On the heels of a successful mission to eliminate ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, President Trump revealed that a dog had been part of the raid and had been “slightly wounded” on the mission.
The president and military authorities singled out the dog’s contribution to the mission.
At a press conference, Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, said that the dog “performed a tremendous service” on the mission.
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However, the identity of the Belgian Malinois is being kept under wraps.
As Gen. Milley said , “the dog is still in theater,” so its name will remain classified to protect both it and the unit it serves with.
However, officials confirmed that the dog has “returned to duty” and is now “with its handler.”
It’s unclear exactly how the dog was injured on the mission.
However, as Ron Aiello, president of the United States War Dog Association told the Seattle Times , a Belgian Malinois would often be deployed at the front.
“That’s the kind of dog you want to lead a patrol like this,” he said. “They are the first line of defense. They go out front.”
The White House is looking to honor the dog at some point.
The New York Times ‘ Katie Rogers reported that the “dog who aided the ISIS raid has an invitation to the White House ‘whenever he can get over here,’ per senior official. The president wants to meet him.”
President Obama also received a Belgian Malinois named Cairo at the White House after that canine helped Navy SEALs in the 2011 Osama bin Laden raid.
h/t: Fox News , Seattle Times
