„Dog Days” in Kabul

His master, WO Zoltán V. (“Batyu") has been serving as a K9 EOD technician for two years now. Batyu has always liked to have dogs around, and also has an interest in explosives, so now he can pursue his hobby during his work.

Forest, a three-year-old dun German shepherd has been serving with the Hungarian Defence Forces for two years now too. His master, SFC István T. (“Törci") has been a service member of the HDF 1st Honvéd EOD and Warship Regiment since 2006. Apart from his love of dogs, he chose this career because he saw a great challenge in the task. Forest’s “career" started when, as a stray dog, he joined Batyu, who was just walking his own dogs. Being familiar with dogs, the soldier discerned those abilities in Forest that make him fit for carrying out EOD tasks.

Any breed of dog may become an EOD dog, irrespective of size, but usually the ones aptest for the task are playful and do not take fright when they hear shots fired. Having been selected, all dogs must first undergo a test, where they are kept under surveillance for a month to examine their reactions to various situations and tasks. The actual four-month training comes only after this period.

Once in a year all EOD dogs must show their aptitude at a rating exam, and their masters need to take an EOD/handler exam every year. At home, besides receiving everyday care, the young dogs participate in development training programs, while the more experienced ones in skills retention training programs, which last for at least three days per week.

In the area of operations, the dogs and the EOD technicians have the core duty of performing security sweeps for vehicles and packages, which means around a dozen vehicles each day, and on top of that, they also perform area reconnaissance too. So far the dogs have not yet signaled explosives in live situations, but during training sessions they have sniffed out all the hidden samples.

Small dogs have a harder time enduring permanent high temperatures, but they are easy to motivate through play, and are allowed to take a rest in air-conditioned spaces at the gates between two sweeps. During their well-deserved free time, weather permitting, they can cool off each day inside the only purpose-built swimming pool of the airport.

Depending on their state of health, EOD dogs work until the age of 7-8. On reaching that age, they usually start having medical issues that prevent them from executing their tasks any more. In all cases so far, after “retirement", their masters have brought the dogs home with them, as they have become family members.

Photos by the author