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How cool is it that U.S. military dogs outrank their handlers? Or that they have a rank at all? They even receive awards, accolades and promotions. Much to the disdain of "non-dog" people.
According to Regina Johnson, Sgt. 1st Class and the operations superintendent at the Military Working Dog School, some people get offended when animals receive honors normally reserved for humans.
But Johnson reminds them that the dogs work hard and save lives. She adds that the dogs are so much more than just U.S. government property.
"These dogs are our partners," the expert says. "I remember trying to get into the K-9 program, and I had a human partner working in law enforcement at the time who commented to me that he couldn't believe I would choose to work with a dog over a human partner, a big strong guy as a partner."
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Apparently, every military working dog is an NCO (Non-Commissioned Officer) - by tradition. If you're unfamiliar with the term, it's a high-ranking enlisted soldier who serves as the "backbone of the Army" by leading and training other soldiers. This means an Army dog is always one rank higher than its handler.
"That's out of respect," Johnson explains. "I see it all the time, especially in these young handlers. They make the mistake of thinking they're actually in charge. You've got to tell them, 'Hold up. That dog has trained 100 students. That dog is trying to tell you something.' I think the tradition grew out of a few handlers recognizing the dog as their partner."
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According to a U.S Army official site, when it comes to new working-dog handlers, experienced dogs help train the students. "They use dogs, known as training aids, that already understand commands," notes the site. "Once handlers graduate from the course, they go out into the force and are assigned a dog at their unit."
Military dogs have their work cut out for them... The K-9 teams aren't only deployed to war zones. They provide a variety of support, from patrol work around base to searches during health-and-welfare inspections and sweeps for explosives when VIPs arrive, explains the Army site.
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Another October "Today I Learned" fact that we found quite intriguing was the one about the woman who had half of her brain removed when she was 8 years old, due to a condition that caused her to have up to 150 seizures a day. Needing to know a bit more, we went on a deep dive.
It turns out the woman's name is Christina Santhouse. In 1996, she was on a family beach vacation on the New Jersey shore when her foot began shaking uncontrollably. The little girl was rushed to hospital and underwent three days of gruelling tests.
Doctors diagnosed her with Rasmussen's encephalitis. It's a rare autoimmune disease, usually found in children. The body attacks the brain, and cells wither away as a result.
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"Treating the seizures sounded worse than the disease," reported ABC News in 2002. "Doctors said she would have to get a hemispherectomy, a procedure in which the diseased half of the brain is surgically removed. In short, Christina would be left with half a brain."
But little Christina went on to defy the odds. She excelled at school, and took part in athletics as a teen. In 2016, People magazine reported that she "got her driver’s license at 17, became a star bowler who competed in England and Australia, then decided to go away to college, enrolling in Misericordia University near Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania."
The publication added that she earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in five years. She went on to become a speech therapist, bought her own house, and got married.
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Now in her 30s, Christina is a mom to two kids. She revealed during an Associated Press interview that she's approached parenthood the same way she has everything else in her life since her 1996 surgery and rehabilitation:
"A lot of planning. A lot of preparation. A lot of faith. A lot of determination."
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“Motherhood brings a whole new set of challenges. It’s a constant effort to stay mentally and emotionally in the game, but the girls and my family are beyond worth it,” she said, adding that she's come to realize that different is okay.
"The way I care for the girls might look different or take a bit longer, but it always gets done, and it’s done with unconditional love.”
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