A Heartwarming Salute to Soldiers and Their Hero Dogs

Beth DreherUpdated: Feb. 09, 2017

On battlefields across the globe, servicemen and women rely on their dogs for safety, comfort, and companionship. Here, a glimpse into what their lives are like.

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Kandahar, Afghanistan

A U.S. soldier gives his guard dog water at the Kandahar Air Base, on December 8, 2013.

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Mosul, Iraq

A U.S. soldier holds the platoon’s pet dog ‘Rocky’ inside an armored vehicle during a combat patrol on February 27, 2005.

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Kandahar, Afghanistan

British Soldier from the Royal Army Veterinary Corp Lcpl Marianne Hay, 23, stays close to her arms and explosive search dog, Leanna.

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Bala Murghab, Afghanistan

Sgt John Barton of the 4th Brigade of the US Army’s 82nd Airborne Division pets his platoon’s pet dog Ray-Ray as he awakens from sleeping outside at combat outpost Impala on June 29, 2010.

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Kajaki, Afghanistan

Marine Cpl. Jonathan Eckert of Oak Lawn, IL, attached to India Battery, 3rd Battalion, 12th Marine Regiment, rests with his improvised explosive device-sniffing dog Bee during a patrol near Forward Operating Base (FOB) Zeebrugge on October 10, 2010.

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Kajaki, Afghanistan

Marine Cpl. Jonathan Eckert goes for a swim in the reservoir above the Kajaki dam with dog Bee during a break in action at Forward Operating Base (FOB) Zeebrugge on October 12, 2010.

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Baghdad, Iraq

U.S. Army Sergeant 1st Class Troy Hawkins from Woodland Park, Colorado, pets a dog found while on patrol with the Iraqi Army on February 24, 2005.

Originally Published: April 24, 2014

Originally Published in Reader's Digest