Not all heroes wear capes — or even walk on hind legs, for that matter. Sometimes, heroes come in the form of man's four-legged best friend, like Bass the Belgian Shepherd.
Bass worked as a military dog and served six years in the US Marine Corps. He's now retired and was recently bestowed the honor of becoming the 75th recipient of the PDSA's Dickin Medal.
Whereas most dogs spend their days lounging around the house, wondering when they'll be fed next, Bass spent the bulk of his life on the battlefield.
Bass was tasked with sniffing out IEDs while fighting against the Taliban in Afghanistan. He discovered five different bombs and helped to save countless lives.
The award was created by UK charity founder, Maria Dickin, back in 1943 — after she discovered how many lives were saved by animals in wartime.
This took place over the course of 46 different missions located across three different hot zone countries: Afghanistan, Iraq, and Somalia.
That means that Bass is in his early 50s in human years, the perfect age for early retirement. He currently resides with his ex-handler, Staff Sergeant Alex Schnell, in San Antonio, Texas.
Bass also received high praise from Jan McLoughlin, the director general of the PDSA, who made sure to reference a specific mission wherein Bass discovered five IEDs.
"His actions undoubtedly prevented additional loss of life. Bass' life-saving actions on that night, make him a truly deserving recipient of the PDSA Dickin Medal."
Schnell spoke at length about how being there to witness Bass receive the Dickin Medal was one of the proudest moments of his life.
"And I hope his story helps to demonstrate just how important animals are to our armed forces, and the key, sometimes life-saving, roles that they play."
