He endured the trauma of war with man's best
friend. Now a young veteran is hoping a reunion with his canine comrade
will finally bring him peace of mind.
For seven harrowing months in 2011, Lance Cpl.
David Pond and his military working dog, Pablo, canvassed the roads of
Afghanistan, nosing out hidden bombs that could take out a platoon. They
survived scores of combat patrols and more than 30 firefights.
"He saved my life more than once."
Their bond seemed unbreakable, but they were
split up when Pond's service ended in 2011. The Marine went home to
Colorado, and the dog moved on to stateside assignments.
Back on U.S. soil, Pond faced a new battle:
post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury. And his
troubles sparked a quest — to bring Pablo home.
It was a harder and longer journey than he
expected. There were letters to politicians, an online petition and some
red tape to cut through, but this week it finally happened. 
At a Marine base in Albany, Georgia, Pablo was released from service and into the arms of an overjoyed Pond.
"I cheered," Pond said.
"It brings a big portion of closure to my life. He's mine."
There are 1,800 highly trained dogs on duty for
the Defense Department at any given time, officials say. About 300 of
them are adopted out each year — often to former handlers like Pond.
Pond says he was a "rebellious teenager" in the
suburbs of Denver when a buddy dragged him into a Marine recruiting
office. He signed up, was shipped off to Camp Pendleton for training and
was eventually plucked out to be a K-9 handler.
His first deployment was to Iraq in 2009 with a
female German shepherd named Zora. It was a relatively quiet stint, but
Zora was later killed in combat.
When Pond came back to Camp Lejeune, he asked
for another dog to train with so he could expand his skill set — and he
was given Pablo.
"It was love at first sight," Pond said.
"He was very goofy, very stubborn, very hardheaded. It seemed like every day he would test me."
The biggest tests were yet to come.
In December 2010, Pond and Pablo were shipped to
Afghanistan. They rotated through four different units, keeping mostly
to themselves when they weren't out on patrol.
The hunts for IEDs were exceedingly dangerous. One missed scent and the next step could be their last. "It was kind of fun for a little bit, until I finally saw a casualty," Pond said.
As Pond's enlistment drew to a close, a
higher-up told him that the dog wouldn't be going back into combat and
that he would probably be able to adopt him.
But that's not how it turned out.
Pablo went to the base in Albany, where he would
serve on the Secret Service details for Presidents Obama, Clinton and
Carter. Pond began the transition to civilian life, a rocky one.
"I was having anger issues and panic attacks. Any loud noise, I wanted to hit the ground," Pond said.
His relationships frayed and insomnia took hold —
and Pablo was always on his mind. In his free time, the veteran would
search social media and the Internet for photos that would tell him how
the dog was doing.
In May 2014, he went to visit Pablo in Georgia
and again made inquiries about adopting the pooch but was told he wasn't
eligible for retirement yet.
A few months later, Pond sought therapy for his
PTSD. His therapist agreed that being reunited with Pablo could be
helpful, and Pond asked his congressman to make a request.
Last May, the military sent back a reply: Pond
could submit a formal application for Pablo, but the dog was not yet
available for adoption.
That's when Pond decided to take his effort
public. He started a petition on Change.org that had racked up more than
185,000 signatures by last week.
Last month, after he submitted his papers
directly to the Marines, Pond finally got the big news: the adoption had
been approved.
Because of Pond's PTSD, Pablo could be retired
early, said William Childress, manager of the military working dog
program for the Marines. But since the animal was still medically and
physically fit, the Secretary of the Navy had to sign off on the
handover, he said.
"The bond between the dog and it's handler — it's very special," Childress said.
Now a student at the University of Alabama, Pond
traveled to Georgia with his parents for the dog's retirement ceremony
on Tuesday.
WIth the declaration of "Mission complete,
Marine!" the 9-year-old who had saved infantry lives in the war zone
began his own transition to a quieter life.
And Pond hopes that means the same for him.
"He's the closest thing to a son I've ever had," he said. "I love him with all my heart."
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