K-9 team victorious in Iraq Published May 11, 2006 By Tech. Sgt. Joseph Kapinos 319th Public Affairs Grand Forks AFB, N.D. -- It’s a hot night and the air seems is filled with tension, dust and possibilities. Engine noise is muffled by the reinforced armor and glass surrounding the vehicle like a cocoon. Suddenly the relative peace explodes in hail of bullets peppering the armor and the vehicle swerves to the side. It’s the first operation in Iraq for Staff Sergeant Nathanial L. Meagher, a K-9 handler with the 319th Security Forces Squadron and his partner, Aladar, both working alongside the U.S. Army and ready to take the fight to the enemy. “We were doing raids, looking for enemy caches,” recalled Sergeant Meagher. The pair was on temporary duty with the Army’s 3rd Infantry Division and was patrolling the town of Ad Duluyiah. Earlier, they had located a large cache of weapons and explosives and were going back into the area when the convoy came under heavy fire. Sergeant Meagher’s vehicle swerved violently when it hit a huge crater caused by an improvised explosive device. That action caused the turret gunner to slam against the vehicle’s armor and wound his arm. When the vehicle stopped and the passengers exited to provide security, Sergeant Meagher voluntarily gave up his seat and exposed himself to the fire in order to give the team medic room to treat the wounded individual. “My main concern was to keep my dog and the vehicle safe so the medic could do his job,” said the two-year veteran K-9 handler. “While I provided cover for the vehicle, the others went into the buildings and cleared out the threat,” he added. Sergeant Meagher was part of a four-man Air Force team attached to the Army because of their unique ability to search out and successfully locate hidden explosives. “We were so good that we became targets of the insurgency,” said Meagher. “We found out through intelligence channels that they were out to kill us because we kept finding their weapons.” Despite the threat, Sergeant Meagher and Aladar continued to be successful in finding the explosives that were being used against coalition forces. “These were large caches. During one mission we found five separate collections of weapons and explosives, including one that had 23 155-millimeter artillery shells and 30 AK-47 rifles,” noted Meagher. Because of their success and notoriety with the enemy, it soon became apparent that the K-9 teams needed extra protection. The Army policy then changed to make sure that each team had extra personnel assigned to ensure that safety of the dog and the handler. “My first priority was always to making sure that my dog was o.k. Although I carried an M-4 rifle, I usually had it slung so I could use my M-9 pistol and keep good control of Aladar,” said Meagher. “I also had the combat medic,” he added. Sergeant Meagher and Aladar have been working together for almost two years and have built a solid relationship that he says most outside of the K-9 career field will never understand. They spent nearly eight months in Iraq and were part of a team that located over two and half tons of enemy weapons and explosives. For their devotion to duty and courage under fire, Sergeant Meagher and Aladar were awarded the Army Commendation Medal and the prestigious Army Combat Action Badge. This badge is normally awarded to Army personnel who work directly with infantrymen and engage the enemy in actual combat. It is not usually awarded to Air Force personnel. The tense situations and the constant stress took their toll on the pair, but together they made it through safely. According to Sergeant Meagher, the entire deployment really brought the two closer. “Getting deployed was the best thing ever for our relationship,” said Sergeant Meagher softly. “He’s like family, he always had my back.”