The History Channel

Lots of photos have made it to these blog pages showing the currently deployed handlers, but thought you all might enjoy seeing some of the photos from the Vietnam Era. With a nod to the combat tracker website, I’m going to generously steal what they have to say. 1. Because it’s correct and 2. because I’m too tired to paraphrase.

In Vietnam, there were “small groups were small, highly-trained units usually consisting of five men and a Labrador Retriever. This group was called a “Combat Tracker Team” (CTT). They were a composite group and cross-trained, enabling all members to complete the mission. The purpose of CTT was to: reestablish contact with the “elusive enemy”, reconnaissance of an area for possible enemy activities, and locate lost or missing friendly personnel. The methods used in completing the missions were Visual and Canine Tactical Tracking. The unit was usually supported by a platoon or larger force and worked well ahead of them to maintain noise discipline and the element of surprise.”

Enjoy some of these photos and check out the Combat Tracker Website at www.combattrackerteam.org for many more photos and much more in depth information.