Should light infantry units have military working dogs?

1LT Kevin Bridges — Thu, 31 Oct 2019 11:59:37 -0400

I've never been infantry, but after that Baghdadi raid where the dog chased him down, i couldn't help but wonder about the advantages that dogs have when locating a nearby enemy combatant. I remember being on LPOP's in Iraq where we were at least 1500 meters away and the dogs in the village would start barking (thus giving away our position). I can only suspect that they would be useful the other way around. I'm not even aware if our light infantry already has this capability already.

Response by SSG Carlos Madden made Oct 31 at 2019 12:06 PM

SSG Carlos Madden — Thu, 31 Oct 2019 12:06:22 -0400

You raise some valid points. In our recent wars the units at the tip of the spear have been living mostly out of combat outposts in austere environments for long stretches of time. It's crappy and stressful. Aside from the tactical benefit, having a dog might just be good for all around moral.

Response by SFC Michael Hasbun made Oct 31 at 2019 12:14 PM

SFC Michael Hasbun — Thu, 31 Oct 2019 12:14:38 -0400

No. They're neither trained or qualified.

Response by SGT Kristjan Rahe made Oct 31 at 2019 12:47 PM

SGT Kristjan Rahe — Thu, 31 Oct 2019 12:47:32 -0400

They should and did in the past. The scout dog, mine and tunnel dogs showed their worth Go back to WWI and they did messaged and retrieved wounded soldiers.

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Oct 31 at 2019 1:21 PM

MAJ Ken Landgren — Thu, 31 Oct 2019 13:21:57 -0400

I looked this up so I can't take credit for the information. Throughout antiquity dogs were used as sentries, on patrols, and attacking enemy soldiers.

Response by 1LT Kevin Bridges made Oct 31 at 2019 1:38 PM

1LT Kevin Bridges — Thu, 31 Oct 2019 13:38:06 -0400

For clarification, I was thinking more of MP Dog Handling sections (maybe at BN or BDE level) being attached as needed to infantry missions. So the question should be something more like "Should light infantry units sometimes patrol or do other missions with military working dogs?"

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 31 at 2019 1:41 PM

1SG Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 31 Oct 2019 13:41:59 -0400

The cool guys run their own in house dog programs. The rest of us just have to request the asset from a supporting unit with the capability. It's not an capability that regular Infantry need enough of to make it fiscally worth while.
Then you have the actual employment of the dog. Tactical employment of a dog has special considerations. If the dog get tired it is pretty much worthless. So most Infantry units walk too far to take the dog with them. Not a problem when you have your own lift assets like a special operations raid.

Response by Maj John Bell made Oct 31 at 2019 3:13 PM

Maj John Bell — Thu, 31 Oct 2019 15:13:07 -0400

Having trained in attempting to infiltrate through lines guarded by military working dogs, I'd love to have them attached to me in the defense.

Someone more versed than me would give you a more informed on their use in the offense, but I suspect they would be a great force multiplier.

Response by CSM Richard StCyr made Oct 31 at 2019 3:52 PM

CSM Richard StCyr — Thu, 31 Oct 2019 15:52:33 -0400

So there is a lot that goes into the working dogs and maintaining their certifications, training and well being.
I only know about the Engineer Mine Dogs and their handlers as we had the course under the brigade when I was CSM. They are a great asset but come with quite a logistics trail that I'm not sure light infantry outfits are set up to accommodate.

Response by SGM Bill Frazer made Oct 31 at 2019 4:22 PM

SGM Bill Frazer — Thu, 31 Oct 2019 16:22:03 -0400

Would be nice, but a logistical nightmare- food, water, vet care, etc. There is a shortage of digs/handlers to accomplish that idea, plus the handler is normally too busy handling the dog to be a shooter, so it would be two more folks to cover.

Response by LTC Ray B. (Ret) made Oct 31 at 2019 6:31 PM

LTC Ray B. (Ret) — Thu, 31 Oct 2019 18:31:34 -0400

They do

Response by CPL Douglas Chrysler made Oct 31 at 2019 10:28 PM

CPL Douglas Chrysler — Thu, 31 Oct 2019 22:28:19 -0400

Always be prepared to lose a really good friend.

Response by Lt Col Charlie Brown made Nov 29 at 2019 9:05 AM

Lt Col Charlie Brown — Fri, 29 Nov 2019 09:05:42 -0500

I think they would be a big help but we would have to be prepared to lose many more of them