Army Sergeant Gwen Beberg and Ratchet

I think this SOLDIER should remember that she is a SOLDIER and read about the incident at Ft Campbell KY about 10 year ago. Then maybe this SOLDIER would understand why she shouldnt have had the dog in the first damn place. Must be nice to have a pet to take care of while over there, how about adopting one here that needs it in the US. Thats just me being sensible I guess.

This doesn’t surprise me at all. We saw this kind of insensitive behavior during Hurricane Katrina when police took a small dog, the only thing left the boy had to hold onto, from a young boy. We also must not forget the cruelty by a U.S. Marine who threw an innocent little puppy over a cliff. It boggles my mind the way these military superiors operate and what matters or doesn’t matter to them when it comes to humanity. It’s all goddamned business to them. Forget about saving lives which aren’t human seems to be their motto. Now THIS kind of insensitive treatment of a loving human being, who also happens to be in the Army, disgusts me. I am ashamed of those who care little about the love and life of another person or an innocent animal. Let’s pray that those in charge will look deep into their souls and put themselves in the shoes of another’s hopes and desires and grant this lovely young woman her wish to be reunited with a loved one — her dog. Now THAT would make me prouder to be an American.

As long as Ratchet has been cleared of having any diseases, he should be allowed to come home to Gwen’s family while she serves her country. Yes there are dogs in the US that need homes, but all the dogs in the world deserve a chance at a happy home!

Mike,
You are a dumb #$@. Let the dog come home with the Sgt.

By adopting this pup, SGT Beberg is in direct violation of (Iraq Theater) General Order 1A which prohibits adopting animals of any kind while in Iraq. Dogs, cats, etc. in Iraq are not vaccinated for Parvo, Rabies, and they are possible vectors for other serious contagious diseases such as Leishmaniosis (Look it up; it’s not something you want to contract.). On the surface, adopting cuddly animals in a war zone makes a good human interest story, but doing so potentially places our troops in peril of contacting diseases As a non-commissioned officer, SGT Begerg (as well as others who have done similar things) should have set the example of following orders by obeying this General Order. Instead, she chose to disobey her oath as a professional soldiers and as a leader to follow orders. This is especially aggregious as she is in a war zone, where following legal orders is paramount, regardless of whether one personally agrees with the order or not. Like it or not, placing a dog’s welfare over the welfare of your soldiers is a dereliction of duty.

For the record, I am a senior NCO who has been deployed to Iraq as well and had to follow the same orders while there that SGT Beberg is under. I am also a dog lover and have a Springer which I am very atteched to. However, if it came down to giving up my dog to protect my soldiers, I would shed a tear and do so.

SGT Beberg, being an NCO requires maturity, and discipline, as well as compassion. It appears that you willingly accepted the stripes and pay, but not the responsibility that goes with the rank. Grow up and follow orders, or get out.

There are millions of unwanted and adoptable animals here in the USA which could also use some compassion and care. How about simply taking one of these for your pet?

Let her bring the poor dog home!

Mike is correct. She is a soldier first.. She must follow orders. Mommmy and daddy can fly the dog home. Don’t use my tax dollars.

Mike;
I wish I could trade YOU for the dog. You go to Iraq and let the dog come here. Ft Campbell my butt.

This is just aweful. I don’t see much harm in them letting her bring the dog home. Have any of you seen that documentary about the war dogs in Vietnam? They were used to sniff out bombs and do other tasks. They saved many soldiers’ lives. Do you know what the government did to them? Instead of letting the dogs go home with their handelers, they put them down. What a great thanks, huh? Those dogs are probably buried somewhere in a jungle. I know this story is a little different, but I think Ratchet gave those he came in contact with some happyness and sanity, which is a great service too.

Plus, the dog has had all it’s vaccinations, and why have 20 or so other dogs and cats been allowed to come to the US from Iraq, and not this one? And who is everyone to say that she isn’t doing her job? Just because she has a dog sitting at the base while she is out working, means she’s not doing what she is supposed to do?

