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Sergeant Rex: The Unbreakable Bond Between a Marine and His Military Working Dog
Sergeant Rex
by Mike Dowling
with Damien Lewis
Meet Rex, a very smart, well-trained German Shepherd. He has a highly sensitive sense of smell and can communicate what he finds to his handler who has trained him so well that that he can trust the dog to lead the way. The result saves a lot of lives, both Iraqi and American. Rex and his handler Mike, a young Marine, are among the first K9 teams to go to Iraq, and they have never been tested in actual battle conditions. They learn a lot which they can then share to help other teams in training. When a Marine team is not scheduled to go out, Mike and Rex rotate through guard duty at the gate. Rex can also bring down a “bad guy.” Neither of these activities meet their goals in Iraq, however, and Mike had to initially persuade commanders to allow them to go into the field on missions. After the soldiers saw what they could do, their bravery, courage, and skills, they begged to have them accompany them.
It’s extremely hot in Iraq and Rex, of course, is wearing a coat. When working he has to be watched carefully for dehydration. The pair go out with regular Marines on missions. Typically, marines clear a building of possible terrorists. Then Mike and Rex enter to search for armaments and materials that can be used to build IED’s. Rex can also do the very dangerous job of sweeping for mines. There are so many points in the process where explosions or enemy attacks could occur. Both Mike and Rex have bullet proof vests, but Mike reserves their use for the times they are most needed because they hold the heat in and increase the possibility of dehydration. Mike always puts Rex’s needs first—from choosing “housing” appropriate for Rex to covering Rex with his own body when they are suddenly under fire. They are truly a dynamic duo and have a special relationship.
Despite the fact that I don’t know much about the various kinds of weapons, I found Sergeant Rex to be both interesting and informative. I learned a lot about the use of dogs in the military and the training involved in preparing a handler/dog team to be successful in the field.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Memoir, Nonfiction
Notes: Contains lots of salty language coming from the mouths of tough marines living on the edge, constantly in danger, and frequently in the midst of explosions and gunfire. Given the circumstances, it wasn’t a problem for me. I just considered the context and moved on.
Publication: 2011—Atria
Memorable Lines:
One thing is crystal clear. K9 handlers and their dogs are at the top of the insurgents’ hit list, along with the EOD guys. We always presumed it would be the enemy’s priority to kill Rex and me, because we’re always at the front of patrols sniffing out the bombs. The more effective we get at finding their arms and explosives, the more they’ll want to hit us.
At times like these Rex becomes a therapy and a morale dog. Seeing Rex and talking about their dogs remind the guys of life back home. It reminds them that there is a world outside the madness of Fallujah and Mahmoudiyah, and in part we’re all here fighting for the right to survive this hell and get back to the world that we know so well and love.
The life-and-death existence that we’ve been living here has put it all into perspective and shown me what truly matters in this world.
The Jerusalem Assassin–deadly peace proposal
The Jerusalem Assassin
by Joel C. Rosenberg
Not every book is a good match for every reader. I think that may have been the case for me and Joel C. Rosenberg’s The Jerusalem Assassin which is a Christian political thriller. Most of this book is the setup for a very convoluted assassination plot involving groups of high level leaders and secret operatives from seven countries as well as a terrorist group.
It becomes apparent to world leaders that the president of the Palestinian Authority “doesn’t want to go down in history as the man who made peace. He wants to be remembered as the man who refused to surrender to the ‘criminal Zionists’…” In response, the leaders of the United States, Saudi Arabia, and Israel decide to meet on the Temple Mount and announce a peace proposal. Unfortunately, that opens the door for a targeted attack on the leaders of those countries.
Without the included Cast of Characters, I would have been lost. Instead, I was able to follow plot development by continual back and forth referencing of unfamiliar names, slowing the reading down considerably. I can’t say I actually enjoyed the book until the final fourth when the action played out.
The main character is Marcus Ryker who is ostensibly working for the Diplomatic Security Service, but is actually a special operative for the Central Intelligence Agency. Highly trained, efficient, and trusted, he uses his many connections to obtain critical information. He is a caring Christian, but his job puts him and those he loves in danger. I learned a lot about the daily physical and weapon training for agents and also the complicated logistics involved in setting up security for a U.S. president for a special event abroad.
Although the scenario of world conflict and years of attempts at a Middle East peace settlement are real, the details of the book’s plot and the people involved are fictional providing the author with much flexibility in creating his story. The results are deadly for many of the characters.
I would like to extend my thanks to NetGalley and to Tyndale House Publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 3/5
Category: General Fiction (Adult), Mystery and Thriller
Notes: 1. #3 in the Marcus Ryker Series, but this book did not appear to rely on very much background from other books.
2. This author has written many books, both fiction and nonfiction, that focus on the Middle East.
Publication: March 17, 2020—Tyndale House Publishers
Memorable Lines:
They were coming, and he knew they were coming, and he knew why—they were coming to kill him and to kill the president and to kill anyone else who got in their way. They were coming to settle scores.
…he and his son-in-law “must have undergone a Vulcan mind meld at some point, so unified are their views on theology and politics and even where in the Old City to buy the best baklava.”
Mahdi, the long-awaited Promised One…when that savior came, he would finally judge the Jews, the Christians, the atheists, the agnostics, and the pagans. Indeed, the Mahdi would judge every infidel and do so with fire and fury such as the world had never seen nor imagined.
education pathways 