Mike C Dowling - Sergeant Rex : the unbreakable bond between a Marine and his military working dog

MIKE DOWLING enlisted in the US Marine Corps in 2001 and graduated top in his class at MP school before entering the military working dog handlers course. Upon completion of his training, he was assigned to the military working dog section at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton. He deployed to Iraq in March 2004 and was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal for his and Rexs Iraq operations. Dowling currently lives in Los Angeles, where he serves on the advisory board of two wounded-warrior nonprofit organizations.

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In Iraq we put our lives in each others hands (and paws) day after day. We took care of each other no matter what. Rex and I have a bond that will last for the rest of our born days. If ever there was a marine who lived up to Semper Fidelis, the motto of the Marine Corps, its Rex.

Deployed to Iraqs infamous Triangle of Death in 2004, Sergeant Mike Dowling and his military working dog Rex were part of the first Marine Corps military K9 teams sent to the front lines of combat since Vietnam. It was Rexs job to sniff out weapons caches, suicide bombers, and IEDs, the devastating explosives that wreaked havoc on troops and civilians alike. It was Mikes job to lead Rex into the heart of danger time and time again, always trusting Rex to bring them both back alive.

Dowling had turned twenty-five and Rex three just after they arrived in Iraq. Neither of them had any idea what to expect, and no training could fully prepare them for this job. An animal lover since childhood, Dowling had fostered and trained dogs for Guide Dogs for the Blind, and he was determined to serve in the militarys K9 unit after joining the Marines. On their first patrols in Iraq, Rex suffered a seemingly incurable fear of explosions and gunfire, but with Mike at the other end of his leash, Rex gained the courage to perform his duty.

Filled with harrowing tales of knife-edge bomb-detection work, including an extraordinary baptism by fire, Sergeant Rex is a heart-pounding account of how an unbreakable human-canine bond helped Mike and Rex to stay focused on their mission and save countless lives. Dowling takes us into the searing 130-degree heat, the choking dust, and the ever-present threat of violent attack that seemed to permeate Iraqs streets. We experience Dowlings visceral fear of walking down an IED-laden alley where dismemberment or death can come with any footstep, only his trusted partner, Rex, by his side.

Loyalty is one of the hallmarks of any good Marine, and nowhere is that quality more evident than in this astonishing account of Mike Dowling and Rexs wartime experiences. A moving story of how a man and a dog developed complete trust in each other in the face of terrible adversity, Sergeant Rex is an unforgettable tale of sacrifice, courage, and love.

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SERGEANT REX

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Copyright 2011 by Mike Dowling and Damien Lewis

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions
thereof in any form whatsoever. For information address Atria Books Subsidiary
Rights Department, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020.

First Atria Books hardcover edition December 2011

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Dowling, Mike C.
Sergeant Rex : the unbreakable bond between a Marine and his military working dog / Mike Dowling.
p. cm.
1. Dowling, Mike C. 2. Iraq War, 2003CampaignsIraqMahmudiyah.
3. Detector dogsAnecdotes. 4. German shepherd dogWar useAnecdotes.
5. Improvised explosive devicesDetectionIraq. 6. United States. Marine
Corps. Marines, 2nd. Battalion, 2nd.Biography. 7. MarinesUnited States
Biography. 8. DogsWar useIraq. 9. Iraq War, 2003Personal narratives,
American. I. Title. II. Title: Unbreakable bond between a Marine and his
military working dog.
DS79.764.M33D69 2011
956.7044345dc23
2011040947

ISBN 978-1-4516-3596-6
ISBN 978-1-4516-3598-0 (ebook)

For Sergeant Adam Cann
and Joseph Patrick Dowling

Guardians of the Night

Trust in me my friend for I am your comrade.
I will protect you with my last breath
When all others have left you
And the loneliness of the night closes in,
I will be at your side.

Together we will conquer all obstacles,
And search out those who might wish harm to others.
All I ask of you is compassion,
The caring touch of your hands.
It is for you that I will selflessly give my life
And spend my nights unrested.

Although our days together
May be marked by the passing of the seasons,
Know that each day at your side is my reward.
My days are measured
by The coming and going of your footsteps.
I anticipate them at the opening of the door.

You are the voice of caring when I am ill.
The voice of authority over me when Ive done wrong.
Do not chastise me unduly
For I am your right arm,
The sword at your side.

I attempt to do only what you bid of me.
I seek only to please you and remain in your favor.
Together you and I shall experience
A bond only others like you will understand.
When outsiders see us together
Their envy will be measured by their disdain.

I will quietly listen to you
And pass no judgment,
Nor will your spoken words be repeated.
I will remain ever silent,
Ever vigilant, ever loyal.
And when our time together is done
And you move on in the world,