Rambo
Military Hero Dog
Rambo
Sgt. USMC
Jan. 2011–April 2012
Sgt. Rambo
Military Hero Dog Award
Rambo completed 994 hours of training while on active duty, and went on 620 stateside searches on and off base.
Rambo was born overseas, although we don’t know where. All military working dogs (MWD) are trained at the Holland Dog Center on Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas. Working dogs can detect weapons, bomb components, gases, and drugs more accurately than any available man-made equipment.
Rambo completed 994 hours of training while on active duty, and went on 620 stateside searches on and off base. He was stationed at Marine Corps Air Station, Cherry Point, North Carolina. The local area of Havelock didn’t have a police bomb dog, so Rambo and his handler would respond to local bomb threats. Rambo would occasionally sweep the barracks as a safety protocol. He was also patrol certified and with a verbal command, would attack and take down an assailant.
Rambo injured his left shoulder during routine proficiency training. It appeared that his lower leg was in pain, and speculation was that he jammed his paw into the bite wrap, a trainer’s protective sleeve. The veterinarian did not realize he had actually splintered a small bone fragment in his shoulder joint when he landed the bite, and that was the source of his discomfort. Finally, after many months of no improvement, his shoulder was x-rayed and it revealed the splinter of bone that chipped off all those months ago. The bone fragment caused extensive damage that medications and rest could not remedy. Due to the pain and damage to his shoulder, Rambo would retire after serving only a year and a half in the Marine Corps.
He was the first dog in history to have a retirement ceremony out of Cherry Point. Congressman Walter Jones attended the ceremony and held a press conference off base afterward. The Congressman came because he and I teamed up and wrote the Canine Members of the Armed Forces Act, which changed the classification of all MWDs from a piece of “equipment”. Sadly when the Vietnam War ended, the majority of military dogs were left behind, because they were considered surplus equipment.
I was a vet tech in the Army, and continued in that career field for more than 13 years. After I adopted Rambo, I took him to my vet immediately and the talk of amputation started as Rambo was always in pain and limping. We met with a board certified surgeon, and after x-raying his other joints to make sure they were healthy, it was decided by the vet, Rambo’s prior handler, and me, to amputate his leg.
Rambo is a supported hero, and mascot for Gizmo’s Gift; a nonprofit that offers free medical and transportation care to our nation’s 4-legged heroes. We travel the nation speaking and attending events to raise awareness for our mission and supported heroes.
We have been on four Honor Flights to Washington, D.C. with Alamo Honor Flight, and now with Honor Flight San Antonio. Rambo was honored as the 2015 Military Dog of the year and he is also the mascot for the Canine Members of the Armed Forces Act. Rambo has accomplished many feats in his young life; it has been a blessing, and amazing journey thus far being at the other end of his leash.
Army Veteran Lisa Phillips adopted Sgt. Rambo in 2012 and shares his story. {10-01-2015 • Converse, TX}
