NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Two stray dogs in Afghanistan that found comfort and companionship with a company of U.S. Army soldiers at a remote firebase are poised to leave the war zone behind. As the troops get set to return home, their spouses have raised nearly $6,000 to fly the dogs to the United States.
A Facebook posting has spread the word, and donations are flowing in to pay the costs of transporting the dogs - Smiley and OP1 - the thousands of miles from Afghanistan. Their destination: Fort Campbell, the big military base on the Kentucky-Tennessee line and a new, peaceful life with the families of some of the soldiers.
The 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, was one of the units dispatched to Afghanistan last year to secure that country from a resurgent Taliban. They are expected to begin leaving the country later this summer.
Sonya Luedeman, wife of Spc. Jason Luedeman - a medic in Charlie Company, 1-61 Cavalry - said her husband couldn't stop talking about a black-and-white dog that had followed the soldiers back to their firebase during a patrol months ago.
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The soldiers called him OP1, after the outpost where they found him.
"The dog just made everyone happier," Luedeman said. "He really was like a cohesive part of the unit. He would tell me that every time OP would see the guys gear up for a patrol, he would run outside to make sure they didn't leave him behind."
Dogs generally have a hard life in war-torn Afghanistan, where they are not typically considered pets and often scavenge for food around military bases. Someone had cut off OP1's ears, and it was difficult to determine how old he was because he was malnourished when the soldiers found him.
Sgt. Mark Webber, an infantryman with Charlie Company, soon became attached to the friendly dog who would chase off other strays and join them on missions lasting days. Webber snapped pictures of OP1 napping with soldiers or serving as a scout during risky foot patrols through the Afghan countryside.
"OP1 has always been there with us," Webber said in an email from Afghanistan. "Whenever somebody is feeling down, they could play with him, and he always had a way to cheer them up."
But the soldiers started to worry what would happen to their canine companions, both of them mixed breeds, once their deployment ended.
Luedeman found an animal-rescue organization in Kabul that helped other soldiers bring home Afghan dogs. But the cost for transporting just one dog to the U.S. was $4,000.
Seeking support, Luedeman posted pictures of OP1 on a Facebook page and appealed for donations. "I never expected that we would have the money in less than a week," Luedeman said.
The soldiers' wives know there will be no better welcome home for their husbands after a long year than to see their best canine friends.
"These dogs really help these soldiers stay sane," said Amanda Webber.
On the Web
• Smiley's Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/#!/SmileytheComancheDog
• OP1's Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/#!/OP1ComancheDog
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