(NAPSA)—Americansofall sorts are safer thanksto a trio of types of heroes. While thefirst kind is one most people would recognize as such—thenation’s military men and women—the others may come as somewhatof a surprise. That’s because they’re dogs and people who can’t see them. Manypeople aren’t aware of the amazing role Military Working Dogsplay in supporting military and law enforcement personnel. There are an estimated 2,300 working dogs in the force. We’ve come a long way from the Revolutionary War, in which working dogs were first used to carry packs, and World War I, when they protected soldiers from rats in the trenches. Today, Military Working Dogs are usually German or Dutch Shepherds or Belgian Malinois with high intelligence. They are strong, athletic and very loyal to their handlers. They save lives in many ways including tracking captured U.S. military personnel and sniffing out IEDs (improvised explosive devices). Just as human troops require protective clothing and gear when they deploy into the field for active duty, so do the dogs. That’s where the employees who are blind that work for the AbilityOne Base Supply Center Program come in. Employees atall 140 stores nationwide help provide mission-critical products and services to the U.S. military and federal government. The Focusworks BSC store at Luke Air Force Base in Arizonaalso provides the equipment that military dogs need, including booties, harnesses, goggles, collars, leashes and collapsible water bowls. The harnesses oO The dogs that protect America’s military men and womenget protective equipment themselves through a special program involving special people. have Velcro strips, allowing the dogs to carry packs with their own food and water. When the dogs are deployed worldwide to support the war on terror, they wear infrared lights that let helicopters and planes identify where they are on the ground. Focusworks’ unique item supplied by the Base Supply Center is a harness that the handler can use to carry the Military Working Dog during climbs or in the case of the dog becoming injured. No man (or dog) need be left behind. No one knows whetherthe dogs like to “look cool” with their protective eyewear andstriped vests, but the equipment certainly protects them in thefield. You can learn more about the AbilityOne Program, what it does and how you can be a part ofit, from National Industries for the Blind. They’re online at www.nib.org or you can call (800) 433-2304.
