Conan (dog) facts for kids
The declassified image of Conan tweeted by U.S. President Donald Trump
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| Species | Dog |
|---|---|
| Breed | Belgian Malinois |
| Sex | Male |
| Born | 2013 or 2014 (age 9–11) Netherlands |
| Occupation | Military dog |
| Employer | United States |
| Notable role | Special Operations Military Working Dog (SOMWD) in the US Delta Force |
| Years active | 2015–present |
| Named after | Conan O'Brien |
Conan is a special operations military working dog in the United States 1st SFOD-D (Delta Force). He is a male Belgian Malinois and was named after late-night talk show host and comedian Conan O'Brien. He is a veteran canine of the United States Special Operations Command (SOCOM), and served in 50 combat missions.
Conan took part in the Barisha raid in Syria, which resulted in the death of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the then-leader of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, ISIS) terror organization, on October 27, 2019. He chased Baghdadi down into a tunnel where the terror leader was killed. General Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr. stated on October 30, 2019 that the dog was injured during the raid due to exposed live electric wires, but had recovered and returned to field duty.
Identity
President Donald Trump posted the declassified picture of Conan on Twitter and called him a "wonderful dog" in the tweet. His name was classified at the time, but it was revealed as Conan to Newsweek. A few days later, Trump also referred to the dog as Conan. Trump later re-tweeted a meme (photoshopped by The Daily Wire) of himself awarding Conan a dog version of a Medal of Honor.
After quickly garnering mainstream attention following the raid, merchandising with Conan's depiction and the slogan "Zero Bark Thirty" appeared online, a reference to Zero Dark Thirty, a film about the 2011 special operations raid that killed Osama bin Laden.
White House visit
On November 25, 2019, Conan made a surprise appearance with a handler at the White House. The handler used dog commands in German during the meeting. President Donald Trump introduced Conan to reporters in the White House Rose Garden, saying, "So this is Conan. Right now, probably the world's most famous dog." First Lady Melania Trump and Vice President Mike Pence attended the event as well, with Pence petting Conan and calling him a "hero" during brief remarks.
See also
- Chips, the most decorated war dog of World War II
- Sergeant Stubby, the most decorated war dog of World War I
- Lucca, Dickin Medal winning dog who served with U.S. Marines in Afghanistan
- List of individual dogs
