A Soldier Dog was Killed in Combat. Watch What the Baggage Handlers Do with His Casket.

I have always admired the bond that forms between a man and his K9 partner; a bond established with great trust and loyalty beyond the imaginable. Many of you know that both man and dog dedicate their lives to serve and protect many people. Just imagine the dangers they face everyday.

Unfortunately, whether in the police or military service, hundreds or maybe thousands of K9 officers are killed in action. Some of these unsung heroes die protecting their human partners. In the United States, although the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) keeps track of the fallen human officers, the number of K9s that have died while on duty have not been exactly specified.

Recently, the remains of an unnamed fallen soldier and his improvised explosive device (IED)- trained K9 partner arrived on the tarmac of the Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta. How the airline staff volunteers transferred and handled their caskets from the plane really made me cry!

Watch this video:

The airport has a group of airline employees and baggage handler volunteers known as The Delta Honor Guard. Since 2005, the group has been performing solemn ceremonies for fallen soldiers who pass through the Atlanta airport. At the end of each ceremony, the group will say a prayer and give a special Delta coin to the soldier’s escort, which will be delivered to the soldier’s family.

The Delta Honor Guard performs several of these ceremonies weekly, on arrival or departing flights. Brian McConnell, a Delta employee and their coordinator stated that this has been their way of expressing their patriotism. They do this to ensure that the remains, both of the soldier’s and K9’s are treated with the utmost respect and honor.

H/T: BenLynnVideo via Littlethings, NYDailynews.com, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette