By Michael Levenson, Globe Staff | August 11, 2007
BEDFORD No more. Johnny and Cody, bomb-sniffing German shepherds who served in Iraq, were honorably discharged from the Air Force yesterday in a bittersweet military ceremony at Hanscom Air Force Base. Now they are headed to vastly different fates. Johnny, 10, who is too weak to hunt for bombs after tearing a ligament in his left knee while chasing a ball, has been adopted by his handler, Staff Sergeant Adam Barraclough, 24, and will go to live in his Stoneham home. Cody, 7, who was diagnosed with a brain tumor in June after suffering seizures, is due to be euthanized in the next few weeks. That has hit hard for his handler, Staff Sergeant Jeffrey Tomkiewicz, 26, of Falmouth. "I hate to see him go," said Tomkiewicz who served with Cody in Qatar from August 2006 to last March. "We of course have that bond. He's like a friend. We've been together for so long and we've done so much." He and two dozen other airmen paid tribute to the dogs yesterday with speeches, applause, and biscuits. In a small room at Hanscom, the airmen stood straight, some holding cameras, as the dogs sat in front of them. "Lord, you have called these men, women, and loyal canines to be guardians of this nation, founded on your principles," intoned the Hanscom chaplain, Captain Jeremy Bastian. "They have taken their responsibilities seriously, and their calling is of the highest priority for our nation. We say thank you to them. We are thankful for Cody and Johnny." After the ceremony, both dogs ripped open gift baskets full of chew toys and treats that had been wrapped with red-white-and-blue ribbons and American flags. They also got their own individual treats. Johnny got a plastic bone, which he gnashed in his powerful jaw. Cody was handed a metal bowl containing a bacon double burger from Wendy's. The burger disappeared in seconds. The ceremony marked the end of long and treacherous careers for the dogs, assigned to the 66th Security Forces Squadron. Johnny joined the Air Force in 2001, after five years with the Federal Aviation Administration. Trained to sniff bombs and bite the arms of attackers, he served in Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Kyrgyzstan. Back in the United States, he guarded the president, vice president, and director of the CIA as part of a Secret Service detail. Despite outstanding performances on tough assignments Barraclough described Johnny as essentially "lazy and quiet." Between shifts, he was prone to napping in the sun, he said. This summer, the dog tore his ligament. Tests showed he needed $2,600 worth of surgery, and the Army Veterinary Corps lacked a surgeon to perform the delicate operation, said Dr. Heather Mazzaccaro, a Hanscom veterinarian. Dick Moody, a retired lieutenant colonel and the head of Operation Troop Support, a Danvers volunteer group, jumped in to help, sending e-mail seeking donations. Within 24 hours, his inbox was flooded with offers totaling $10,000, he said. "The outpouring was overwhelming," Moody said. Veterinarians from Tufts University operated on Johnny's knee, and he was back on his paws within days. But he was not strong enough to hunt for bombs, and his commanders decided he should retire. Yesterday, he seemed content with civilian life as he chewed on a rubber baseball from his basket. "He's a good boy!" squealed Debbie Lastih, an Operation Troop Support volunteer, as she kissed Johnny. "Hi, Johnny! Hi, Sweetie!" Cody, who joined the Air Force in 2001, was among the first dogs to serve in Iraq. He worked the streets of Baghdad, sniffing for bombs in houses, cars, and on people. His only battlefield injury was a cut he sustained when he tried to chase a rabbit and was snared in wire. This summer, after Cody returned to the United States from Qatar, he started suffering seizures. Massaccaro and Tomkiewicz took the dog to Fort Dix, N.J., where tests showed Cody had a brain tumor and only a few months to live. Veterinarians decided to euthanize him, though they set no date. Tomkiewicz recalled a solemn drive to Hanscom. "He's just deteriorating -- bottom line," Tomkiewicz said. "They could do surgery, but it's really risky and the chances of him surviving are pretty slim. It's just the best way to put him down." Tomkiewicz seemed to savor every moment with his dog yesterday. He rubbed Cody's flanks and held him close for photographs. "He's there with you everywhere you go," Tomkiewicz said. "It's really rough." -- They were warriors with wet noses.
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