Over his six years of service, Bass detected over 350 explosive devices and hunted down over 25 terrorists. But most impressively, not one military serviceman or woman died when Bass was on a mission. He managed to keep countless soldiers safe from harm.
Bass has completed so many missions and ensured the safety of so many people. And now he gets to enjoy a good life back home.
It’s incredibly tough to get into the Marines, even for dogs. But Bass the Belgian Malinois excelled at his training.
He would continue to do so throughout his years of service.
Seargent Alex Schnell became Bass’s handler. The Seargent could tell that Bass was special the moment he laid eyes on him.
“He’s got very piercing predator eyes. I could just tell with that look, this is a pretty special canine.” – Seargent Alex Schnell.
The sergeant’s instincts were correct, as Bass would prove time and time again in a range of conflict zones.
Bass was prepared to tackle a range of duties during complex Marine missions. Soon, Seargent Schnell and the Marines serving with him discovered that there wasn’t a task that Bass could fail at. But he was most skilled at sniffing out weapons and detecting/taking down terrorists.
Soon, word of Bass’s achievements in the field began to spread.
Bass became one of the most in-demand dogs in the Marines. Everyone wanted Bass to accompany them on their missions.
There are countless examples of Bass going above and beyond, but one story in particular sticks in Seargent Schnell’s mind.
One night in Afghanistan, Bass, Seargent Schnell and a range of other marines had to neutralize a group of high ranking terrorists.
The marines landed a few miles off of the location. Everything was eerily quiet.
But then the enemy started opening fire, somehow detecting their location.
Throughout hours of gunfire and explosions, Bass remained by Seargent Schnell’s side.
Eventually, the marines got close enough to the building containing the terrorists. Seargent Schnell sent Bass in ahead of the other soldiers. Soon, the shooting stopped.
The soldiers entered to find that Bass had managed to take down every single terrorist inside, making the rest of the mission easy for the marines.
In another incident, Seargent Schnell and Bass were chasing a terrorist in a military humvee in Somalia.
The terrorist was shooting back at them with an AK-47. Seargent Schnell deployed Bass.
Bass ran straight at the terrorist, showing no fear. He then bit into the terrorist, stopping him in his tracks. The marines were able to capture the terrorist with no further resistance.
Overall, over his six years of service, Bass detected over 350 explosive devices and hunted down over 25 terrorists.
But most impressively, not one military serviceman or woman would die while Bass was on a mission. He kept countless soldiers safe from harm.
Bass and Seargent Schnell are both now retired from service.
In late 2019, a charity called Angels Without Wings decided to award Bass the Medal of Bravery. No one can doubt that he deserves such an honor.
Dogs are incredible animals. They do so much for us. In fact, it’s easy to forget just how helpful they are to humans.
Most people barely consider the fact that dogs actively help out the US military. But Bass’s story shows just how integral they are.
Hopefully, Bass will be able to enjoy a long, happy retirement. He has more than earned it!
