Wow... 26...

I was wondering about how you reward the dog when you are working in real settings not training? I guess you can't really huck a ball when there are explosives or throw a party. If you talk about this in future episodes, feel free to make me wait.

I know the female Captain was ignorant, but, IMO, Alex did a beautiful thing. Because she ended up having a pleasant experience, she didn't walk away with the same bitterness that she might have.
Those who've been in the military sometimes take for granted that things are what they are, that you do what you're told, that you go whereever your orders say, that there is rank and positional authority (like when I was a SP4 armorer; "this is MY vault, sir"); sometimes it doesn't hurt to remember that this does strain the human emotional composition, and one otherwise insignificant encounter can mean the world to someone else.

Wow, 26 broke my heart a little.

Thank you. I hope I never, ever forget the sacrifices and personel conflicts service people and service dogs do and have done for us.

Just, thank you. I'm going to have a good cry now and when it's done, I can stand a little taller, a little prouder and a lot sadder. Damn, I just grew up a little and it hurts.

David, I just got a glimpse of your soul.

Thank you.

 Quote: David Winners

Episode 26

I prayed that if anything ever happened, and someone was injured or killed, that it was me and not anyone else. I didn't know how I could ever live with one of my brothers paying the price for my mistake. How could I face their mother, their wife, their children, and tell them that the person they loved the most had lost his life because I failed them. Fama was laying on the bed next to me, and I tried to come up with the words. I looked into her eyes and tried to tell her that her husband was dead because I wasn't good enough. I struggled to get the words around the lump in my throat that would help her understand that I wished it was me instead.

Wow, this right here, is why I have so much respect and admiration for you David and all our soldiers who put their lives on the line every single day for all of us civilians and for this country.
I am beyond touched David. Just reading it gives me such gratitude for all the sacrifices and dangers all soldiers face.
I can't find words adequate enough, saying Thank you, just doesn't do justice for what I hope to say.

I can say this, you and the men and women that worked along beside you, all of you are heroes to me. Your wife, your children and parents all must be so proud of you, that is for certain.
This gives a lot of insight to all of us, and makes me aware just what goes through a brave soldier's mind before going to war.
This paragraph you wrote tells exactly what a real hero is, someone who is more concerned about the welfare of his men, his 'Band of Brothers' if you will, than he was about his own welfare.
That is my definition of a true hero.

This definitely brought tears to my eyes and filled my heart with immense gratitude, Thank you David.

 Quote: Brian Couse

Episodes 26 & 27 are simply awesome. I have read and enjoyed many books on MWD's and your stories with Fama are captivating. Many thanks to you and Fama for your hard work, dedication, and bravery

Thanks a lot Brian! I'm glad you are enjoying our story.

 Quote: Christi Coufal

Wow. 26 & 27 bring home the awesome responsibility we have accepted for our animals absolute welfare. And you guys, you accepted responsibility for your dogs and all the troops behind you and ultimately, every citizen back home. You are AWESOME! Thanks for your service.

Thanks Christi. I think it's important to remember what our animals ultimately give to us, and that we have a responsibility to do the same in return.

 Quote: Dennis Jones

The term we learned in the Navy was "Positional Authority" IE no matter the size of the vessel or the rank of the person placed in charge of it, enlisted or officer, they where addressed as "Captain" and had total responsibility for the safety of the craft and the people on board and given the authority thru tradition and the UCMJ to enforce it. Which explains why often service members won't suffer fools on there watch.

We have the same thing, but a large segment of soldiers see your rank long before they consider your position.

 Quote: Amy Vande Weerd

Your episodes have made me laugh, had me on the edge of my seat, made coffee spray onto the screen and now, with episode 26 they have made me cry. You put the emotion into your writing so well. It makes the reader feel everything they are reading. This is as close as many of us will come to knowing the lives of military dogs and their handlers and you are doing it justice. More than that, you are doing a fantastic job at it!

Thanks Amy. It really pleases me to see that you guys are understanding the emotion of our story. That is what really prompted me to start writing. The bond I share with Fama is something I have never had with another dog.

 Quote: Lee Reicheld

26 and 27 are very, very powerful episodes David. Especially 26. I often think about MWD's when I see them in the news or on TV and think of their innocence. The jobs they (and their handlers) do make me very grateful we have them out there saving the lives of our men and women, but melancholy at the same time that it is necessary.

There was a County Sheriff K-9 unit that was at the corner convenience store awhile back. I asked the officer if I could see his dog (since I'm a dog person) and he gave me that same look you describe. He also offered a "He's not very friendly" while saying no, I couldn't. I still looked into the window a bit too close though and that GSD sprang to life.

He wasn't very friendly. Even to a "dog person". Lesson learned.

Most people are just unaware of the difference between a Mil or LE dog, and their little pookie back home. They don't understand that the same qualities that make them willing and able to do their job so well, precludes some of them from being happy go lucky lap dogs. This is obviously a generalization, as there are some really social working dogs, so don't get up on your soap box here.

 Quote: Eric Hultgren

Wow... 26...

I was wondering about how you reward the dog when you are working in real settings not training? I guess you can't really huck a ball when there are explosives or throw a party. If you talk about this in future episodes, feel free to make me wait.