Mike is a MORON and his argument is an isolationist stance — the U.S. give aid and refuge to to people and countries all over the world, so Mike can adopt a local dog if he wants, but don’t assume it’s unusual to extend humanity abroad. Spare me the SOLDIER bravado chatter, too. Why don’t you get out of your barcalounger and get over there if you’re such SOLDIER wannabe. She should get to bring the dog home — sometimes these small acts of humanity should trump a stupid regulation. It’s a nicestory and silver lining to an otherwise idiotic and over-extended war and occupation.

The sergeant Gwen is a good person that loves animals! Let it be with your love.

John B., you make some excellent posts. However, keep in mind that she has been in Iraq 15 months longer than her tour was supposed to be. Being of Arabic descent and also a dog lover, this dog will be killed in the streets of Iraq, or become a dangerous animal.

Wherein the rule is a good one, and Sgt. Beberg may have had made a mistake in judgement, the bigger mistake would be to sentence this dog to a defacto death penalty. As long as the animal is not disease-ridden, let the animal come home with Sgt. Beberg.

No one is arguing the validity of the rule, but sometimes, when rules are broken, the end result is good.

This wonderful dog should be allowed to come to the US. He should be there greeting Srgt Berber as she get off the plane.
Why? This dog served a support structure for a solderie whose mental state may have often times been on the boundry of emotional distress. They US government through historty has always forgotten about the people who served in war, and when they need mental/physical hospice care, they were forgotten. This dog will serve as a support structure for her and may even defer the bills of the Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome that she may incur. So Bring this Wonderful Friend Home

[...] I posted an article on October 13th, 2008, I have received eight ‘hate emails’ because I support Iraqi dogs. To me, that is [...]

Anyone thinking this dog should be left behind should be over fighting this war for us. Consider it a gift to her for everything she is doing for this country….idiots!!!!

This would be a great time for our “commander and chief” George Bush to step up to the plate and make this happen. He could point to this as the ONE kind act in his administration that Haliburton or some financial hotshot was not on the receiving end of.

I do not want to spend tax dollars to bring this dog home.
Additionally, it is illegal to take “war trophies” home. This is not her property. Leave it in the country.
Just because she wants it, does not mean the Sgt. gets it.

to the tool named john b.

ill tell you what the attorney general of the united states told america, ” Not every violation of the law is a crime.” Learn it and love it.

TO Derrick- no tax dollars were going to be spent bringing the dog home. The expenses had already been covered by the SPCA and Sgt Beberg. The dog is not a war trophy. It is a loved friend that would likely not survive if left in Iraq. Our soldiers need our support. Gwen risked her life for her country, and she should be allowed to bring this dog home.

Gwen is not a soldier first in my book- she is a HUMAN BEING first. With a heart. THere is so much more to life than pointless regulations that don’t take the entire situation into consideration.

I agree she should be able to bring the dog home. They’ve made it happen in other cases we’ve heard about, why not her — if she’s willing to fund it herself.

I would sign the petition, but I cannot agree to the terms an and conditions of the “Care2″, the petition site. Couldn’t they find a petition site that wasn’t about spamming? The agreement states in part: You also understand and agree that the Service may include advertisements and that these advertisements are necessary for Care2 to provide the Service. You also understand and agree that the service may include certain communications from Care2, such as service announcements and administrative messages, and that these communications are considered part of Care2 membership and you will not be able to opt out of receiving them.

All of you who are saying she should not be able to take her dog home because soldiers aren’t allowed to take home “war trophies” well consider this…50 other dogs have already been flown out of Iraq this year at request of army officials to send home to their families, so why exactly do you think that Sgt. Gwen Beberg shouldn’t be allowed to take her dog home with her? On top of that, yes Mike…she is a SOLDIER…who was PROTECTING OUR COUNTRY…the least the country can do for her is to let her take her puppy home who has kept her sane while over in Iraq.

Ich appeliere dafür, daß Gwen Beberg den Hund Rachet in ihre Heimat mitnehmen darf !

Beautifully said Amy!! If you haven’t already, please go and sign the petition to get Ratchet home!

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/2/clemency-for-ratchet

Some posts here are so insensitive - citing to the “rules” of Army policy trumping all else. I just read a great book by Paul Rieckhoff called “Chasing Ghosts” about his time in Iraq and he mentioned in the book that the dogs they befriended were a great help to the men on their patrols because the dogs could sense the presence of the potential enemy before they could.

