Dogs Of War

 On their recent mission to kill Osama Bin Laden Team 6 of the US Navy SEALS took along guns, protective gear, nightvision goggles and a whole host of other gadgets to get the job done. They also brought one important instrument that doesn’t run on batteries or bullets, but on dog food. A dog of war.

A U.S. soldier stands guard outside a local clinic with a bomb sniffing dog in Tarmiya town, 30 km (20 miles) north of Baghdad May 25, 2006. If all goes to plan, Iraqi forces will prove they can take over security in long-time rebel strongholds like Tarmiya and enable U.S. troops to go home. U.S. commanders note progress since they arrived two months ago with the daunting mission of rooting out al Qaeda militants, improving ties between Iraqi forces and the local population and building an effective police force from scratch. REUTERS/Namir Noor-Eldeen

U.S. Air Force Staff Sargent Robert Lewis and his police dog Bronx help U.S. Army soldiers search a building in Baghdad's Mansour district April 4, 2007. REUTERS/Bob Strong

U.S. soldiers with the 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team 3-1 CAV take a break with their explosives sniffer dog during a major search operation for weapons and insurgents, in a brickyard near the city of Narhwan, about 30km (18 miles) west of Baghdad October 12, 2007. REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch

U.S. Marines from Bravo Company of the 1st Battalion, 6th Marines, use dogs to search for explosives during an operation in the town of Marjah, in Nad Ali district of Helmand province February 17, 2010. An Afghan and NATO offensive against a Taliban stronghold in southern Afghanistan has significantly dislocated the insurgents' leadership in the area, a NATO commander said on Tuesday. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic

 Doghandler Sergeant Justin McGhee (C) with the US Army's 67th Engineer Detachment and his dog Archie run for cover during a gun battle with suspected Taliban militants near the village of Jilga in Arghandab District north of Kandahar July 8, 2010. REUTERS/Bob Strong

A U.S. Army soldier with the 10th Special Forces Group and his military working dog jump off the ramp of a CH-47 Chinook helicopter from the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment during water training over the Gulf of Mexico as part of exercise Emerald Warrior 2011 in this U.S. military handout image from March 1, 2011. The New York Times and other United States media have reported that a military canine accompanied Navy SEAL Team Six commandos into a compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan in a raid that killed al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. REUTERS/Manuel J. Martinez/U.S. Air Force/Handout

A U.S. Military Police dog, trained in detecting explosives, searches two containers found during a cache search of farmland outside of the town of Osharea, Iraq, in this March 20, 2009 file photograph. The New York Times and other United States media have reported that a military canine accompanied Navy SEAL Team Six commandos into a compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan in a raid that killed al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. REUTERS/Brian L. Short /U.S. Navy photo/Handout

Spc. Joseph Lopez, a military working dog handler for Combined Team Zabul, Afghanistan, deployed from the 148th Military Police Detachment, Ft. Carson, Colorado, runs through a challenge drill with Edy, a U.S. Air Force military working/patrol explosive detection dog, at Forward Operating Base Lagman in Afghanistan in this February 18, 2011 photograph. The New York Times and other United States media have reported that a military canine accompanied Navy SEAL Team Six commandos into a compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan in a raid that killed al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. REUTERS/Adrian Cadiz/U.S. Air Force/Handout

Staff Sgt. Erick Martinez, a military dog handler, uses an over-the-shoulder carry with his dog Argo II in this March 4, 2011 handout image released by the U.S. Air Force, during an exercise at Hill Air Force Base, Utah. The New York Times and other United States media have reported that a military canine accompanied Navy SEAL Team Six commandos into a compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan in a raid that killed al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. REUTERS/Allen Stokes/U.S. Air Force/Handout

Edy, a military working/patrol explosive detection dog, takes a break after going through an explosive device detection training session at Forward Operating Base Lagman, Afghanistan in this February 18, 2011 photograph. The New York Times and other United States media have reported that a military canine accompanied Navy SEAL Team Six commandos into a compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan in a raid that killed al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. REUTERS/Adrian Cadiz/U.S. Air Force/Handout

Pronto, a Special Operations Forces Multi Purpose Canine, successfully jumped out of a CH-47, Chinook helicopter during Emerald Warrior training exercise at Hurlburt Field, Florida in this March 1, 2011 photograph. This was the first time a dog jumped with a team, allowing members to utilize him in real world situations. Emerald Warrior 2011 is a U.S. Special Operations Command-sponsored, multiservice exercise designed to leverage lessons learned from Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom to provide trained and ready forces to combatant commanders. The New York Times and other United States media have reported that a military canine accompanied Navy SEAL Team Six commandos into a compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan in a raid that killed al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. REUTERS/Erik Cardenas/U.S. Air Force/Handout

U.S. Army Spc. Dennis Bechtel and his working dog Randy investigate holes in a mud wall for weapon caches during a cordon and search mission outside the village of Uch Tapa, Iraq, in this December 31, 2007 file photograph. The New York Times and other United States media have reported that a military canine accompanied Navy SEAL Team Six commandos into a compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan in a raid that killed al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. REUTERS/Samuel Bendet/U.S. Air Force/Handout

A military working dog outfitted with its own equipment and light heads up the steps of a building in this undated handout image from the Canadian company K9 Storm Inc. which manufactures a range of specialized gear that includes high-tech canine flak jackets and tactical body armor. Military Working Dog locating target in building search in zero light conditions. The K9 Storm Intruder provides real time video feed back to the operator through multiple fortified barriers. Intruder night vision capabilities adjust automatically to various light conditions for optimal high resolution video. The New York Times and other United States media have reported that a military canine accompanied Navy SEAL Team Six commandos into a compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan in a raid that killed al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. REUTERS/K9 Storm Inc./Handout

A military working dog outfitted with specialized gear of its own is seen in this undated handout image released by the Canadian company K9 Storm Inc. which manufactures a range of specialized gear that includes high-tech canine flak jackets and tactical body armor used by the U.S. military and other nations. The New York Times and other United States media have reported that a military canine accompanied Navy SEAL Team Six commandos into a compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan in a raid that killed al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. REUTERS/K9 Storm Inc./Handout

U.S. soldiers from the Second Stryker Cavalry Regiment rest next dogs trained to sniff for explosives at the Diyala media center in Diyala province August 6, 2008. REUTERS/Andrea Comas

U.S. Sergeant Marcus Mayward is licked by a dog trained to sniff for explosives inside a military vehicle during security operations in Diyala province August 7, 2008. U.S. and Iraqi forces have routed al Qaeda in Baghdad and Western Iraq, and the Sunni Islamist group has since regrouped in Iraq's north, including Diyala, where a major security operation is underway to crush insurgents. REUTERS/Andrea Comas

A U.S. soldier drives a vehicle with his dog at the Forward Operating Base (FOB) Airborne in the mountains of Wardak Province, Afghanistan, July 6, 2009. REUTERS/Shamil Zhumatov

A Dog Handler relaxes with his search dog during a break in an armoured patrol with the Household Cavalry in Southern Helmand province, Afghanistan November 13, 2007. REUTERS/Steve Lewis

German Shepherds are trained to become demining dogs during a morning training session at the mine detection centre (MDC) in Kabul November 15, 2009. Afghanistan is still struggling to remove mines from remote areas after three decades of war. REUTERS/Jerry Lampen