March 13 is National K-9 Veterans Day, a day to reflect on and honor the service of American military working dogs (MWD).
The date commemorates the day in 1942 when the US Army first began training dogs for specific military use. The US Army called the program the “K-9 Corps.” Before this date, it was reported the US Military had a very small number of dogs for service, most of which were utilized as sled dogs in Arctic regions.
After the attack on US Naval Base Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, a group of civilians approached the US Army to convince them to use dogs for other purposes. This effort was formed under a coalition called Dogs for Defense, Inc (DFD). Many of the first working dogs for the military were donated from American families to serve as sentry dogs.
During the initial stages, the DFD was responsible for procuring, housing, and training the dogs. Although the volunteer effort was tremendous, the level of proficiency of the dogs varied based on the skill level of individual kennels across the country. On July 16, 1942, the Secretary of War directed the Remount Branch of the Quartermaster Corps (QMC) to procure, house, and train future working dogs for sentry duty and tactical missions.
Within the first year, the QMC had trained and equipped more than 1,800 working dog teams to patrol the coastline for potential German or Japanese submarine units.
Since WWII, US Forces from all branches have used military working dogs to help support their human counterparts. The working dog mission has continuously adapted to meet the greatest threat to US Forces at that time. In WWII alone, this mission for working dogs grew from sentry operations to tactical patrols, mine detection, messengers, and scout dogs.
The US MWD has continued to evolve and shift mission emphasis throughout each conflict of our nation’s history. The adaptability and potential capability of working dogs has made their presence and essential battlefield force multiplier. From the jungles of Vietnam to the deserts of Afghanistan, no unit was ever upset to have a dog around.
Every year on March 13 we remember all our four-legged warriors’ selfless service, sacrifice, and lives they have saved.
K-9 Leads the Way!
Sources:
https://armyhistory.org/the-dogs-of-war-the-u-s-armys-use-of-canines-in-wwii/
https://www.military.com/veterans-day/k9-veterans-day.html