A Belgian Malinois was recognized by an Air Force unit recently for her heroics in Afghanistan, becoming the first canine to receive an honor from the 341st Training Squadron.

The 341st is the organization that trains dogs for the military, and the fact that Layka is the first to be honored speaks to the magnitude of the award.

Layka, a 3-year-old, was working with a U.S. Special Forces unit in Afghanistan this summer when she was dispatched to inspect a building for explosives and search for enemy combatants.

Before long, Layka was ambushed by an assailant. She received several gunshot wounds to the abdomen and right front leg. Despite her injuries, she protected the lives of her coalition team members by attacking and subduing the assailant.

After the danger was averted, Layka was treated by her handler and a physician’s assistant. She was then flown to a hospital for the first of several surgeries, and doctors were eventually forced to amputate her front right leg.Click here to read more

Photo by The Post Game Staff