Feral Jundi

    Sad deal, and my heart goes out to the friends and family of Santos Cardona.  In this incident, both the handler and dog were killed. I also posted a little story about what this company was actually doing over there, and it sounds like it was  really dangerous work.  Especially if these bomb sniffing dogs and handlers were targeted by the Taliban, and caught by a secondary IED. I do not know if Cardona was working on the contract listed in the second article, but it is significant to point out the nature of his work. –Matt 

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Tampa Contractor Killed In Afghanistan

By KATIE CORONADO 

March 4, 2009

“I cried, when I got off the phone; I don’t think I’ve ever sobbed like I did at that moment.”

It has been less than a week since 36-year-old Heather Ashby received the news that her partner of 11 years was killed by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan.

Ashby said Santos Cardona was on a patrol early Saturday morning. There had been many roadside bombs in the past few days, and “they wanted him to go out with his dog. The explosion split the Humvee he was in, and it landed on top of him. He was killed instantly.”

Cardona was a contractor with American Canine, a Florida-based contracting company. The 34-year old had been working with a bomb dog since November 2008 and was under a one-year contract. Prior to that, Cardona served as a military police officer, and had been a dog handler since 1993. “He had been everywhere from Haiti to Bosnia to Iraq,” Ashby said.

Cardona had been in Tampa for about a year and a half after being stationed in Fort Bragg, but was having trouble securing a good job, so he decided that working as a contractor would be a good financial opportunity. “Something to get up on our feet and get moving; he was planning on opening a security business when he got done,” Ashby said.

The couple’s 9-year-old daughter, Keelyn Cardona, learned that her father is not coming home. “She cried on Saturday and Sunday, and went to church. Her grandmother spoke with her about what happened, and she’s writing something for his funeral,” Ashby said.

The girl told her mother she’s worried about how her father’s dog, Duco, is going to be affected when he realizes Cardona is not coming home. Duco was Cardona’s bomb dog in Iraq, and Cardona adopted Duco when the dog retired.

Ashby said Cardona was supposed to come home at the end of April, and she would have begged him not to go back. “Every person I know begged him not to go. You could almost see it in his eyes he didn’t want to go. I think he was very nervous of going.”

The funeral service will take place Tuesday and Wednesday in Fullerton, Calif., where Cardona’s family lives. 

Story Here

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Four-legged heroes saving lives in Afghanistan

When Canadian and Afghan troops unearthed a major cache of Taliban weaponry and medical supplies last week, the unsung hero of the day was a “soldier” with four legs and the Florida-based private contractor that trained him.

By National PostOctober 15, 2008

KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan – When Canadian and Afghan troops unearthed a major cache of Taliban weaponry and medical supplies last week, the unsung hero of the day was a “soldier” with four legs and the Florida-based private contractor that trained him.

Heading into a grape field as others looked elsewhere, Ouzo the German shepherd quickly zeroed in on a mound of dried twigs. A Canadian soldier pulled away the debris and discovered a bag packed with lethal anti-personnel mines. The vineyard was full of such booty.

The find by Ouzo and his Peruvian handler was no shock, however. The pair are among 16 explosive-sniffing dog teams that the Canadian Forces have increasingly turned to in their fight against the IED menace.

Motivated by the simple prospect of playing with their favourite toy, the canine bomb detectors are being credited with saving lives on a regular basis.

“They’re always finding something that, were it left unchecked, would have a potential for disaster,” said Capt. Bill Arnot, an engineer operations manager at Canadian headquarters. “They have been so successful that our engineers are asking about getting more teams . . . They’re worried about tiring the dogs out, they’re being used so much.”

Though two of the animals have made the supreme sacrifice themselves after accidentally triggering bombs, they are generally looked after very well, with one being airlifted out of the field this summer after falling seriously ill.

“The dog is treated like it is very much a soldier,” said Capt. Arnot.

Human troops say they are also morale boosters, providing some homelike comfort on the front lines.

“It’s nice to have the dog running around when you’re sitting alone in the desert,” said Capt. Shawn Bardell, a troop commander with 2 Combat Engineer Regiment.

Meanwhile, the dog’s handlers are authorized to carry and use assault rifles, making the program one of the most visible examples of Canada’s use of private security contractors in Afghanistan. Miami’s American Canine hires the handlers and trains the dogs.

The Canadian Forces have used dog teams on a limited basis since 2001 to provide perimeter security on their bases. But this spring, they started sending dogs out routinely with soldiers on foot patrol and with engineers searching for hidden bombs on the roads of Kandahar province.

“They are an awesome tool,” said Sgt. Adam Taylor of 2 Combat Engineer, who oversaw Ouzo and Jhonel Arevalo, his handler, on the operation last week.

The dogs are trained to detect the scent of as many as a dozen different types of explosive, then show by special behaviour – often just sitting down – that they have found something. They can detect plastic bombs that the metal detectors wielded by engineers miss, and lessen the risk to human troops.

Their reward is playtime with their handlers. As soon as Ouzo found the mines, Arevalo pulled out a kong and offered it to the dog.

“They don’t miss anything, unless they are tired or having a bad day,” said the former Peruvian body guard, as a gregarious Ouzo introduced himself to a visitor.

Oblivious to the conflict around them, the dogs actually relish their work, said Warner, another handler who was on the same operation southwest of Kandahar city.

“As long as the handler makes him think it’s a game, they will enjoy it,” said the ex-policeman with a South African accent, who declined to reveal his home country or last name.

There is obviously danger, and one handler was seriously injured when an IED killed his dog. But, says Warner: “I don’t worry too much about it. I’m still alive, my dog is still alive.”

The dogs are trained by American Canine in Florida, certified in the Netherlands, then deployed to clients in hot spots like Afghanistan and Iraq.

Capt. Arnot said he did not know the cost of Canada’s contract with the company, but said the concept is no different than the military’s use of contractors to perform a raft of other duties, such as food preparation and construction.

Sgt. Taylor said he would like to see the Canadian Forces at least look into building their own bomb dog unit. But Capt. Arnot said it is unclear whether going in-house would make better financial sense, since Canada would not always need so many dog teams.

Story Here