Rebecca Frankel was an editor at Foreign Policy from 2013-2018.
Articles by
Rebecca Frankel
German Chancellor Angela Merkel greets US President Donald Trump prior to the start of the first working session of the G20 meeting in Hamburg, northern Germany, on July 7.
Leaders of the world's top economies will gather from July 7 to 8, 2017 in Germany for likely the stormiest G20 summit in years, with disagreements ranging from wars to climate change and global trade. / AFP PHOTO / POOL / IAN LANGSDON (Photo credit should read IAN LANGSDON/AFP/Getty Images)
German Chancellor Angela Merkel greets US President Donald Trump prior to the start of the first working session of the G20 meeting in Hamburg, northern Germany, on July 7.
Leaders of the world's top economies will gather from July 7 to 8, 2017 in Germany for likely the stormiest G20 summit in years, with disagreements ranging from wars to climate change and global trade. / AFP PHOTO / POOL / IAN LANGSDON (Photo credit should read IAN LANGSDON/AFP/Getty Images)
In spring 2010, the Royal Army Veterinary Corps, which has officially employed canines since 1942, established the 1st Military Working Dog Regiment, a new unit that consists of "284 soldiers and officers and about 200 military working dogs." These teams have supported operations in Afghanistan, Bosnia, Iraq, Kosovo, and Northern Ireland, according to the British military. In 2011, there were 70 military dogs at Camp Bastion, Britain's largest military base in Afghanistan. Britain's arms and explosives dogs are mostly labradors and spaniels, but the Telegraph reports that "some of the best Army dogs are crossbreeds" and "nearly one third come from private homes." When they're not on patrol, these dogs are housed in air-conditioned kennels that come fully equipped with an independent power source. The dogs even have the only pool on base -- all to themselves -- and soccer star David Beckham has stopped by for a visit. Perhaps one of the most moving war-dog stories to come out of Afghanistan is that of Cpl. Liam Tasker and his working dog, Theo. When Tasker was killed by a Taliban sniper in 2011, Theo, who survived the ambush without injury, died only hours later. The cause of death was never determined, but some surmised that the bond between the two had been so strong that the dog died of a broken heart. In this photo, arms- and explosive-detection dog Leanna watches over her handler Lance Cpl. Marianne Hay, a soldier in the Royal Army Veterinary Corps, as she rests on Aug. 3, 2008, at the Kandahar Air Field in Afghanistan. Marco Di Lauro/Getty Images
