It’s not just for Christmas, it’s for life

Posted on December 12, 2003 by Gene

This entry over at Nicole’s gofish made me sad and upset.

It’s against the rules for U.S. soldiers in Iraq to have pets, but the skinny black puppy that wandered up to the Florida National Guard soldiers at a base in northern Iraq wouldn’t go away.

So the soldiers from Alpha Co. of the 2nd Battalion of the 124th Infantry Regiment adopted the mutt and named her Apache after their radio call sign.

But Army regulations finally caught up with Alpha Co. and Apache.

Family members said Wednesday that the soldiers were eventually forced to obey orders and have the dog killed.

Have the dog killed?! Was it an enemy combatant?? Did it harbor terrorists? Was it hiding weapons of mass destruction?

Why? Why couldn’t it have been given to an Iraqi family? Why? Why does this admittedly small incident make me feel like our role there is only about death? Why?