No Ordinary Dog
My Partner from the SEAL Teams to the Bin Laden Raid
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4.7 • 300 Ratings
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
THE INSTANT NATIONAL BESTSELLER
No Ordinary Dog is the powerful true story of a SEAL Team Operator and military dog handler, and the dog that saved his life.
Two dozen Navy SEALs descended on Osama bin Laden’s compound in May 2011. After the mission, only one name was made public: Cairo, a Belgian Malinois and military working dog. This is Cairo's story, and that of his handler, Will Chesney, a SEAL Team Operator whose life would be irrevocably tied to Cairo's.
Starting in 2008, when Will was introduced to the SEAL canine program, he and Cairo worked side by side, depending on each other for survival on hundreds of critical operations in the war on terrorism. But their bond transcended their service. Then, in 2011, the call came: Pick up your dog and get back to Virginia. Now.
What followed were several weeks of training for a secret mission. It soon became clear that this was no ordinary operation. Cairo was among the first members of the U.S. military on the ground in Pakistan as part of Operation Neptune Spear, which resulted in the successful elimination of bin Laden.
As Cairo settled into a role as a reliable “spare dog,” Will went back to his job as a DEVGRU operator, until a grenade blast in 2013 left him with a brain injury and PTSD. Unable to participate in further missions, he suffered from crippling migraines, chronic pain, memory issues, and depression. Modern medicine provided only modest relief. Instead, it was up to Cairo to save Will's life once more—and then up to Will to be there when Cairo needed him the most.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Former U.S. Navy SEAL Chesney offers an inside look at life in the Special Forces and pays tribute to his canine partner Cairo in this heartfelt debut. Chesney details the intense mental and physical stresses of SEAL training, noting that only 20% of candidates graduate, and sketches his early deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan. Impressed by two military working dogs embedded with his unit in Afghanistan, Chesney, a self-described "dog guy," decided to become a canine handler. At the end of a two-week "indoctrination period," he was assigned Cairo, a Belgian Malinois with a hard work ethic and easygoing demeanor. He documents their growing bond over the course of several deployments, highlighting a mission in which Cairo was shot twice while flushing out a pair of insurgents and their participation in the 2011 raid on Osama bin Laden's compound in Pakistan. After Chesney's medical retirement (due to a brain injury), he fought bureaucratic red tape to bring Cairo home with him. Touching on the power of the human-animal bond, the effects of PTSD, and the legacy of the "war on terror," this earnest account delivers many memorable moments. Dog lovers and fans of military history will be enthralled.
Customer Reviews
No ordinary dog
It’s so much better to read it in paperback.thank you all special forces and law enforcement dogs and officers.Cairo is a hero,Belgian malinois can be sweet at times.
No Ordinary Dog
I couldn’t put this book down. Such a well written story full of adventure. I have a Belgian Malinois myself and a husband that was deployed twice with the Army to Iraq and Kuwait. It helped me sympathize with my husband’s experiences. I’m also inspired to do more training with my dog “Scout”.
He’s just a family dog but loves to learn.
Cairo
Amazingly good read… we have two Level 3 trained Dutch shepherds. ‘
Exceptional animals that are part of our family. I thank you
Dan Mchugh
Friday Harbor WA