Ali Airmen mourn loss of K-9 team member

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Francesca Popp
  • 407th Air Expeditionary Group Public Affairs
ALI BASE, Iraq (AFPN) --  Airmen with the 407th Provost Marshal Office here Aug. 1 held a memorial service for a K-9 member after his unexpected death from natural causes July 28.

Goro, an 8-year-old German shepherd, was one month into his sixth deployment.

Staff Sgt. Sean Neisen, deployed from the 435th Security Forces Squadron at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, became Goro's handler five months ago. He knew something was not quite right with Goro when he went to feed him that morning.

"When you've been around your military working dog or pet long enough, you learn the dog's behavior and demeanor and any changes to it. You can feel when something is not right. You don't necessarily see it; you just feel it," Sergeant Neisen said. "The morning of July 28, I went in to feed the dogs. I knew right away that something was wrong."

He rushed Goro to the Camp Adder veterinarian, who discovered that Goro had bloat -- a condition in which a dog's stomach twists out of place. It usually occurs in large-breed dogs. The vets tried in vain to save the dog.

More than a working dog 
Sergeant Neisen worked with many dogs in his career, but said Goro was a laid-back, one-of-a-kind dog due to the extensive training that helped shape his temperament.

"He wasn't your average working dog. When it was time to work, he'd work -- but after duty, he wanted to be your pet," he said. "He wanted to be with his 'daddy' all the time."

Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Ivan Winder, the kennel master, remembered when he won Goro's friendship.

"I went to the kennel on his second day there. Fanda, my 4-year-old dog who can be hard-headed at times, was running around and creating a ruckus. All the while, Goro was chilling in his room," he said. "I raised my voice to get Fanda's attention and Goro perked up too. From that day on, Goro was like, 'You're cool with me ... all right,'" Petty Officer Winder said.

"We give (the dogs) what they need to be happy," he said. "They become your kid. You take care of them."

One of the things that made Goro happy was his favorite toy -- a big orange ball. He even liked playing soccer.

"He was all about playing with that ball," said Sergeant Neisen, a 10-year Air Force veteran. "He could differentiate between that toy and his reward. He knows he gets to chew on and play with the reward when he looks for it. But during playtime, when you don't have the leash hooked up and take him to the training area, it's all about the big ball."

Never forget
Goro will always be remembered and have a large place in his heart, Sergeant Neisen said. 

"Goro showed no limit. He was a soldier. The loss is devastating. It's (going to be) hard to pick up and move on," said Petty Officer Winder, who has worked with and lost many dogs in his 14 years as a K-9 handler. "You can never prepare for a loss like this."

Goro will always be a part of the 407th PMO's family, said Petty Officer Winder, who is deployed from Commander Navy Region Southwest in San Diego.

Goro was born Feb. 1, 2000. He entered service in April 2002 and became an explosive detection and patrol dog. 

 A commemorative brick will be made in Goro's honor and placed in the Military Working Dog Memorial at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. 

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