In the face of a growing IED threat in Iraq and Afghanistan, the US military turned to man's best friend. Working dogs have served throughout history but quickly became a key enabler for the troops on the ground in the Global War on Terror. One of the most famous working dogs was named Lucca. Lucca was born in the Netherlands and trained in Israel by the IDF before joining the United States Marine Corps. Lucca was trained to operate off leash, ahead of her handler, to identify weapons and explosives before American Soldiers or Marines were in harms way. Lucca deployed twice to Iraq and once to Afghanistan, running point on over 400 patrols. A testament to her skill, not a single American servicemember was killed while she was on watch. In 2012, Lucca identified a 30lb IED, notified her handler (Cpl Juan Rodriguez) and then continued her search for secondary devices. In that subsequent search, she detonated an IED and was severely wounded. Rodriguez ran to her side, applied a tourniquet and helped her into the MEDEVAC bird that was called. Lucca would lose one of her front legs to amputation but survived the blast. With Rodriguez by her side, Lucca made a full recovery and was walking again a mere ten days after the explosion. Shortly thereafter, Lucca was retired and adopted by her original handler, Sgt Chris Willingham. In April of 2016, Lucca was awarded the Dicken Medal, considered the equivalent of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for valor in the British Armed Forces.

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