Training of combat dogs to execute the most demanding peculiar tasks is titanium work, which has been undertaken respective years ago by St. Paweł Domanski "Domel". The erstwhile Army Unit operator of the Commandos and his dog Eto won the Buzdigan Award, winning the online plebiscite of readers of the portal "Army Poland".
In the “Domel” combat team, he served over 21 years. He travelled six times on a mission to Iraq and Afghanistan, was decorated with the Knight's Cross of the Order of the Military Cross. “Domel” is very ambitious and likes to set goals he strives for with large commitment,” says Pawle Domanski, the operator of the Commandos Military Unit (we do not give names of operators due to the nature of the service). Ambition combined with love for dogs and the desire to take up another challenge after years of service made Domel active in the K9 programme implemented in JWK. And he shortly became known as the initiator of many innovative solutions in training guides and commandos dogs.
Along with the instructors st. chor. diz. Paweł Domański prepared dogs for parachute jump from 4,000 m. This is his ward, Belgian shepherd Malinois Eto – the first dog in the Polish Army to be promoted to plutonium – was a precursor to the landing of combat dogs in JWK. The soldier besides co-created a four-legged landing strategy utilizing oxygen apparatus, expanding the jump tallness from 4,000 to 6.5 1000 m.
“Domel” drew cognition and experience from abroad experts, but did not blindly imitate all solutions. Where he saw the need, he utilized first methods. – It is not an art to put a dog in a tank and throw it off an airplane. This may at best consequence in the shock of an animal who will then not be able to proceed serving. Our dogs were accustomed to the task gradually, according to the author's procedures. Thanks to this, flying or skydiving are a pleasance for them, not a origin of fear," says Paweł Domel.
A multi-annual JWK operator was besides active in the creation of procedures for the evacuation of quadrupeds from the battlefield and the establishment of related legal standards. “Police officers from counter-terrorism groups can transport their dogs on the signal in the event of an accident, it was different with ours. We treat them as operators, but by law they are "high value property". That is why I started to look for rules governing this issue. The point was that the dog-commandos could not only number on medical assistance, but besides be evacuated from the battlefield or the training site, which was not apparent before. And that has been changed – he explains.
“Domel” imposes discipline on himself, is persistent in his pursuit of goal and effective in action. In the improvement of K9's capabilities in JWK he was active with all his heart, says 1 of his superiors. – It is charismatic and very expressive in action – adds the second. Among the soldiers from Ljubljana st. chor. dir. Domanski gained the opinion of an engaged professional, who always placed a advanced bar.
– Thanks to determination and fierceness, I managed to overcome many things – admits Buzdigan's conqueror. – I am a workaholic who wants to accomplish the best results not to be patted on the back. I never thought about doing anything for a reward. The biggest form of designation for me was the opinions of specialists on abroad trips, on which my dog's work was awesome – he says “Domel”. This was, for example, in Iraq, where trained guides and dogs with Iraqi peculiar forces according to a program developed by him.
In February St. chor. dir. Domański along with dog Eto finished his service at JWK. Service dogs don't have a fixed retirement age. How long they can execute their duties is determined by the course of service, the condition, the strength of their tasks. And while dogs trained exclusively to detect explosives can, at the age of ten, for example, patrol airports, the situation is completely different in the case of commando dogs. – Eto is over 8 years old, of which more than 5 served in JWK. We are talking about very intense work in Poland and abroad, regular training with dense loads in the form of shots, explosions, parachute jumps, boarding. In addition, the Belgian Shepherd never does anything of 50%, is full active in carrying out the task, which, among another things, caused him injury. His retirement is definitely deserved – he says “Domel” about Eto, who is in civilian custody.
The four-legged commando before leaving the army was inactive promoted to sergeant. Shortly after this, his guide received a Buzdigan as a consequence of the net vote. – That my candidacy was submitted by the command, I learned erstwhile I accounted for the unit before leaving. I was shocked due to the fact that I have never sought any awards,” emphasises “Domel”. “This is simply a very large discrimination for me, due to the fact that in any ways it is simply a summary of my full military career. I've always tried to keep our dogs in the European lead, ready for anything. Buzdygan is simply a evidence to me that people appreciated it – says St. Chor. by Paweł Domanski “Domel”.
