LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE, TX - Umsebenzi wezempi uDavid Rolfe uye waya ezinja.
Njengomqondisi we-Military Working Dog Program esekelwe lapha, uRolfe kanye nabasebenzi bakhe banomthwalo wempilo nenhlalakahle yamanye amalungu angabambiswanga empi: izinja ezilinganiselwa ku-2,300 ezisebenzayo.
Lezi zinja, kanye nabasebenzi bazo zonke izinsizakalo zempi, zithunyelwa emhlabeni jikelele ukusekela impi yokwesaba, ukusiza ukulondoloza izizinda nezenzo zempi nokuthola amabhomu nezinye iziqhumane ngaphambi kokulimaza.
Ngomqondo ozwakalayo wokuphunga izikhathi ezinhlanu kuya kwezingu-10 kunamandla omuntu, izinja zokusebenza zingathola imininingwana encane yeziqhumane noma izidakamizwa futhi zixwayise abaphathi bazo ukuba khona kwabo, kusho u-Rolfe.
Kodwa ngesikhathi esifanayo, izinja zinekhono lokwenza ukwesaba kumuntu ohlukumezayo ngendlela umuntu - ngisho noma ehlomile - ngokuvamile engakwazi, futhi uzovikela abaphetheyo kuze kube sekupheleni. "Abantu babona inja futhi abafuni ukuyilahla," kusho u-Staff Sgt. U-Andrew Mier, umqeqeshi wezinja ezisebenza ezempi oye wathumela eNingizimu-ntshonalanga Asia izikhathi ezintathu njengomphathi - kabili waya eSaudi Arabia kanye kanye naseQatar. "Inja ibangela ukuvimbela kwengqondo eqinile."
Iningi lezinja zokusebenza ezempi zase-United States abelusi baseJalimane nabaseDutch, kanti iBelgium Malinois ikhiqiza uRolfe athi "banonya kakhulu, bahlakaniphile kakhulu, banomthelela kakhulu futhi banomdla kakhulu."
"Sibheke okuningi kubo ukuthi sidinga ukuba babe namandla futhi bezemidlalo," esho. "Sifuna inja ephakeme kakhulu ngokuthambekela kobudlova ngoba yilokho okushiwo yi-mission."
Izinja ziye zaqashelwa ngokuthi "abaphangi bamandla" ngamabutho ezempi emhlabeni jikelele, kusho uRolfe. AmaRoma abeka amakolishi ahlaselayo ngezinja zawo, wabe esebathumela ezinkalweni zesitha ukuba alume futhi aqede izitha zawo.
Ibutho lase-US lisetshenzisile izinja zokusebenza kusukela eMpini Ye-Revolutionary, okokuqala njengezilwane zepakethe, futhi kamuva, ukuze kusetshenziswe okuphambili, njengokubulala amakhothi emathangeni ngesikhathi seMpi Yezwe I, wathi.
Kodwa iMpi Yezwe II yabona ukuqhutshwa okukhulu kwezinja zokusebenza ukusekela imisebenzi yezempi . Ibutho lase-US lisetshenziselwe izinhlamvu ezingaphezu kuka-10 000 eziqeqeshiwe ngokukhethekile, eziningi njengabathumeli, kodwa ezinye njengezicukuthwane, izithunywa kanye nezimboni zamatshe, kusho uRolfe.
Namuhla, izinja zokusebenza ezinamakhulu amabili zikhonza nabasebenzi base-United States e-Iraq nase-Afghanistan njengenja yokuqapha kanye neziqhumane nezidakamizwa, kusho uRolfe, enezela ukuthi osonkontileka basebenzisa izinja ezengeziwe kule midlalo. Izinja ezisebenza cishe ezingu-2 000 zinikeza izinsizakalo ezifanayo emazansi ase-US nasemisebenzini yokusebenza emhlabeni jikelele.
Phakathi naleso sikhathi, amasosha ayanda ukwethembela ezinja zokusebenza. Ngaphambi kuka-Septemba 11, 2001, u-Rolfe uthe amabutho e- Air Force avikeleke ngezinja ezingu-200 ngonyaka ngoMnyango Wezokuvikela. Leyo nombolo ingaphezulu kuka-500, iningi lezinja eziqeqeshwe njengezigijimi nezibhamu.
