Local Veteran and Military Working Dog Honored for #StillServing

Fort Knox soldier TJ Young and his military working dog Wero are being recognized in the national Veterans of Foreign Wars #StillServing campaign honoring veterans who continue to serve after the military. For many veterans, canines are an integral part of that service.

Young served in Iraq for two years with the military police and in Afghanistan for three deployments as a military working dog handler with his partner Wero, a German Shepherd. On all three of his tours he and Wero served with special operations (first) and an elite task force unit (second and third). A search and rescue dog, Wero led Young in searching for explosives and in the process saved countless lives.

Considered by the troops as fellow warriors, a military working dog spends every moment with his handler, from sleeping to training to working in the field. When a soldier is deployed with his dog far from home in an intense, hostile environment, he forges an incredibly strong relationship with his dog.

Young says Wero was more than his working dog partner. “Wero was my blanket when I was cold, my pillow when I needed a place to lay my head and my best friend,” he explains. “And he lent the same support to my teammates, giving them much needed comfort when they needed it.”

In 2013 when Young and Wero returned from Afhanistan, they turned their attention to helping other soldiers in training. Young and Wero trained Air Force cadets on how to work with military search and rescue dogs and being comfortable being around them.

Wero continued to live with Young until he passed away at the age of 15 this past February. Young is currently active duty again at Fort Knox.