Very brave Canine
Top medal for dog wounded as he fearlessly helped UK Special Forces flush out Taliban gunmen
FOR seven and a half hours he displayed the sort of bravery under fierce enemy fire of which any human would be proud.
Despite being wounded, Mali helped flush out Taliban insurgents – saving the lives of British Special Forces.
Now the eight-year-old Belgian Malinois is to be honoured with the animal equivalent of the Victoria Cross, the first living dog in seven years to receive the award.
Mali will be presented with his medal today for his heroic actions while serving with the Special Boat Service during a covert operation in Kabul in 2012, where he helped flush the Taliban from a tower.
In a top secret seven-and-a-half-hour mission, he detected insurgents and sniffed out explosives while under ferocious fire.
Footage of the assault shows the SBS scaling the building where the Taliban had been hiding. It then shows Mali, who was injured in three grenade blasts, being carried away by his handler.
Now fully recovered, Mali will be presented with the PDSA Dickin Medal in London for performing ‘above and beyond the call of duty’ many times.
‘ Mali displayed outstanding courage in the face of fire and there is no doubt that his actions throughout the operation were pivotal in the success of breaking an enemy stronghold, helping to save multiple lives and prevent further injury,’ his citation says.
During the assault in April 2012, Mali was sent through direct fire twice to search for explosives. ‘He also indicated the presence of insurgents numerous times, giving the assault force vital milliseconds to engage the enemy in close quarter combat,’ the citation says.
Mali was hoisted up the outside of the building several times to provide the assault force with a key foothold to attack the insurgents. In the grenade explosions, he suffered injuries to his chest, legs and face.
‘Despite his injuries, Mali continued his duties and pushed forward, remaining close to his handler,’ the citation adds. ‘He played a key role in breaking the stalemate that had begun to develop in the building, providing impetus for the host nation and UK forces to continue to fight and bring about a successful resolution.’
His SBS handler’s identity has been protected for security reasons but he too was awarded a gallantry medal for his role in the assault. Mali’s current handler Corporal Daniel Hatley, who also trained him as a puppy before he was sent to Afghanistan, said: ‘I am extremely proud of Mali. The way he conducted himself when it mattered most enabled my colleagues to achieve success in close combat.’
PDSA director general Jan McLoughlin said: ‘Mali has displayed a truly awesome ability and determination to seek out explosives and insurgents during a key operation. To achieve this while exposed to close combat and such intense enemy attack makes him an incredibly worthy recipient of the PDSA Dickin Medal.
‘It is even more poignant that we were able to make Mali’s award on our charity’s 100th birthday.’
Mali, who is now attached to the Royal Army Veterinary Corps, (RAVC) will be the 69th animal to be honoured with the Dickin Medal, the highest award any animal can achieve while serving in military conflict.
Previous recipients were 32 Second World War messenger pigeons, 31 dogs, four horses and a cat.
The last dog to receive the Dickin Medal was Sasha, who was awarded it posthumously in 2014, six years after she was killed in an ambush in Afghanistan alongside her handler Lance Corporal Kenneth Rowe.
The last living British dog to be honoured was Treo in 2010, also for bravery on duty in Afghanistan in 2008.
Although retired from frontline duties, Mali continues to work at the RAVC’s Defence Animal Centre in Leicestershire, where he and Corporal Hatley help train new dog handlers.
Li e utenant Colonel Abby DuBaree of the RAVC said: ‘Stories like Mali’s are sobering to read and help to demonstrate the key role that animals continue to play in our armed forces.’
Brigadier Roly Walker, Colonel Commandant of the RAVC, said: ‘As long as we’ve had soldiers, we’ve had animals, and I think we always will have them.
‘Today’s award of a PDSA Dickin Medal to Mali recognises this unique bond.’
‘He helped save many lives’