NOWY DWOR MAZOWIECKI, Poland (AP) 鈥� The new privates received their ranks amid military pomp in a town near Warsaw where a Napoleonic fortress attests to a long military history. The group was made up of a German shepherd, a Dutch shepherd and two Belgian Malinois.
The dogs 鈥� Einar, Eliot, Enzo and Emi 鈥� were bestowed with their ranks Friday as part of a new Polish program aimed at honoring the service of , a job valued for its role in protecting human life.
Gen. Wies艂aw Kuku艂a, Chief of the General Staff of the Polish Army, decided last year that dogs serving in the Polish army would qualify for six military ranks ranging from private through corporal to sergeant.
The change has been welcomed by their loyal human handlers.
鈥淭he rank is meant to honor the hard work of the dog in service,鈥� said Lance Corporal Daniel K臋sicki, who recently completed a five-month training course with Eliot, a 2-year-old Belgian Malinois. 鈥淭o me it鈥檚 a symbolic recognition that the dog is serving the homeland.鈥�
The dogs honored Friday belong to the 2nd Mazovian Engineer Regiment, which in 2007 became the first unit of Poland鈥檚 armed forces to introduce dogs into service, according to spokesman Capt. Dominik P艂aza. He said none have died in action.
During the ceremony the dogs' handlers were one by one handed a badge with their animals' rank which they attached to their dogs' harnesses. The ceremonies take place during other military events, and this one occurred during the commemoration of the regiment's 80th anniversary. The dogs were given their ranks for having completed basic training and having served for more than a year.
The ranks are a largely symbolic recognition 鈥渟o that we, too, are aware that such a dog is a member of the armed forces,鈥� P艂aza said.
"It is not just a tool for detecting explosives, but it is a living being,鈥� he said.
The unit was recently deployed to Paris for the and the Paralympics, where the regiment's soldiers and four of its 16 dogs reinforced French security efforts in scanning facilities for explosives. Everything passed off peacefully.
Polish army dogs have carried out service elsewhere in international missions, including Iraq and Afghanistan as part of the NATO nation's support for U.S.-led efforts.
Poland, a close ally and neighbor of Ukraine, earlier this summer also announced that it was sending 12 trained dogs to support the Ukrainian military in clearing mines.
The soldiers who work with the dogs volunteer for the assignment, and it becomes a commitment that lasts for the rest of the dog's life.
Soldiers who were with their dogs on Friday explained that they select their dogs, train with them, live with them, and care for them even after their four-legged charges become too old to work.
K臋sicki described Eliot as an obedient companion who has become integrated into his family life.
鈥淭he dog can already do a lot after the beginning course alone, and we still have a few more years of service ahead of us,鈥� he said.
P艂aza, the spokesman, laughed when asked if a dog could ever outrank his handler 鈥� or if a soldier might have to salute a dog.
鈥淪oldiers do not salute dogs,鈥� P艂aza said. "The handler will always be of a higher rank than his dog. It is simply impossible for a service dog to have a higher rank than his handler.鈥�
Though the master-dog hierarchy is preserved, great love and appreciation are clearly shown to creatures in Poland, where pets are everywhere and some even lay their beloved companions to rest in special pet cemeteries. The Polish government has in recent years also ensured to dogs and horses working in the police, border guard and fire departments.
On Friday, as the sun beat down on a hot square in the middle of town, Gen. Kuku艂a interrupted the ceremony and ordered the overheated dogs removed 鈥� even as human soldiers continued to stand there in their uniforms and boots.
Staff Sergeant Micha艂 M艂ynarczyk served in Afghanistan with a dog named Elvis starting in 2011. Together they checked vehicles arriving at the base of an international force in Ghazni for explosives. Elvis died in 2018.
Now M艂ynarczyk is paired with Kobalt, a German shepherd who received his private rank in April.
Private Kobalt goes home with him at night and plays with his children. While he loves the entire family, he never loses sight of who is master.
鈥淎ll of the work the dog does, is done for me,鈥� M艂ynarczyk said. "It鈥檚 a bond, it鈥檚 a friendship.鈥�
Vanessa Gera, The Associated Press
