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SEAL Teams Were Caught Unprepared for IED Threat in Early 2000s

Danger Close · Danger Close | The Fourth Option Podcast: John Devine · June 3, 2026
SEAL Teams Were Caught Unprepared for IED Threat in Early 2000s
Danger Close
Danger Close
Danger Close | The Fourth Option Podcast: John Devine
"I would say we were kind of caught with our pants down with the IED threat. People forget, but IEDs were kind of like a new thing that we were facing in the early 2000s. So we didn't really have a dog program answer for that yet."
Devine revealed that Special Operations forces had no established K9 program to counter the IED threat when operations began in Iraq and Afghanistan. Initially, SEAL teams had to borrow military police dogs and handlers from gate guard duty, telling them to follow operators who would keep them safe while utilizing the dog's explosive detection capability.
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Danger Close
Danger Close

Danger Close | The Fourth Option Podcast: John Devine

August 3, 2026 · 5 Egleze moments
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