They all have two or three specializations, the military rank of platoon sergeant, and they wear badges from foreign missions on their vests. They jump with a parachute from up to six thousand meters. We are talking about dog commandos.
Sergeant Eto begins another day of service. He is a Belgian Shepherd – formally a non-commissioned officer of the Military Commando Unit from Lubliniec. All the dogs serving there have military ranks.
– He's shaking, he already knows he's going to work – says “Domel”, a dog handler from the Military Commando Unit. Eto always works at 100 percent of his abilities.
What are their tasks?
Eto quickly finds a suspicious substance. He distinguishes the smell of a dozen or so explosives. Dogs from Lubliniec have also found drugs, although they have never been trained for this purpose.
– They distinguish the environment. If everything smells the same here, and suddenly there is some chemistry, so our dogs also indicate this place on the principle: boss, there is something here – explains “Domel”.
This is just a fraction of their capabilities. – They have three functions: they can track, find explosives and bite – lists “Domel”.
During a training session on searching a building, a decoy reaches for his gun. A command is given and Eto steps into action. Could a strong man weighing 100 kilograms handle such a dog? – Without a costume? No way – replies “Domel”.
They even jump with a parachute from very high altitudes.
The dogs train the way they fight. In tandem with a handler, they even jump with a parachute. They are one of the few dogs in the world to jump from very high altitudes.
– We started preparing the dogs for the jump on oxygen, i.e. above four thousand meters. And we succeeded. We developed procedures, we made an oxygen mask – reports “Domel”.
The handlers are with their dogs 24 hours a day. – Such a bond is established between the dog and the human that we can no longer imagine normal functioning without the dog – admits “Domel”.
They support Polish soldiers abroad
The dogs come to the unit at the age of two, to spend the next five years there. When they retire, they stay with their handler. Like Faro.
– He worked very hard, very physically, for example by being in Afghanistan twice, supporting the guys – says Robert Kopyto, a former operator of the Military Commando Unit.
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The dogs appeared in Lubliniec after Miron, a soldier from the unit, was killed in Afghanistan in August 2013. He entered a mined building.
– We came to the conclusion that the dog is very useful and helpful, and can save lives – says “Domel”. The dog does it without thinking, sacrificing his own.
It resembles an ordinary household pet, but appearances can be deceiving, because in the hands of the commandos from Lubliniec, fighting dogs become a weapon as effective as a rifle, although for them they are primarily comrades in arms.
Main image source: TVN24