Conan’s Handler

Described by his handler as a “Fearless Warrior,” Conan is remembered for his courageous actions.

The dog, recognized for saving the lives of American Soldiers in Syria in 2019 and being honored by the President, has passed away after a battle with cancer and injuries sustained during service. 

“Conan” was a US Army Special Operations military working dog who had served in 50 combat missions before the siege that resulted in the death of the leader of the terrorist group ISIS. The raid—known as “Operation Kayla Mueller”—started at around 5 pm local time on October 26th, 2019, in Barisha, Idlib Governorate, Syria, intending to isolate and capture the ISIS Caliph.

The target, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, was a US State Department Specially Designated Global Terrorist with a $10 million bounty, “responsible for the deaths of thousands of civilians in the Middle East, including the brutal murder of numerous civilian hostages from Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States” according to Department of State-run program Rewards for Justice. Baghdadi was the first caliph (a person considered a political-religious successor to the Islamic prophet Muhammad and a leader of the entire Muslim world) of the Islamic State, with allegiances to Al-Qaeda, Mujahideen Shura Council (MSC), Islamic State of Iraq, and Islamic State (Jihadist and Islamist terror group and quasi-state, ISIS). 

Conan and the rest of the special task force “Task Force 8-14,” named after Mueller’s birthday, boarded MH-47 Chinooks and MH-60L/M Black Hawks and were dropped off at the target location. Simultaneously, Baghdadi (clad in a suicide vest and using his family as human shields) tried to escape through an underground tunnel. On the way in, Conan was exposed to an electrical trap set through the water in the tunnel and took the brunt of the shock to alert his unit of danger. This heroic action saved the lives of his handlers, but it severely injured him. Being cornered by Conan and the Americans, Baghdadi pulled the trigger and killed both himself and five members of his family. As a result, American Intelligence was able to obtain valuable information on ISIS and other terrorist groups in the region. Due to his heroism during the raid, Conan was awarded a special, one-of-a-kind medal akin to the human Medal of Honor by then-President Donald Trump.

From the start, nature and nurture were factors in why Conan became the reliable, brave military dog he was. Being a Belgian Malinois, Conan was of ideal size and had unmatched athleticism. The military often seeks out Belgian Malinois for their known trainability, ability to work under stress, and past excellence as performance dogs, all traits that Conan exemplified during his training and on missions. After “Conan was selected as a Military Working dog, [he] made it through a very rigorous training regimen to be selected for the special operations community.” Conan’s training prepared him for this journey. While being trained, he would be “searching for explosives in different environments, searching for bad guys, jumping out of airplanes or accompanying his handler on the shooting range.” 

During his time in training and as a military dog, Conan belonged to the US Special Operations Command (SOCOM) Military Working Dog program and was attached to the Delta Force (a special operations force of the US Army controlled by the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) (CNBC). Although the results of Conan’s missions are strictly classified, Conan’s handler reveals that he “started working with Conan in 2015. He deployed four times with me to multiple countries in the Middle East.” Training him “every day at work for our mission overseas,” Conan and his handler formed a strong bond that extended past their military duties and continued throughout the rest of Conan’s life.

Gallery • 2 Photos

Conan's Handler

Conan was honored by President Trump for his exceptional service.

After Conan’s injury, Conan’s handler took him in as part of his family. Their impenetrable bond allowed Conan to fit right in: “he was like a part of my family, both my military family and my family at home.” With all that Conan had gone through, it was to our source’s pleasant surprise that “there [were] no real challenges in bringing [Conan] home to retire. Conan came right into the house and settled in…as if he knew he belonged there.” It is with great relief to know that Conan was able to live the rest of his life after the incident in a safe, loving home with “four children, another dog, chickens, and a bunny,” and without the challenge, many working dogs, unfortunately, have of finding it difficult to adjust to new circumstances and a new lifestyle.

Grief and despair fill many hearts after Conan’s passing, but pride and awe take over when reflecting on Conan’s bravery and the legacy he has left behind. The memory of Conan will undoubtedly be held in high regard. Conan’s handler expresses how “Conan’s passing is still very fresh in our minds. We talk about him often. We look at pictures, and I tell the kids stories about him. He was cremated with an American Flag, and his ashes will always be with us.” Conan’s dedication to our country and fight to the end alongside America’s bravest soldiers proves that heroes come in different forms. Every person’s and animal’s commitment to serving our country is honored and taken with gratitude. Let Conan be remembered as “a fearless warrior [who] loved nothing more than to serve with us. He had a great life, was cherished by my children, and we all miss him dearly.” Conan will be missed, but his actions will never be forgotten. The public should rest assured knowing that all dogs go to heaven.

Editors’ Note: Meticulous attention was granted to our research methods, and to protect our source, we have redacted potentially sensitive information. This article is accurate to our knowledge based on public information available on the internet.