And this is how you would thank them?

What is wrong with wanting to save an innocent life? That in and of itself is worth breaking some “rules”.

[...] is good news for Ratchet and Gwen Beberg. The military, which previously had prevented Ratchet from being evacuated out of Iraq, has relented. Ratchet soon will be on American [...]

Mike…do you even have a heart?

This is the same thing that happened in Vietnam. Dog handlers were not allowed to bring their dogs home when they left. Just nother sorry incident in that war.

Thank God Gwen has her puppy sent to the US now. Mike, you are only concerned about yourself and do not understand the meaning of the word compassion. The Military have a hard job to do, we all know that but she had compassion for a dog that brought her love and compassion during a horrible time in a war zone. Why should animals suffer out there when they can be rescued by kind soldiers who befriend them? The Military need to change their policies about looking after pets. Soldiers are human beings first not machines. I am so delighted this has had a lovely outcome. I hope Gwen and Ratchet have a long and happy life together. The Military are a disgrace for demoting her.

As a former neighbor of Gwen’s I am very proud to know she volunteered to go over to Iraq and help out in this difficult conflict. Having been in the Army in the past myself, I do not think I would have been equally accepting of such a trying maneuver. And now to hear from others who personally know her about this situation concerning rescueing a puppy I have to back her up even more to make a healthy life for this little creature. Some state that in having the puppy she has endangered other military. Maybe she has, maybe not. But the story isn’t about her having the dog with her in Iraq but in bringing the dog home. How does that hurt other military? Let Gwen bring Ratchet home!.

I read this article through an Australian newspaper and all I could think about was, “What a publicity gold-mine this would be for the US Defence Force’s recruitment program!!!”.

Honestly, stop getting buried in the semantics of the protocols of war and soldiering and look at the broader impact this is going to have on the American psyche at a time of looming Depression, a bogged-down conflict with no real end in sight, and the whole issue of Stop-Loss and you will clearly see that this sort of story can get huge mileage in PR terms.

Although I am an Aussie and I cannot remember the name of that young soldier that got rescued by the Special Forces and made headlines worldwide, I do remember vividly how it galvanised the Amercian people behind a cause that the Government was trying desperately to garner public support for when it was at a low ebb.

We all break rules from time to time and I am sure soldiers in all countries disobey all sorts of rules and see no repercussions whatsoever. Keep it in perspective, people!

This girl is what my sainted mother would call a crybaby whine ass. She deliberately ignored a standing direct order she was briefed on AT LEAST once (if not many more times than that). Then, when it came time to pay the piper she cried to her senator that the Army was being mean to her. It’s people like this that have ruined America. Entitled selfish whiny BRATS who think they are above the rules. I’m REALLY glad she got demoted.

Congratulations for the survive of your dog.

I agree with John B. I am a great animal lover, and I actually know the SGT Beberg. She isn’t a good soldier she is lazy and never sets a good example for anyone, and in fact she has made it her own mission to get many other soldiers in trouble for no good reason at all. Plus she disobeyed a direct order from the commander trying to sneek the dog out. They know the rules and regulations before they get there.. But on the other hand, I dont know if I would be able to leave my little buddy there alone and if the dog is in harms way I say let him come home as long as he is free of disease, whats the harm. I just wanted people to know that she isnt a good soldier and she did get demoted, so what does that say about her.

I am an animal lover. But, she was sent over to do a job as a soldier and from what I have read, she disobeyed direct orders. I guess I wasn’t there so I don’t know what I would have done in her case. I don’t know her, only what I have read. Was this to get attention, I don’t know.

I know soldiers get very lonely over there. We have many friends and had family sent to Iraq. I think they need to keep their minds focussed on what they are actually there for. I told a friend of ours to stay focussed at all times, you just never know!

She now has the dog stateside and is pretty happy. I guess it was in her favor and she is happy while others are very upset.

Many animals need homes, all over the world. If the dog was free from disease, why not let her now keep it?

I think she needs to understand what she joined for and what her position is. Does she think she can bring whatever she wants home now? Gee, there is a baby, lets have it flown over to my parents? Maybe she went to far…maybe not.

As an animal lover, I am glad the dog got a home. They are true friends that stand by you.