The War in Afghanistan began in 2001 after the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington D.C.

Why are we in Afghanistan?

“We’re cleaning up someone else’s mess. The enemy is the Taliban.”

Sergeant Hayley Nine is a 5’8” 22-year-old woman, who has returned home from a tour of duty in Afghanistan. As a gunner for a Mine Resistant Ambush Protection Vehicle (MRAP) scout truck, she wore armor, traveled at the head of convoys in search of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and sat atop the vehicle, alert. Her weapon—a 50 caliber machine gun.

When Hayley Nine was 15, her beloved grandfather died. He had retired from the Army a Lieutenant Colonel. Hayley had been quite close to him, and had also always been drawn to the Army.

At age 17, her parents signed their names, giving Hayley, yet a minor, permission to join the Army—carrying on her grandfather’s legacy. She graduated from Treasure Coast High School, received a softball scholarship to Palm Beach State College and remained a Reserve soldier until being called up to active duty in 2012.

Afghanistan changed Hayley in the way that every soldier who sees active duty in a war zone is changed. “It was a big culture shock,” Hayley states, “and the experience matured me. But I wouldn’t change it for anything in the world. It made me realize what really matters—my brothers and sister, my mom and dad, my family. I saw life for the reality it is—and now understand that there are things that matter and things that don’t.”

Before Hayley left for Afghanistan, she had to make decisions about her future, the type which few 20-year-olds pay attention to. The Army requires a checklist to be taken care of prior to deployment: beneficiaries listed on life insurance policies, a will and living will prepared, a signed Do Not Resuscitate order (DNR). Hayley gave her dad power-of-attorney over her financial accounts, which helped sort out a few problems while she was overseas, and Hayley elected her sister to be the person to make health decisions in the event that she could not.

In Afghanistan, Hayley has responsible for arranging for the drop off locations and times of materials the convoy was transporting. “This was a huge responsibility for me,” she adds, “they placed me in charge of millions of dollars’ worth of equipment and humanitarian aid.”

As the convoy rolled through villages, children would run out for candy. At other times rocks were thrown and pop shots were taken toward them.

Hayley traveled with an interpreter who spoke Pashto through a loudspeaker and on the ground, face to face with locals, speaking on behalf of the U.S. soldiers. He kept his face covered so as to be unrecognizable to the public, thus keeping his identity safe. “Interpreters risk their lives and those of their families if they are ever identified by the Taliban for helping the Americans,” Hayley relates.

At one point, Hayley’s truck had stopped, her truck commander and two ANAs (Afghanistan National Army) with AK-47s were on the ground (off the vehicle). A white Toyota with one male driver approached. He was told to stop or he would be shot. The driver kept coming. Hayley had to make a decision what to do. Her commander could be in the line of fire. The ANAs could turn on them. (“They’ve been known to do so.”) No shots had been fired at Hayley’s truck. (U.S. forces cannot shoot unless they are being shot at and a person within view. Muzzle flash is not enough reason. This is called the Rules of Engagement –ROE.)

This was Hayley’s final mission before coming home. A clenching decision, she did not shoot. It was a dry run, she believes—a testing of U.S. forces to see how far they are allowed to go. The driver of the car stopped beside the U.S. Army truck, got out of the Toyota, picked up an AK-47 of his own from the passenger seat and evilly smiled at Hayley.

Hayley has been home in Port St. Lucie for one year and she is about to graduate from the Police Academy at Indian River State College. In her future is a place on the Port St. Lucie Police Department, where she hopes to become a K9 officer. In September, Hayley will return to the military for training as a drill sergeant in Fort Jackson, South Carolina.

One of Hayley’s goals is to “change the face of women in law enforcement, taking full advantage of opportunities such as SWAT and K9.” She believes that veterans with active duty experience, especially after having asserted the Rules of Engagement, are beneficial in civilian security jobs, helping keep the homeland safe.

A Hometown Hero, Hayley Nine is a very focused young woman; Hayley can be found locally in the gym, watching motorcycle racing (She rides a 2009 Kawasaki Ninja ZX10R.), at church or out at the shooting range. Her favorite weapon is an M4 Carbine. One day, she would like to marry and have children.

HAVE A HERO TIP? Hometown Heroes are in every town and city. They are regular people who have made a positive difference in their community, impacting others for the better. Send your Hometown Hero tip to Kelly Jadon kfjadon@gmail.com or find her online at kellyjadon.com.

K9 Officers Deter Crime In Stuart

Charlie Santos: The Fabric of the Future

K9 is the homophone for "canine" officers. Deterring crime by their presence alone, use of trained dogs as canine officers is expected to rise.

