(9 Sep 2024)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Nowy Dwor Mazowiecki, Poland – 6 September 2024
1. Various of ceremony, Chief of General Staff of Polish Army, Wieslaw Kukula awarding military ranks to dogs
2. SOUNDBITE (Polish) Captain Dominik Plaza, Press officer of the 2nd Masovian Engineer Regiment: ++PARTLY OVERLAID WITH CUTAWAYS++
"Military ranks are simply symbolism. Symbolism so that, maybe not the animal itself, but so that we too are aware that such a dog is almost a member of the armed forces. That it is not just a tool for detecting explosives, but it is a living being."
3. Various of military ceremony, dogs among soldiers on the parade ground
4. SOUNDBITE (Polish) Senior Corporal Tomasz Gnys, handler for Emi, Belgian Malinois, 2nd Masovian Engineer Regiment: ++PARTLY OVERLAID WITH CUTAWAYS OF DOGS++
"This is an expression of our gratitude as guides to our four-legged companions who accompany us in our daily work and we also take them home after hours."
5. Various of dogs at a show of agility and obedience, searching for explosives
6. Various of soldier playing with Dutch Shepherd
7. Various of dogs and handlers
STORYLINE:
Standing with their handlers, these four-legged friends are being honoured for their service.
They are working dogs in the Polish army and are receiving military ranks.
These are awarded by no less than the Chief of General Staff of the Polish Army himself, General Wieslaw Kukula.
Dogs Einar, Eliot, Enzo and Emi are primarily used to detect explosives, a job valued for its essential role in protecting human life.
"Military ranks are simply symbolism. Symbolism so that, maybe not the animal itself, but so that we too are aware that such a dog is almost a member of the armed forces. That it is not just a tool for detecting explosives, but it is a living being," says Captain Dominik Plaza, press officer of the 2nd Masovian Engineer Regiment.
The dogs are part of Captain Plaza’s regiment.
The breeds of these four are a German Shepherd, a Dutch Shepherd and two Belgian Malinois.
General Kukula decided last year that dogs serving in the Polish army would get military ranks from private to sergeant, a move that has been welcomed by their handlers.
"This is an expression of our gratitude as guides to our four-legged companions who accompany us in our daily work and we also take them home after hours," says Senior Corporal Tomasz Gnys, who is the handler for Emi, a Belgian Malinois.
The soldiers who work with dogs volunteer for the assignment and it becomes a commitment of many years.
They select their animals and train them for their military roles.
As well as working side by side, handler and dog live together.
They even commit to care for them after the dogs become too old to work.
The dog’s may have a new rank, but even if further promotions come their way, they will never out-rank their handlers.
The unit was recently deployed to Paris for the Summer Olympic Games and the Paralympics, where the regiment’s soldiers and dogs reinforced French security efforts.
Polish army dogs have carried out service elsewhere on international missions, including Iraq and Afghanistan as part of Poland’s support of the U.S. military.
Poland, which is one of Ukraine’s closest allies, earlier this summer also announced that it was sending 12 trained dogs to support the Ukrainian military in clearing mines.
AP video shot by Rafal Niedzielski
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