Now retired Military Working Dog Eddie enjoys his peanut butter and banana cake.
It's time for Eddie to retire. He was assigned to MacDill's 6th Security Forces Squadron in Tampa, FL and served for five years. He is one brave soldier. He is also a dog.
The Belgian Malinois is a bomb-sniffing dog that is credited with saving a military patrol in Afghanistan. The brave dog found two improvised explosive devices (IED) containing 10 pounds of homemade explosives, saving the lives of his 13-member patrol unit, which was made up of US allied forces.
Eddie's last official day was Friday, April 11, 2014. He retired with full military honors which included a discharge ceremony, words of congratulations and scores of salutes from his brothers in arms from MacDill. "Sometimes I get emotional when I think about everything he has done," says Staff Sgt. Shannon Hutto, Eddie's handler. "He's the best partner I ever had. My little girls absolutely love Eddie. They know that daddy came home because of this dog."
Besides his time in combat, Eddie was also involved in numerous security sweeps of government facilities, which included 15 Secret Service missions for the President and Vice President.
Eddie's retirement was attended by a full room of Air Force dog handlers. The dog seemed to be unimpressed with all of the attention he was receiving. He stood quietly panting as Air Force personnel recalled all of his achievements. A poem was read in his honor and the ceremony was concluded with his official discharge certificate.
Before he left the stage, Eddie was presented with a peanut butter and banana cake which was adorned with a photo of himself. He sniffed the curious gift before digging in to the delectable treat.
The now former military hero will spend his retirement days with his original handler; Staff Sgt. Andrew Grymes who will help the dog ease into civilian life which will include some couch-sitting and lots of ball-chasing.