Will Chesney

An interesting read about the training of Navy SEALS and this SEAL who spent some time deploying as a dog handler. The book was very linear, detailing Wes' progression from high school to achieving a position as a Navy SEAL & then deploying to Afghanistan. It was also fairly repetitive. I picked it up because I was most interested in the dog and dog handling. That was the best part of the book, but the majority of the book did not focus on the dog. I'm glad to know this story which helped me understand some of the rigors and challenges of becoming a SEAL and the extreme dangers all our elite military units regularly face. It was nice to know his whole story, I just wish it had included more about military dogs.… (más)

This is a book about a dog and you know what happens when dogs are in a book. Keep the kleenex handy! That being said I found this book interesting as Will Chesney describes going into the Navy and working his way into SEAL training and becoming a SEAL. He tells of his deployments and how he became a dog handler for his SEAL team. As he tells of the training he underwent before and with Cairo, his Belgian Malinois, I was surprised how extensive his training was. As he talks of his deployments in Iran and Afghanistan, I felt a lot a respect for what he went through. I found him a humble man who just said this is how it was and this is how I handled it. There was no "Look how strong I am. Look at brave I am." He just stated what happened with no embellishments. He gave Cairo credit for how Cairo helped him accomplish his missions. He showed the partnership/friendship between the two. When it came time to go after Bin Laden, they did the jobs they needed to do to bring an end to a terrorist. This book is a quick read but harder towards the end when both come to the end of their time in the Navy. It is well worth reading for everyone.… (más)

Listened to the audiobook which was narrated by the author. Loved learning about his gruelling Seal training, loved learning about the MWDs (military war dogs) and how people should never forget that they are attack dogs. It has a great mixture of seriousness and humour. If not for the profanity I would have allowed students to read it. The language however is offensive at times, but always in a believable way. I believe there is a children’s version of this book. I loved learning about Cairo and the role he played as a Seal team member.… (más)