After sniffing out more than 350 explosives and with no Marine fatalities on his watch, a dedicated military dog named Bass was honored with a Medal of Bravery upon his retirement. Among his military comrades, this canine is something of a legend.
Bass’s handler, retired Marine Staff Sergeant Alex Schnell, claims he knew that Bass was special the first time he met the Belgian Malinois in December 2014. “He’s got very piercing predator eyes,” Schnell, a Rapid City, South Dakota, native, told Fox Nation’s
Hero Dogs.
“I could just tell with that look, this is a pretty special canine,” Schnell continued, “and I was very happy to get the chance to be assigned with him.”
Bass, who is bilingual, hailed from the Netherlands, was brought to the United States, and was trained as a “multi-purpose canine,” reports
Rapid City Journal. Three of the skills he acquired were controlled aggression, explosive detection, and tracking.
“Overseas, for example, if we’re searching for an improvised explosive device and he finds one, then Bass could smell the individual who put that bomb in the ground and we would be able to track his path back to his village or house,” Schnell explained.
According to the
Law Officer, the K9 and his handler served over six years in Marine Corps special operations together, with deployments to Iraq, Afghanistan, and Somalia. Over time, Bass’s resumé collected a plethora of impressive achievements, including over 350 explosives detections and dozens of searches for “high-profile” enemy insurgents.
Bass’s cohort would later reveal that not one of its members lost their lives while patrolling with the canine hero. Before long, Bass’s reputation as a loyal, formidable military dog began to precede him.
“When I went to the company that was going to Afghanistan, the team that had worked with me in the past,” Schnell regaled on
Hero Dogs, “they requested me, not necessarily because of me but because they wanted Bass.”
The courageous K9 received his Animals in War & Peace Medal of Bravery at an award ceremony in Washington on Nov. 14, 2019. The award was issued by Angels Without Wings—a non-profit organization that recognizes the work of animals in combat—in collaboration with the National Marine Corps League.
In footage of the ceremony later shared on
YouTube, Schnell took to the podium to say a few words on his K9 comrade. “I may be biased, but he is the most intelligent, courageous, and clear-headed dog I have ever had the privilege of working with,” the sergeant began.
“Bass is bold, vicious, and oddly human-like when operating in life and death situations,” Schnell continued, “and yet soft, playful, and loving when Marines need a dog to lift their spirits overseas. Including myself.”
According to
Rapid City Journal, Bass was one of the two living dogs that received The Animals in War & Peace Medal of Bravery, with the other being Bucca, a New York City Fire Department canine.
Schnell spoke to
Fox News on May 21, 2020, to extrapolate on the incredible bond of trust between a K9 and their handler. Recalling a memorable mission in Afghanistan, Schnell explained, “You as a handler, or at least me in that situation, I kinda took for granted because the training had paid off and he was so calm, so quiet.”
“[He] allowed me to react to those situations without hesitation, without worrying what Bass is going to do because he was by my side the whole time,” the sergeant continued, “so having a dog that has that capability was awesome.”
During the special mission in Afghanistan, Schnell told
Rapid City Journal that they relied on Bass for everything. “He definitely had to search for a bunch of explosives and he led an assault on a couple of buildings to make sure it was safe for our forces to enter,” Schnell said.
Shortly before receiving his Medal of Bravery, Bass retired from active service in October 2019. He was then adopted by Schnell and his fiancée, Maddie Merriam.
“He just gets to be my pet now. It’s pretty cool,” Schnell said. “We do our best to keep him nice and spoiled because he’s definitely earned it.”
Schnell has also transitioned from active duty; he is now a training supervisor for the Military Working Dog program at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas.
