USA Handler Killed in IraQ

Killed in Iraq, Army dog team buried together.

Oregon soldier killed in Iraq

The Associated Press

INDEPENDENCE, Ore. — An explosive killed a soldier from Independence, the Department of Department announced July 10.

Army Cpl. Kory D. Wiens, 20, died July 6 in the town of Muhammad Sath in Iraq, according to the announcement. At the time, he was on patrol with his dog, Cooper, who also died.

Wiens graduated from West Albany High School in 2005.

“He really cared for his family and his friends, and he was willing to do anything he could to help them in any way,” Ashley Soto, a fellow 2005 graduate, told The Oregonian.

Wiens was assigned to the 94th Mine Dog Detachment, 5th Engineer Battalion, 1st Engineer Brigade, Fort Leonard Wood, Mo.

Kevin Wiens, also serving in Iraq, is escorting his brother’s body to Oregon along with Cooper’s, West Albany Principal Susie Orsborn told the Albany Democrat-Herald. Orsborn said she has talked to the soldier’s father, Kevin, who lives in Polk County. She said the father has declined to speak with reporters.

“This is the fourth member of our school family to die in Iraq,” Orsborn said. “It’s just so sad. I want to make sure the family knows that the school’s thoughts are with Kory.”

Wiens and his dog were trained to find materials such as TNT, detonation cords, smokeless powder, mortars, weapons and explosive residue used to make explosives, according to article written by an Army public affairs writer and posted on the Internet on March 16.

In the article, Wiens said Cooper, a yellow lab, didn’t know simple obedience commands when they first met last year.

“I got to teach him all the things he knows today,” Wiens said. “Seeing him out there working is very rewarding. It’s amazing to see how far he’s come.”

Oregon soldier and dog honored at service

The Associated Press

DALLAS, Ore. — Police and military dogs joined the family and friends of Army Cpl. Kory Wiens for a memorial service to honor the soldier and his Army service dog, who died together in a bomb blast in Iraq.

Twenty-nine dog handlers from police agencies across Oregon lined the walls of the church to honor Wiens, 20, who was assigned to the 94th Mine Dog Detachment, 5th Engineer Battalion, 1st Engineer Brigade, at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo.

Their dogs waited outside during the 90-minute service at the Faith Evangelical Free Church in Dallas, but sporadic barking could be heard. Wiens had been training Cooper — a service dog with the ability to sniff out TNT, detonation cords, smokeless powder, mortars and other weapons — for nearly a year before they were killed July 6.

More than 300 friends, family members and others remembered Wiens, including his commanding officer, Capt. Danielle Roche, who called Wiens one of the best soldiers she has worked with.

“He was the kind of soldier every leader dreamed of having,” Roche said. “He had a strong work ethic, he was hard-working and he took the initiative. And he always had a smile on his face.”

Roche said Wiens was a personable young man who was always eating. She said she remembers Wiens starting off with Cinnabons, followed by candy and other snacks. Then he’d have a few energy drinks.

But that diet didn’t cause a big weight gain.

“Corporal Wiens was scrawny, whether he wanted to admit it or not,” said Roche, drawing laughter from the audience. “He was always in the gym working out or doing whatever he could to add some muscle to his frame.”

Gov. Ted Kulongoski spoke at the service, as he has for most of Oregon’s military members who have died in the wars of the Middle East.

“Sometimes, a man and his dog truly do become one being,” Kulongoski said. “Kory and Cooper served together. They risked life and limb together. And because they did this, they saved many lives together. Many other soldiers have made it home because of them.”

In a tearful ending to the service, Wiens’ father, Kevin Sr., stood up to address the crowd. He tried to speak but was overcome with grief.

Wiens’ brother, Kevin Jr. — who is also serving in Iraq with the Army — took the microphone and thanked everyone for coming.

Killed in Iraq, dog team buried together

By Michelle Tan - Staff writer

The first military working dog team killed in action together since the beginning of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were laid to rest together July 18.

Cpl. Kory D. Wiens, 20, of the 94th Mine Dog Detachment, 5th Engineer Battalion, 1st Engineer Brigade of Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., and his partner, Cooper, were killed July 6 by an improvised explosive device while on patrol in Muhammad Sath, Iraq. They had been in Iraq since January.

The cremated remains of Wiens and Cooper, a Labrador retriever, were buried together at Salt Creek Cemetery in Wiens’ hometown of Dallas, Ore., at the request of his family, said Master Sgt. Matt McHugh, the family’s casualty assistance officer.

“Kory referred to Cooper as his son, that’s now much of a team they were,” McHugh said.

McHugh added that based on his own research, the last military canine team to be killed together was during the Vietnam War.

The Army has 578 dog teams, and they have served several hundred rotations in Iraq and Afghanistan, said Hans Freimarck, the military working dog coordinator for the Army Dog Program.

Freimarck said he didn’t know the last time a canine team was killed together, but Wiens and Cooper were the first for operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom.

“Most military dog handlers look at [their relationship with their dog] as a marriage,” Freimarck said. “You give to the dog, the dog gives back to you. Every dog handler has a firm attachment to his dog and any dog in the military.”

Wiens and Cooper made up a specialized search detachment trained to find firearms, ammunition and explosives. Being on a specialized search team means more training, and Cooper, who was no more than 4 years old, did his job without a leash.

Cooper was Wiens’ first military working dog, and Wiens was Cooper’s first handler, McHugh said.

Wiens’ family is doing as well as can be expected, and their small community has been very supportive, McHugh said.

Residents of Dallas lined the streets to honor the funeral procession, which was accompanied by local law enforcement vehicles and the Patriot Guard Riders, a national organization of motorcycle enthusiasts who pay tribute to fallen service members.

Thirty-seven dog teams from the Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and area police departments attended the service, McHugh said.

Wiens was named after his grandfather, who was a military canine handler during the Korean War. He is survived by his parents, Kevin and Judith, three siblings and his extended family. Wiens’ older brother Kevin is serving his second tour in Iraq as a military police officer.

Memorial donations

The Oregon National Guard has reported to the state attorney general’s office questions related to the death of Cpl. Kory Wiens and his canine partner, Cooper.

At least two businesses in Dallas, Ore., the soldier’s hometown of about 12,500 people, were approached for donations to give Cooper a proper burial, said Guard spokesman Capt. Mike Braibish.

The businesses called the family’s casualty assistance officer to make sure the solicitation was legitimate, and the CAO called the Guard because he knew the Wiens family had set up only one memorial fund and that burial arrangements had already been made for Cooper, Braibish said. “We don’t know for sure that it is [a scam],” he said. “If it is indeed a scam I hope we put an end to this.”

The charitable organizations section of the attorney general’s office is investigating the incident, Braibish said.

There is protocol in place to ensure the remains of military working dogs are taken care of properly, said Hans Freimarck, military working dog coordinator for the Army Dog Program.

“I’m sure they take into consideration what the handler’s requests would be because they know the attachment that’s there,” he said.

The Kory Wiens Memorial Fund, set up by the Wiens family, is accepting donations at Washington Federal Savings Bank. The money will be used to customize Wiens’ 1972 Dodge “Swinger” and the vehicle will be used as a memorial to Wiens and Cooper.