Two valiant dogs — NSG’s “Rocket”, who burnt his paws while scouring for terrorists in a burning billet during the Pathankot IAF base attack, and Army’s tracker “Mansi” who laid down her life to prevent an infiltration bid by terrorists in north Kashmir — were on Sunday bestowed with gallantry awards for exemplary show of courage.
While the two-and-a-half-year-old Belgian Malinois Rocket has been awarded the Chief of Army Staff commendation for courage and obedience to command; Mansi, who became possibly the first canine to have been selected for a posthumous war honour, was honoured with the “Mention of Despatches” certificate.
Rocket had walked into a burning airmen billet on the direction of his handler and brought back a pouch that indicated the presence of militants inside. It burnt his paws but that did not deter it from following the directions of its handler.