As an Arms and Explosive Search Dog, Buster
is said to have saved "a thousand lives" in warzones around the
world.
The springer spaniel has passed away at his
handler's home in Lincolnshire, says the RAF.
Before retiring to live with Flight
Sergeant Will Barrow, the 13-year-old dog had served in Afghanistan, Bosnia and
Iraq - sniffing out bombs and booby traps before they could kill British
service personnel.
As well as giving advanced warning of
suicide bombers and hidden IEDs (improvised explosive devices), Buster also
helped cheer up the troops, says his handler.
"Many's the time I'd find some of the
soldiers on the cot beds with him, just chatting away. They felt they could
confide in him and it wouldn't be going anywhere else."
He also made friends with local Afghans
when he went out on patrol.
"We soon had a long train of children
in tow - like a canine Pied Piper, Buster drew in his crowd and entertained
them," says Flt Sgt Barrow.
A military dog.
To reward his years of hard work, Buster
was given the honour of becoming the official lifetime mascot of the RAF
Police.
Towards the end of his life Buster had
quite bad arthritis in his legs, and Flt Sgt Barrow thinks the dog might also
have suffered the same mental strains as human combat veterans. He suspects
Buster could even have had a form of post traumatic stress from all his time
spent under enemy fire.
In retirement Buster didn't "like
fireworks or thunder, but at the time, he just got on with it, same as all of
us".
"He saved my life every day we were
together. I owe him so much."
Source; BBC Newsbeat
Source; BBC Newsbeat
