Ringo and his handler in Afghanistan. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley)

ID dogs help keep U.S. soldiers safe overseas.

The IDD or Improvised Detection Dogs program is a group of highly trained bomb-sniffing dogs used by the U.S. Marine Corps to detect IEDs and help prevent bomb attacks.

Dogs can sniff out explosives much more effectively than electronic sensors, and can clear dangerous areas much more quickly. They also have more agility and mobility to handle the tough terrain and situations required in combat. IDDs also have the ability to pinpoint the precise location of an IED or other explosive device through their superior sniffing capabilities.

According to Matt Hilburn, author of A Marine’s Best Friend, IDD’s are generally Labrador Retrievers and go through 15 weeks of training. And while they’re not as highly trained as other military working dogs, they are exceptional at what they do.
 

The US Marine Corps has given the green light to contract 112 more IDDs for deployment in Iraq and Afghanistan. According to the Defense Industry Daily article: US Marine Corps Employing Dogs to Detect IEDs, the USMC Regional Contracting Office National Capitol Region in Quantico, VA awarded an $8.7 million firm-fixed price contract to K2 Solutions in Southern Pines, NC for the purchase of 112 trained and certified IED detector dogs. The contract also covers maintaining a pool of 247 dogs as well as training for the dogs and handlers.

The contract includes kenneling, feeding and medical care of the dogs during the period of performance; team integration training for 4 weeks at a training venue designated by the USMC, currently Twenty-Nine Palms in California; and contractor field support services to assist the USMC after deployment.

After working hard, IDDs unwind.  (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley) 

Ringo, a three and a half year old Black Labrador, an off-leash bomb-sniffing dog, stands with U.S. Marine Corps dog handler Lcpl William Childs, left, and trainer Adam Ward, a contractor working for American K-9 Interdiction, right, at U.S. Marine Combat Outpost Geronimo, in Helmand province, southern Afghanistan, Friday, Sept. 18, 2009. Highly trained dogs such as Ringo, which are part of the IDD, or Improvised Detection Dog program, have become a part of the process by which U.S. forces help prevent bomb attacks. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley)

Ringo with U.S. Marine Corps dog handler Lance Cpl. William Childs, at U.S. Marine Combat Outpost Geronimo, in Helmand province, southern Afghanistan, Friday, Sept. 18, 2009. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley)

Ring plays a game of fetch in a serious place.  (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley)