Peace J on earth.
by Dixie Whitman, President Military Working Dog Team Support Association (MWDTSA)
July of 2010. The Helmund River valley near Nahr-e Saraj, Afghanistan, was an immensely volatile Taliban stronghold. One Special Forces Operator reported casualties in 18 of the 19 missions run by his unit. This was where Sgt. William (Billy) Soutra and his Specialized Search Dog, Posha F738, along with other members of their Special Forces Team, were inserted via hel- icopter to begin a mission to capture an insurgent bomb factory and clear out a Taliban command post. Once Posha was on the ground,
(Above): Dog handler Soutra wrote the following memorial to his K9 partner, after Posha’s death.
“I wish I could tell you that it’s going to be okay, but the truth is you’ve always been the one to pave the way. You were always two steps ahead making sure that the paths we traveled were safe. And although you’ve done enough already, I ask that you still watch over me, making sure the roads I travel without you are safe.”
POSHA F738 aka YO September, 2003 - August 11, 2011 MWDTSA is honored to have supported this team.
24 THE NEW BARKER
his nose immediately honed in on certain odors, finding two pressure plate bombs; Posha then began sniff- ing for booby traps around a weapons cache. As Posha and Soutra began this search, the Taliban exploded into a ferocious ambush; the fighting lasted two days. During those 48 hours, Soutra and Posha exhibited exquisite Marine heroism and resourcefulness, resulting in the awarding of a Navy Cross for dog handler Soutra and three Silver Stars for other members of his unit. The Navy Cross, present- ed December 2012, is the second highest award for combat valor and the highest ever awarded a dog han- dler who was secured to his dog dur- ing the action for which he received the commendation. The official Department of Defense
news release uses phrases such as “moving exposed down the line,” “rushed into the kill zone,” “pinned down,” “flurries of insurgent machine gun and mortar fire” and noted that in the end, “they had destroyed the bomb factory, and had killed approximately 50 enemy fighters.” Soutra’s version talks more about his
partner, Posha. The Marine states clearly that half of the Navy Cross belongs to his best friend, a solid black male German Shepherd Dog with wonky ears, an affable personality and a brilliance and steadfast- ness that are hallmarks of this splendid breed. “Posha made me the Marine I am today,” said Soutra. Billy could not give enough accolades
to his dog. “During all of the gunfire, as we moved into the firefight, he didn’t hesitate, he didn’t cower. He did everything exactly when and how I did it for two straight days. If he had faltered or balked at any point, it could have been different.” Soutra
added, “He always reacted the same way. He saved my life.” On a previous deployment to Iraq in
2009, Soutra and Posha’s teamwork was so precise and seamless that, in a rare event, the Marines meritoriously promoted Soutra to Sergeant and by extension, Posha to SSgt. While Posha made it through the sec-
ond combat deployment, he later suc- cumbed to cancer in 2011. His loss was particularly difficult for his handler. Posha’s ashes rest in an urn in a place
of honor at Soutra’s bedside. If Soutra has his way, his German Shepherd hero who is now buried in his heart will one day be buried with him. “That way, we will always be together.”
U Z
SUPPLIES ARE NEEDED FOR MILITARY WORKING DOG TEAMS: The Military Working Dog Team Support Association (MWDTSA) routinely puts
together and sends care and comfort packages to deployed dog teams from all branches of service. Items for the men and women serving
include extra socks, t-shirts, treats, magazines, hard candy, hand sanitizers, sunblock. For the dogs, items include FURminator (large), Pet Wipes, Doggles (large; not extra large), in neu- tral color combos, Coastal Safari Professional Dog Nail Trimmer Clipper Groom (medium to large), KONG toys (large). Many advertising partners of The New
Barker have agreed, as they have in the past, to be drop off points for donations. We will arrange to gather and transport donations from drop-off points and have them delivered to a Tampa Bay location. Dixie, who is based out of Atlanta, is scheduled to visit Tampa in February, 2015 to coordinate the packing and shipping of donations.
MWDTSA.org
DROP OFF POINTS FOR DONATIONS: Brandon Honda, Brandon Dog Mania & Cats, Dade City Earth Pets Organic, Gainesville Fluffy Puppies, Clearwater Groovy Cats & Dogs, Tampa One Lucky Dog, St. Petersburg Pawsitively Posh Pooch, St. Petersburg Pet Food Warehouse, St. Petersburg Pet Supplies Plus, Clearwater Pookie’s Pet Nutrition, Winter Park Reeve’s Import Motorcars, Tampa The Doggie Door, Winter Park Wet Noses Boutique, Sarasota
www.TheNewBarker.com
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