![]() Whether you’re deep underwater in a dive suit or ascending a wall, the author emphasizes “the SEALs want men who can handle adversity but not let their emotions get in the way of completing a job.”īecause SEALs spend years of training prior to deployment a big chunk of this volume focuses on that facet of the job. Of the 168 men in his class, only 22 reached the finish line in this physical/psychological test Chesney characterizes as “an utterly merciless, non-stop, six-month beatdown.” ![]() Upon following Chesney through the demanding SEAL training regimen called BUD/S, the reader is left with a strong appreciation for the talents and commitments of its select members. There is only professionalism and 100 percent commitment.” He adds, “There is no room for the cowboy or the rogue warrior in this scenario. The odds weren’t exactly in his favor as only 20 percent succeed. “For me, it was the SEALs or nothing,” he emphasizes. The young East Texan’s dream was to become a Navy SEAL and he put that into motion as an 18-year-old in 2002. Yes, the attack on bin Laden’s compound gets plenty of attention, too, but this exhilarating narrative is about the journey, not simply that renowned mission.Īnd, oh, by the way, Chesney notes in the Introduction, “My hope is that this will not be quite like anything you’ve read before.” On that front, this delivers. The training is experiential and all-encompassing, a round-the-clock immersion designed to foster not just expertise but an attachment of uncommon depth and complexity.”įrom the moment Chesney first met Cairo until he was forced to let go a decade later when cancer felled the spirited fighting machine, this is a special union, sometimes separated by thousands of miles, and other occasions a few feet.Ĭhesney’s focus is directed on the “ exhaustive and intricate training” served up in fine-tuning Cairo’s soldiering capabilities that were put to the test in a wide mix of challenges from tiny villages to mountainous hideaways. It goes well beyond friendship and the usual ties that bind man to dog. The relationship between a handler and a canine SEAL is profound and intimate. ![]() In the Introduction, Chesney establishes, “Cairo was my dog. Packed with energy and promise throughout – and a mix of psychological body blows from one chapter to the next – “No Ordinary Dog” is a window into the brittle dynamics of one dog team’s interactions in and out of the Middle East war zone. It probably wouldn’t sell as many books, but make no mistake about it, this resonating adventure of THE dog on the famous attack on Osama bin Laden’s compound in Pakistan in 2011 is as much about Will Chesney (nickname Cheese), Cairo’s adroit handler, as the finely tuned 70-pound Belgian Malinois that became a national celebrity overnight. While this title is right on target, an equally appropriate one would be “Cheese & Cairo.” While it’s not a sandwich, it would capture the story of two soulmates. “No Ordinary Dog: My Partner from the SEAL Teams to the bin Laden Raid,” by Will Chesney with Joe Layden. ![]()
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