Will Chesney – författare

I maj 2011 tar två dussin Navy SEAL-soldater sig in i Usama bin Ladins hemliga bostad i Pakistan. Efter den dramatiska operationen var det endast ett namn som offentliggjordes: Cairo, en belgisk malinois och militär tjänstehund. Det här är berättelsen om Cairo och hans hundförare Chesney, en SEAL team-soldat vars liv kom att bli sammanflätat med Cairos.

År 2008 gick Chesney med i The SEAL Canine Program. Han och Cairo började då  att arbeta tillsammans och lära sig att lita blint på varandra under hundratals kritiska uppdrag i kriget mot terrorismen. Men plötsligt, år 2011, kom samtalet: Hämta hunden och ta dig till Virginia. Nu.

Vad som sedan följde var flera veckors intensiv träning inför ett hemligt uppdrag. Det uppdagades snart att det inte handlade om ett vanligt militärt uppdrag. Under Operation Neptune Spear var Cairo en av de första på plats i Pakistan och en viktig del i den militärinsats som resulterade i Usama bin Ladins död.

Då Cairo fick sin roll som tillförlitlig reservhund, återgick Chesney till sin tjänst som DEVGRU-operatör. Men 2013 gav en granatexplosion Chesney en hjärnskada samt posttraumatiskt stressyndrom. Efter månader av smärta, behandlingar och psykisk ohälsa var det bara Cairo som, än en gång, kunde rädda Chesneys liv. 

THE INSTANT NATIONAL BESTSELLERNo Ordinary Dog is the powerful true story of a SEAL Team Operator and military dog handler, and the dog that saved his life. Two dozen Navy SEALs descended on Osama bin Laden’s compound in May 2011. After the mission, only one name was made public: Cairo, a Belgian Malinois and military working dog. This is Cairo''s story, and that of his handler, Will Chesney, a SEAL Team Operator whose life would be irrevocably tied to Cairo''s.Starting in 2008, when Will was introduced to the SEAL canine program, he and Cairo worked side by side, depending on each other for survival on hundreds of critical operations in the war on terrorism. But their bond transcended their service. Then, in 2011, the call came: Pick up your dog and get back to Virginia. Now.What followed were several weeks of training for a secret mission. It soon became clear that this was no ordinary operation. Cairo was among the first members of the U.S. military on the ground in Pakistan as part of Operation Neptune Spear, which resulted in the successful elimination of bin Laden.As Cairo settled into a role as a reliable “spare dog,” Will went back to his job as a DEVGRU operator, until a grenade blast in 2013 left him with a brain injury and PTSD. Unable to participate in further missions, he suffered from crippling migraines, chronic pain, memory issues, and depression. Modern medicine provided only modest relief. Instead, it was up to Cairo to save Will''s life once more—and then up to Will to be there when Cairo needed him the most.

Two dozen Navy SEALs descended on Osama bin Laden’s compound in May 2011. After the mission, only one name was made public: Cairo, a Belgian Malinois and military working dog. Warrior Dog is the story of Cairo and his handler, Will Chesney, a member of SEAL Team Six whose life would be irrevocably tied to Cairo''s, specially adapted for young readers from Chesney and Joe Layden''s No Ordinary Dog. Starting in 2008, when Will was introduced to the canine program, he and Cairo worked side by side, depending on each other for survival on hundreds of critical operations in the war on terrorism. But their bond went beyond their military service. As Cairo aged and went on fewer missions, Will moved on to other assignments, forced to slowly—and painfully—distance himself from the dog. Then, in 2011, the call came: Pick up your dog and get back to Virginia. Now.Cairo and Will trained for weeks for a secret mission, but it soon became clear that this was no ordinary operation. Cairo was among the first members of the U.S. military on the ground in Pakistan as part of Operation Neptune Spear, which resulted in the successful elimination of bin Laden.As Cairo settled into a role as a reliable “spare dog,” Will went back to his job—until a grenade blast in 2013 left him severely injured. Unable to participate in further missions, he tried to recover, medicine provided only modest relief. Instead, it was up to Cairo to save Will''s life once more—and then up to Will to be there when Cairo needed him the most.