 improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
The find was made in a bazaar in the Nad-e-Ali region of Afghanistan.
His handler, Private Steve Purdy, 20, from Sudbury in Suffolk, said the dog's behaviour made him realise bomb-making equipment was hidden in a shop.
Pte Purdy said: "Chocolat totally right-angled, went in, and wouldn't come back.
"Normally he would never go out of my sight. That's how sure I was. It was enough for me to pull him back and say that there was something there."
'Cheeky' character
As the search of the bazaar continued Pte Purdy realised the soldiers were being lured into a trap.
The team used Chocolat to find a safe way into the buildings and discovered they had been booby-trapped.
Pte Purdy, who is with the Royal Army Veterinary Corps, said his dog was helping to save lives.
"Chocolat is special to me as he is the first dog I've trained.
"He literally didn't know how to sit when I first got him in March 2009.
"He is very cheeky but a really good dog, really good at his job. He is also a bit of a character.
"He tends to wake me up a lot in the night just with his toy wanting to play, or he'll destroy something that's close by, like my flip flops.
"Chocolat's success at finding IEDs in the initial few weeks of Operation Moshtarak was impressive and the troops really value him and his search capability."
There are 11 bomb dogs being used by British military personnel in Afghanistan.
BBC
Chocolat, a Belgian Shepherd, sniffed out enough explosives to make 10 improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
The find was made in a bazaar in the Nad-e-Ali region of Afghanistan.
His handler, Private Steve Purdy, 20, from Sudbury in Suffolk, said the dog's behaviour made him realise bomb-making equipment was hidden in a shop.
Pte Purdy said: "Chocolat totally right-angled, went in, and wouldn't come back.
"Normally he would never go out of my sight. That's how sure I was. It was enough for me to pull him back and say that there was something there."
'Cheeky' character
As the search of the bazaar continued Pte Purdy realised the soldiers were being lured into a trap.
The team used Chocolat to find a safe way into the buildings and discovered they had been booby-trapped.
Pte Purdy, who is with the Royal Army Veterinary Corps, said his dog was helping to save lives.
"Chocolat is special to me as he is the first dog I've trained.
"He literally didn't know how to sit when I first got him in March 2009.
"He is very cheeky but a really good dog, really good at his job. He is also a bit of a character.
"He tends to wake me up a lot in the night just with his toy wanting to play, or he'll destroy something that's close by, like my flip flops.
"Chocolat's success at finding IEDs in the initial few weeks of Operation Moshtarak was impressive and the troops really value him and his search capability."
There are 11 bomb dogs being used by British military personnel in Afghanistan.
BBC
posted by madtom at 7:33 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home