Sergeant Rex: The Unbreakable Bond Between a Marine and His Military Working Dog

“I am your Guardian: you are my Protector.” This is the motto of the United States Marine Corps K9 unit. It describes a sacred bond between two soldiers—one man; the other man’s best friend. In Sergeant Rex, decorated Iraq War veteran Mike Dowling recounts the incredible story of this unique relationship.

Deployed into the cauldron of Iraq in 2004, Sergeant Mike Dowling and Rex were part of the first military working dog (K9) team sent to the frontlines since Vietnam. It was Rex’s job to sniff out booby traps, suicide bombers, and IEDs, the devastating explosives that wreaked havoc on soldiers and civilians alike. It was Mike’s job to lead Rex into the heart of danger time and time again, always trusting Rex to bring them both back alive. At first Rex suffered a seemingly incurable fear of explosions and gunfire, but with Mike at the other end of his leash, Rex gained the courage he needed to get the job done. Filled with harrowing tales of knife-edge bomb-detection work, including an extraordinary baptism of fire in the infamous Triangle of Death, Sergeant Rex is both a heart-pounding and heart-warming account of how an unbreakable human-canine bond helped Mike and Rex to stay focused on their mission and save countless lives.