There is nothing more touching and gratifying than the sight of our troops being reunited with their loved ones — sometimes for the first time with a “brand new” one — after a prolonged deployment.
There is, in my opinion, not a more loyal, brave and intelligent animal than a military working dog and hardly a union stronger than between such dogs and their handlers.
Here are some images.
Smokey, a disaster relief stress dog, helps individuals cope with the emotional and physical loss they encounter in the aftermath of disasters. She has been working with patients for six years. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Jelani Gibson)
Read more about Military Working Dogs here
Lead image: Navy Lt. Andrew Wood is greeted by his wife daughter during a homecoming celebration as the guided-missile frigate USS Robert G. Bradley returns from a seven-month deployment in Mayport, Fla., May 28, 2013. The Bradley and embarked Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 22, Detachment 5, were deployed to the U.S. 6th Fleet area of responsibility in support of United States Africa Command counter-terrorism, intelligence and reconnaissance missions.
All photos and captions: DOD
The author is a retired U.S. Air Force officer and a writer.