The Dog Who Helped Catch Osama Bin Laden

| April 18, 2020

 

The New York Post put out a story entitled: The Inside Story of Cairo, the Dog That Helped Catch Osama Bin Laden

This story comes from the perspective of Cairo’s handler, who realized this dog was “a fearless warrior with a soft side, an attack dog who would know the difference between a baby and a bad guy, the lone non-human US soldier to raid Osama bin Laden’s compound in 2011.”

On May 2, 2011, Chesney sat on the floor of a Black Hawk helicopter, Cairo — wearing a Kevlar vest and night vision goggles — between his legs, headed with 11 other Navy SEALs toward Abbottabad. Another Black Hawk flew in tandem until it peeled off and crash-landed inside the compound.

The copter Chesney was in landed perfectly. He and Cairo jumped out, and Chesney unleashed Cairo to search the perimeter for bombs and escape tunnels as SEALs invaded. After two laps, Cairo and Chesney entered the main house.

Together they cleared the first two floors quickly and were climbing to the third when another SEAL passed them on his way down.

“I don’t think they need the dog,” he told Chesney. “It’s over.”

It wasn’t, really. Bin Laden was dead, but the downed Black Hawk had woken up the neighborhood. Cairo kept the crowd outside at bay while the SEALs grabbed what intel they could — documents, computers, videotapes and photos — then blew up the downed Black Hawk and extricated themselves from the site.

Thirty-six hours later, the SEALs were back in the US, meeting with President Obama. Until that moment, Obama hadn’t known that Cairo existed.

He was floored.

“I want to meet this dog,” he said.

Every SEAL got a Silver Star for the bin Laden raid except Cairo.

Cairo retired and was adopted by his handler, but Cairo died in 2015.  He never got a medal, but he did get a book.  Maybe a movie?

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Jeff LPH 3, 63-66

BZ Cairo and RIP

AW1Ed

Great post, Steve.

Edit:
Commenter Cornholio added a link to the article on Mason’s Valor Friday post. I thought it deserved a stand-alone post, and Steve made it happen.

Cornholio

Thanks AW1Ed!!

Jeff LPH 3, 63-66

Talking about an unrelated story on the above, my late Uncle studied medicine in Egypt: He was a Cairo Practor.

Sapper3307

Earned his spot in Valhalla,

5th/77th FA

Read this linky from Cornholio’s comment. Thanks for making it a stand alone posting, tho it did tie in well with Mason’s Valor Friday subject. I had meant to go back and make a comment there and got all caught up in the WOT race and it slipped my mind.

BZ Cairo, I look forward to meeting you on the other side…After all…All Dogs go to Heaven.

David

but will you?

5th/77th FA

Romans 10:13

Just cause I act like a heathen don’t mean I am one. YMMV

David

Thought if not I could save you a seat by the fire. I suspect with my life on the scales, the balance looks like Andre the Giant playing teeter-totter with Danny DeVito.

MustangCryppie

“Every SEAL got a Silver Star for the bin Laden raid except Cairo.”

Cairo was good with his Ear Scritch and Good Boy with Oak Leaf Cluster.

USAFRetired

Earlier this week I got an e-mail with over a dozen memes dedicated to Military Working Dogs. Many are suitable for Boomers weekly post. I’ll be happy to forward it.

AW1Ed

Check email.

Old NFO

Thanks, good reminder of one of the many working dogs/unsung heroes going back to WWII!