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FORWARD OPERATING BASE MAREZ, MOSUL, Iraq — A group of Soldiers from Command Post-North, Task Force Lighting, 25th Infantry Division; the 2/69th Military Police Company of the Tennessee National Guard and the Ninewa Provincial Police Prevention Team, 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, delivered more than 225 pounds of dog food that was donated by the boys from Cub Scout Pack 5 of Goldthwaite, Texas, to an Iraqi police K-9 unit in Mosul, Iraq, Aug. 24.
The group, led by Maj. Chris Medina, deputy provost marshal for CP-North, loaded the first delivery of dog food from the scouts, which Medina's nephew is a member of, packed into approximately 15 flat-rate boxes in the back of a Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle.
"They started this idea back in April. They asked me what they could do for us over here, for troops in general. At first I said they could send care packages," stated Medina. "Then, after I had gone to see the kennels, I knew that the kennel master, Maj. Shamel, was going to be giving out money from his own pocket to support the dogs until their supply system got on track. So I said, 'Why don't I see if we can get these Cub Scouts to sponsor the dogs and the kennel.'"
The scouts of Pack 5 took up donations of dog food and spent their summer doing fund raisers to pay for the shipping costs of more than 400 pounds of dog food for the Iraqi police K-9 unit. Additionally, a story was run in the scout's local paper, The Goldthwaite Eagle, telling how the scouts and community could help support the dogs.
"They got the communities support. They asked me for a picture of one of the dogs for their paper," added Medina. "They put it in their local newspaper saying 'Cub Scouts seek sponsor to support K-9.'"
Medina added that he gave an overview of how the food would be helping, what the dogs do and how they help Iraq and the community.
Since arriving at the K-9 unit nearly two months ago, following their extensive training in Baghdad with their handlers, the dogs have been a definite advantage to the Iraqi police while out on patrols.
"One of the dogs just last week, while out with the Iraqi Federal Police sent to a suspected IED factory, hit on a vehicle where they found lots of explosives," stated Medina.
After unloading the dog food into the kennel, Medina and the other Soldiers were given a demonstration using two of the dogs, Cash and Diago, to show their capability in "sniffing out" explosives and narcotics as they searched a vehicle and located some pre-placed substances used for training the dogs.
The Soldiers also had the opportunity to talk with the handlers and veterinarian who oversee the dogs while at the kennel, and were able to make a list of items that they could get for the kennel to further aide in training and caring for the dogs.
Medina took video and photos of the delivery and demonstration with his personal camera to send to the troop master of Pack 5 to show how the hard work of the 23 young Cub Scouts is paying off. Furthermore, the troop plans to send the remaining 200 pounds of dog food donated to them, which Medina will deliver to the kennel upon its arrival in Mosul.
| Date Taken: | 08.27.2009 |
| Date Posted: | 08.27.2009 08:17 |
| Story ID: | 38015 |
| Location: | MOSUL, IQ |
| Web Views: | 343 |
| Downloads: | 330 |
This work, U.S. Soldiers deliver dog food to Iraqi police K-9 unit, by Daniel Nelson, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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