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Saving Private Sarbi by Sandra Lee: book review





First published in 2011 (my edition is 2013), Saving Private Sarbi is the life story of Sarbi, Australia’s famous explosive detection dog. But this is more than a feel-good animal story. And it is more than an historical account of the Australian Defence Force’s Explosive Detection Dog (EDD) Section of the Royal Australian Engineers (RAE) Corps.

Born on 11 September 2002, a year after the 9/11 attacks, specifically as a show dog, Sarbi didn’t pass the strict show dog standards. Sarbi’s Labrador mother had a doggy dalliance with a Newfoundland wanderer – which meant that the whole litter of six pups couldn’t make professional status.

Initially a citizen, Sarbi was accepted into RAE’s School of Military Engineering (SME) in the elite EDD Section with a handler, and 19 weeks later graduated in 2005 as a soldier. Training continued throughout her work life; it was constant, meticulous, intense, physical, and demanding – gold standard. But to the black Labrador-Newfoundland-cross, with a distinct white zigzag patch on her chest, all work was a form of playtime. She could detect explosives from 100 metres, withstand the noise of military equipment and aviation, and endure all phases of operational deployment.

Her overseas duty post in 2007 was Tarin Kot in Uruzgan, the southern province of Afghanistan, and the edge of the Hindu Kush mountains, where the Australians were deployed to rout out the Taliban. Sarbi was ready for her mission-specific role, primarily to detect roadside and hidden improvised explosive devices (IEDs), landmines, and explosive hazards in searing 50C heat and freezing snowbound nights; ever ready – day and night.

Lee describes the life of SAS and Commando soldiers, dog handler soldiers leading the searches for hazards, and the four-legged companions who soldiered side-by-side with the army’s elite. She details the heart-breaking deaths, of both soldiers and dogs.

During the historic ambush on 2 September 2008, under sustained machine gun fire and rocket propelled grenade attack on a vehicle convey, Sarbi was wounded and separated. Missing in action for 13 months, this is her story of the eventual reunification with her fellow soldiers and her return to Australia.

SAS Corporal (previously Trooper) Mark Donaldson received the prestigious Victoria Cross for Australia for acts of gallantry in action taken on the day of the September ambush during Operation SLIPPER. The 11 other soldiers were also hailed as heroes. Donaldson was the first Australian soldier to receive a VC since the Vietnam War (1962-1975).

Sardi too received the highest awards, one of them the RSPCA Australia Purple Cross for outstanding service to humans. Only eight other animals have been awarded the PC since 1996 (7 to civilian dogs and one to Murphy the donkey who served at Gallipoli in the First World War with soldier John Simpson Kirkpatrick for transporting wounded soldiers to safety). Sardi was the ninth animal to receive the award, and the first canine soldier.

This book depicts the dedication and loyalty not only of one dog, but of all the canines serving in the Australian Defence Force, and of all the personnel who perform daily acts of service under extreme conditions. It goes deeper than actions and duty; it goes deeper than altruism; and it goes deeper than the strong bonds of “mateship” between man and dog, soldier and soldier. It touches on what it means to put your trust in another and to have that trust and respect returned; it goes to the heart of total situational awareness, control under pressure, posture change recognition, and a finely-tuned blend of intuition and logic. More importantly, it reveals the psychology of collective consciousness over individual pursuits. It blows self-absorption and egoism to pieces.

Note: Sarbi is still alive and made a public appearance at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra on 23 February 2014.

A new EED canine recruit






 

MARTINA NICOLLS

MartinaNicollsWebsite  I  Rainy Day Healing  I  Martinasblogs  I  Publications  I  Facebook  I  Paris Website  I  Paris blogs  I  Animal Website  I  Flower Website I Global Gentlemanliness

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Martina Nicolls is an Australian author and international human rights-based consultant in education, healing and wellbeing, peace and stabilization, and foreign aid audits and evaluations. She lives in Paris.

 

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