Best Defense
Thomas E. Ricks' daily take on national security.

Rebecca’s War Dog of the Week: The stray pups they carry across Afghanistan

By Rebecca Frankel Best Defense Chief Canine Correspondent Here is a photo from 2009 of a puppy by the name of Cookie hitching a ride in a U.S. soldier’s backpack at combat outpost Jeleran, Afghanistan. Cookie is the unofficial mascot of 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment. Do you have war dog stories or photos to ...

(DoD photo by Tech. Sgt. Francisco V. Govea II, U.S. Air Force/Released)
(DoD photo by Tech. Sgt. Francisco V. Govea II, U.S. Air Force/Released)
(DoD photo by Tech. Sgt. Francisco V. Govea II, U.S. Air Force/Released)

By Rebecca Frankel
Best Defense Chief Canine Correspondent

By Rebecca Frankel
Best Defense Chief Canine Correspondent

Here is a photo from 2009 of a puppy by the name of Cookie hitching a ride in a U.S. soldier’s backpack at combat outpost Jeleran, Afghanistan. Cookie is the unofficial mascot of 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment.

Do you have war dog stories or photos to share? If you know of any adopted military dogs, or have stories of strays in the field, send it along to the e-mail address above my postage stamp photo on the right.

Thomas E. Ricks covered the U.S. military from 1991 to 2008 for the Wall Street Journal and then the Washington Post. He can be reached at ricksblogcomment@gmail.com. Twitter: @tomricks1
Tag: War

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