Ayr army major Nikki helps put a bite into training in Afghanistan

May 7 2008 Ayrshire Post

IT’S not everyone who would volunteer to be attacked by a vicious dog.

But it was all in the line of duty — and for a very good cause — for Ayr’s Nikki Porter.

For this brave army major took part in a ‘beat the dog’ challenge while on a tour of duty in Afghanistan.

The Ayr lass donned a protective suit to see if she could out-run the military attack dog.

Despite a substantial head start Nikki was brought to the ground by highly trained German Shepherd Brit.

She said: “It does not feel too bad being bitten when you are in the suit.

“But when the dog hits you, you know about it, big style.”

The military working dogs section is operating the challenge to raise cash for the Help for Heroes charity.

It runs for the duration of the 16 Air Assault Brigade’s summer tour.

The winner will be the person who gets the furthest before being caught by the dog.

Nikki is an army dentist with the 16 close support medical regiment working in a military hospital at Camp Bastion.

She added: “My days out here can be as varied as from the routine repair of a filling to helping in A & E dealing with casualties who have suffered facial trauma.

“Working in the hospital reminds you that Help for Heroes is working for an excellent cause.”

The event is not only an unusual way of raising money for charity but also important training for the dogs.

Sergeant Major Frank Holmes is responsible for the training of all military dogs in Afghanistan he told us.

"We are a small unit with troops dotted all over the place, to be able to combine this charity event with serious training is vital"

The Dog Section, based in camp Bastion provides handlers and dogs that work in Helmand Province, Kandahar and Kabul. Military Working Dogs are specialised in a variety of tasks from searching for arms and explosives to protecting bases, equipment and personnel.