Uhlelo lwezinsuku ezingu-120 lufundisa izinja ukulalela okuyisisekelo kanye namakhono ethuthukile, njengokuthi ungahlasela kanjani nokuthi ungaphila kanjani izinto ezithile. U-Rolfe uthi uhlelo lokuqala lokuqeqesha, oluqhutshwa ithimba le-341 Training Training Squadron, lisekelwe "emivuzo emihle" - ngokuvamile ibhola noma irayibheyi esikhundleni sokudla.
"Sifunde kudala ukuthi ukudla kusebenza isikhathi eside kakhulu. Into efuna ngempela ukuthi uyenze iyidlala nayo."
Uma izinja zithola ukuqeqeshwa kwazo kokuqala, amalungu e-37 Security Forces afundisa izinja nabaqeqeshi babo ukuthi basebenze njengeqembu. "Enye yezinselelo ezinkulu ukuthola umphathi ukuthi abone ukuthi inja ibonisani," kusho i-Air Force Staff Sgt. USean Luloffs, umfundisi esikoleni.
"Kodwa ukuthokoza okukhulu kubheka amaqembu ethuthuka futhi akwazi ukwenza ezingeni eliphakeme, futhi azi ukuthi unengxenye kuwo," wanezela uMier.
Ngenkathi i- Air Force iqeqesha izinja ezisebenza ezempi kanye nabasebenzi bazo, izimboni zezilwane ezithunyelwe emhlabeni jikelele zizosiza ukuba zilungele umsebenzi futhi zilaphe izifo zabo.
I-Telemedicine, ethandwa kakhulu endaweni yezempilo, isetshenziselwa ukuhlinzeka ngolwazi lobuchwepheshe bezinja zokusebenza ezempi.
"Sifuna ukuba bahlale enkundleni bese belashwa enkundleni yemidlalo," kusho u-Army Maj. Kelly Mann, oyinhloko ye-radiology ye-Military Working Dog Program ku-Lackland Air Force Base. Ngaphezu kwalokho, u-Rolfe kanye nabasebenzi bakhe basebenza esibhedlela esilungelelwe ngokugcwele kwezilwane eLackland.
Njengoba izinja zokusebenza zibaluleke ngokwengeziwe empini yezempi, umsebenzi uyaqhubeka ukusiza ukuwavikela ezinsongweni zezitha. U-Rolfe uqondisa uhlelo lokucwaninga nokuthuthukiswa olubheke ezakhiweni zokuzivikela zomzimba nezithuthukisi zezinja ezisebenzela izinja.
Ayikho indlela enhle yokuvikela inja ekuhlaselweni kwezinto zenuzi, eziphilayo noma zamakhemikhali. "Kodwa nakanjani kukhona okubhekwayo," wanezela. Phakathi naleso sikhathi, i-Walter Reed Institute of Research ihlola ukusetshenzwa kwamaphilisi angasiza izinja zokusebenza zasempi zisinde ekuhlaselweni kwezinzwa.
Ucwaningo luyaqhubeka nokudala "impumu yokufakelwa" ekwazi ukuphindaphinda inja - kodwa u-Rolfe ubikezela ukuthi kuyindlela ende emgwaqeni. "Abanye abantu bathi kungaba yiminyaka engama-50 ngaphambi kokuba sibe nekhala elizenzekelayo elingaphinde lithathe inja," esho.
Ngaphandle kwalokho, izinja zinezinto uRolfe uthe umshini cishe awusoze uwenze: ukwethembeka okukhulu nesifiso sokujabulisa. "Umshini awunandaba uma uthola okuthile," kusho uRolfe. "Kodwa inja ifuna ukujabulisa umphathi wayo. Inja iyohamba ibheke enye into lapho umshini engeke khona."
Eqinisweni, wathi, "izinja zinenhliziyo - into eyenza ibe yimpahla ebaluleke kakhulu empini yethu yokulwa."