Military Search Dog Reunited with Army Veteran After Iraq War Service

Sgt. Jason Bos and his military war dog Cila M389, a chocolate Labrador, served together on nearly 100 missions.

A U.S. Army veteran was reunited with his military war dog at O'Hare Airport Wednesday when officials brought the dog home for retirement.

Sgt. Jason Bos and his military war dog Cila M389, a chocolate Labrador, served together on nearly 100 missions in Iraq since 2008.

Cila, a specialized search dog used to search and detect explosives, trained with Bos at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas.

In December, 2008, Cila and Bos were deployed to Iraq as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom, officials said. The two also served stateside for President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden at a United Nations conference in New York City as well as at the 2012 Democratic National Convention.

But when Bos suffered a back injury, he was forced to retire and Cila moved on to another mission in Germany.

"It was tough. I was a little emotional about it because I didn't know if I was going to see her again," Bos said.

Bos said he kept in touch with Cila through her handler on Facebook, and when he found out she was being retired, he jumped at the chance to get her.

"He emailed me and said he didn't how to get the dog home, can you help me get Cila home, and I emailed him back, 'absolutely,'" said Kristen Maurer of the Mission K9 Rescue.

It was as if the two hadn't been separated at all, as Cila instantly remembered Bos at the airport. Bos says her days as a working dog are now officially over.

"She will be a couch potao, 100 percent," Bos said.

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