You never pay a dog for a find when you don't know exactly what it is, so IMO, a working dog is never paid for a find in the field. What I would do, in a generic situation, is drop a training aid, recall the dog, have the dog search the training aid, and pay the dog on that final response. If you are in the middle of a firefight, you just do what you have to do to stay safe. Those possibilities are too many to list.

 Quote: Duane Hull

I know the female Captain was ignorant, but, IMO, Alex did a beautiful thing. Because she ended up having a pleasant experience, she didn't walk away with the same bitterness that she might have.
Those who've been in the military sometimes take for granted that things are what they are, that you do what you're told, that you go whereever your orders say, that there is rank and positional authority (like when I was a SP4 armorer; "this is MY vault, sir"); sometimes it doesn't hurt to remember that this does strain the human emotional composition, and one otherwise insignificant encounter can mean the world to someone else.

I must say that while deployed (and for a time after I get back), I fall into the category of those that often forget about the human emotional condition.

It's called Battlemind (if you want to Google it). You develop "mental callouses" to protect yourself. We have the Vietnam Veterans to thank for the medical professional's current understanding of the condition. Very rarely will I really feel any emotions that I would consider weakness when I know I have a job to do. Sometimes it's too strong to ignore, and you deal with it like in 26). I am going through the process of removing those callouses right now so I can be a happy father, husband, and friend again.

This was Alex's first deployment, and he had yet to go outside the wire, so he wasn't all closed off yet. If the same thing would have happened at the end of deployment, I think he would have just told her to go away.

 Quote: Lisa Skinner

Wow, 26 broke my heart a little.

Thank you. I hope I never, ever forget the sacrifices and personel conflicts service people and service dogs do and have done for us.

Just, thank you. I'm going to have a good cry now and when it's done, I can stand a little taller, a little prouder and a lot sadder. Damn, I just grew up a little and it hurts.

You Are Welcome, Lisa

I don't know if this makes me happy or sad. I am certainly touched that this has inspired such emotion.

I joined the Army to protect my country and our way of life. I am proud of the fact that most people are not affected by the conflicts our armed forces are currently engaged in. Less than 1% of the population has fought in the middle east, compared to 4% in Vietnam, and 11% in WWII. If I hear that someone doesn't even know that we are still at war in Afghanistan, it makes me happy. That means that we are doing our job.

 Quote: Betty Waldron

David, I just got a glimpse of your soul.

Thank you.

That's why it was so hard to post. It's easy to be funny, but to bare your feelings about a time of pain is not so simple a thing to do, even with yourself. I think I wrote 26 a total of 5 times and closed the window without posting it. I just couldn't press SUBMIT.... and you are certainly welcome Betty.

 Quote: Joyce Salazar

Wow, this right here, is why I have so much respect and admiration for you David and all our soldiers who put their lives on the line every single day for all of us civilians and for this country.
I am beyond touched David. Just reading it gives me such gratitude for all the sacrifices and dangers all soldiers face.
I can't find words adequate enough, saying Thank you, just doesn't do justice for what I hope to say.

I can say this, you and the men and women that worked along beside you, all of you are heroes to me. Your wife, your children and parents all must be so proud of you, that is for certain.
This gives a lot of insight to all of us, and makes me aware just what goes through a brave soldier's mind before going to war.
This paragraph you wrote tells exactly what a real hero is, someone who is more concerned about the welfare of his men, his 'Band of Brothers' if you will, than he was about his own welfare.
That is my definition of a true hero.

This definitely brought tears to my eyes and filled my heart with immense gratitude, Thank you David.

You're welcome Joyce, and I'd like to thank you for sharing your feelings.

If you want to make a veteran's day, just shake their hand and say thank you. It means the world.

That is true, its always easy to make a joke, sometimes to get angry or to even tell about those things....but things like how one really feels going against the image the world gives them, pain or forgiveness...so difficult. (It gets easier the more you practice it.)

And as for another female officer...they do often have this "thing", you being male probably get more of the attitude of disrespect...as do I with macho men more often than superior females.

This macho guy tried to tell me I didn't know how to read the heat gauge on his truck, in front of 3 other men of course. Truth was, he was embarrassed that a female told him his truck was running a little hot. I was mean, I cut him down...saw him putting water in it later. But he deserved it.

 Quote: Tresa Hendrix

 Quote: Elaine Haynes

Feeling anxious withdrawl symptoms.

You should go to one of those clinics...they're really nice and they let you watch videos of police dogs...I know its not the same but it helped me LOL

ROFL Or maybe i could hang around Pendleton begging to see the dogs.

I just got back from 4 days off and read episodes 26 and 27. They are amazing and full of emotion.

I know what would take our minds off of our troubles... no.28!!

David...thanks for sharing you experiences & bearing your soul to us. You have given us, infomation that we would never have had or understood about how you & your dogs are trained & prepared for this type of 'service'. You have given us great happiness & laugher & deep sadness with your accounts. A true extreme of emotions..like riding an emotional rollercoaster.

You & Fama have had a hard job to do & I thank you for the service & sacrifice that you performed for the sake of all of us 'on the front' & at home. Yes, your actions ARE heroic to us.