Dogs have helped man for as long as he can remember. Some of the first trained police dogs were in Ghent, Belgium. They fell into favor in the United States in New York City during the early 1900s. Over the last several decades, use of police dogs has changed. No longer does the public view them as creatures foaming at the mouth, but as a vital part of the community. Much of this is due to positive public relations where dogs demonstrate their good behavior and training at local events. Studies have shown that the visible presence of a canine officer with his handler deters crime up to 75 percent. (U.S. Police Canine Association)

Most of this is psychological. Officer David Duran of the Stuart Police in Martin County, Florida has stated that when entering a crowd with his partner, Canine Officer Cody, people will disperse and quiet down.

Officers David Duran and Cody; Stuart, FL 3/2014

Master Officer of Special Operations David Duran has been a part of the Stuart Police Department for ten years, seven of those as a K9 officer. A quiet man, he is known around his patrol area by local citizens. Besides his talent as a dog handler, Officer Duran also is bilingual — a plus in Florida’s rapidly changing society. He speaks two dialects of Spanish — Caribbean and Central American.

According to Officer Duran, Florida has one of the highest levels of canine officer use in the United States. The dogs are utilized in airports, seaports, prisons, police departments, courthouses, by county sheriffs, and border control. They sniff out bombs, drugs (crack, cocaine, methamphetamines, marijuana, ecstasy), currency, objects (evidence), accelerants (suspected arson), and people (fleeing suspects, missing children, escaped prisoners, cadavers — even underwater). (Forensic Science)

Canine officers are of such high value that often they are imported from Europe with lineage papers and a passport. Canine Officer Cody came to the Stuart Police Department from the Slovak Republic at about a year old through Metro Dade Canine Services in Miami. Like most other police dogs, Cody is a German Shepherd. Using positive reinforcement, he spent 400 hours in training prior to assuming active duty. The command language he responds to is German.

A dog’s best trait is his olfactory memory. What he smells, he remembers. His nose operates differently than a human’s — he has 300 million olfactory receptors in his nose, whereas a human has six million. Dogs also have a second olfactory system called the vomeronasal or Jacobson’s organ at the base of his nasal passage. The part of his brain which recognizes the smells is proportionately larger than a human’s is too.

A conservation canine named Tucker smells orca scat. He is helping save wildlife on the seas.

In 2004 at the Sensory Research Institute of Florida State University, dogs were trained to detect melanoma in tissue samples. One dog ‘confirmed’ the presence of melanoma on five patients, and even detected cancer in a sample that was initially deemed negative, but was later found to have a fraction of cancer cells. (Applied Animal Behaviour Science)

Stuart Police Canine Officer Cody; 3/2014

Canine Officer Cody is a dual purpose police dog, as are most. His specialties are narcotics location and patrol. Typically, Cody and Officer David Duran patrol by vehicle the streets of Stuart at night and are called in to assist other officers. Cody will complete building searches, track wanted suspects and even apprehend a warned suspect who is hiding. What would perhaps take a few men hours of time, a canine officer will finish in a few minutes. With his tail pointed up and moving back and forth, Canine Officer Cody has tracked suspects across open fields, into woods and even water at risk to his own life. He has apprehended several people.

Canine Officer Cody has been with the Stuart, Florida Police Department for eight years, seven on duty. Like other police dogs, he resides with Officer Duran and his family in Palm City. Cody is friendly with children and loves to eat treats.

Officer Duran and Cody form a unit; training and trust between the handler and canine are an integral part of the cohesiveness of the unit. Each week they join other police dogs from neighboring areas to refresh and learn new skills.

Recently, the Stuart Police Department lost Canine Officer Cody’s counterpart, Officer Beny, who died of cancer. This loss has left Officers Duran and Cody to shoulder greater responsibility. Working 12 hour night shifts, at times, they have arrived home only to be called back to work.

Stuart, FL K9 Police Patrol Vehicle--Cody's door will open when Officer Duran presses a button on his vest.

The cost of attaining a dog to be trained as a canine officer is approximately $10 to $12,000 plus the training. Officer Duran is also compensated for Cody’s expenses within his home. A local 24-hour veterinarian’s clinic is available for any canine illness or injury.

Officer David Duran doesn’t see a time when canine officers will not be used. Instead, he believes their usage will increase.

Well appreciated by the town, the K9 unit is regularly greeted with questions from the public about the life of K9 officers. Officers David Duran and Cody are Stuart, Florida Hometown Heroes.

Hometown Heroes

No Longer Hopeless