Our Stories
The Story of WMD Kage & Athena Afghanistan
The unspoken story of a fallen Soldier and his beloved Battle Buddy Kage. I was told this day was like no other. Throughout the day and night Soldiers’ bodies were being returned to the FOB (Forward operating base). They were injured and or dead, with unrecognizable faces of brothers, missing body parts, and some never returned.
The day continued, hearing all the mortars and gunfire not far from me, wishing I was out there with my brothers. As bodies came rushing in, I looked at their uniforms trying to see the names as I tried to hold my emotions and anger in.
One of my brothers returned. He was my best friend. We went to boot together. He wasn’t breathing and blood covered his mangled body. His K9 battle, Kage, lay across his chest to protect him. I was told the story that a roadside IED exploded and the convoy was hit. As the soldiers took cover they began to come under small arms fire. As our brother was injured due to an explosion, Kage struggled but was able to get him to better cover. The soldier didn’t make it.
Kage lay there with him until QRF Team arrived (Quick Reaction Force) to rescue them and return them back to the FOB. At the FOB the team realized it wasn’t just his handler’s blood. It was Kage’s too. He was injured. Kage was bloody from the blast and shot by the insurgents surrounding them.
Kage was flown to Germany. He immediately went into surgery for his shoulder, paw, and back leg. When he woke, he wanted his handler. His handler was gone.
Athena; sweet, loving, and guardian to Kage. They shared the same kennel in Afghanistan, and after months of patrols together they were inseparable. I noticed Athena’s belly growing and she was tired during patrols and needed more rest. Two months later, I woke up to feed them and I saw 8 puppies nursing. We were baffled as all K9s deployed to a war zone should be fixed. She was not.
They had beautiful puppies and we all loved it as they made our war time a little less bad. All the puppies were shipped to Germany and Athena got sad; Kage gave her comfort. They were separated for over 6 months.
After months of physical therapy, Kage was placed with a rescue group. Then, by fate, the same rescue rescued Athena. They got info that she and Kage were battle buddies in Afghanistan. They reunited Kage and Athena, but the rescue was not equipped to handle a Combat War Dog, let alone two. So, Kage and Athena were on to their new home with a Navy Seal veteran suffering from PTSD and war trauma. That Veteran would die 2 years later due to PTSD and an Overdose. Sadly, Kage & Athena were left again.
Kage and Athena ended up in a county animal shelter. That’s where they would meet Miriah Allamong, Owner of Gladiator Allegiance. She rescued them and put them in her training program to be given another purpose in life. That purpose is to save Veterans with PTSD and other medical traumas. Her program has not only saved 1,100 war dogs from slaughter, but she also saved my life and countless other Veterans like me.
The Story of Dax
The catastrophic events of September 11th, 2001 occured and war was imminent; I was A young law enforcement K9 trainer in Alaska. I was named and known by the beautiful Alaska Inuit people as Qimmiq Atka of Alaska. I was sought out to be part of a team and train 350 dogs for war. I never got attached to any of the dogs because I knew most would die and I couldn’t handle that.
In 2003 I got word that I would be going down range to work and train dogs. I arrived and never thought I would actually be standing in Iraq. I was 23 years old and I was currently going through the hardest part of my life with a dad with Alzheimer’s. I didn’t know how I would survive a war. That’s when I met Dax. He was in the craziest, loudest, and scariest place he had ever been. We had many mortars and gunfire around us outside the FOB. I was given a card with his name on it as he was assigned to me as his handler, and as I walked down the kennels passing many crazy jumping and scared K9s, I saw him.
He was curled up in a ball and laying on the ground. As we locked eyes, he saw in my eyes the same fear he must have felt.
But the minute I grabbed him from his kennel he was ready and eager, not for war but to protect me. I felt safe from that moment on. He did just that and served by my side for 6 years. He was wounded in action by IED, which also wounded several of my Battle Buddies. Dax came home with me and lived out his retirement on a 23-acre farm. He passed on peacefully in 2013 in my arms at 12 years old.
The Story of Chaos
Chaos was working in Afghanistan and served several tours. He was with the other EDD’S that were abandoned when the US government pulled out of Afghanistan in 2021. He was then shipped to a shelter who had him in a small kennel for months. He was then adopted out to a family who could not handle him as his PTSD was not controlled. I then rescued him and gave him a purpose and placed him with a veteran who needed him the most. Now he’s happy and both have a new purpose – which is living.
U.S. Army – Male Veteran (PTSD & Mobility)
“My name is James R., and I served as a Staff Sergeant in the U.S. Army. I came home from multiple deployments with severe PTSD and a knee injury that made even simple tasks feel impossible. Crowded stores, sudden noises, or someone walking too close could drop me straight back into combat in my mind. I stopped going to my kids’ events and avoided leaving the house unless I had to.
War Dog Guardians paired me with Kilo, a German Shepherd trained for PTSD and mobility support. Kilo wakes me from night terrors, creates space around me in crowds, and braces so I can stand and handle stairs without feeling like I’ll fall. Because of Kilo, I can sit through my daughter’s school concerts, go to the grocery store without bolting for the exit, and keep my physical therapy appointments. I still have hard days, but I’m present for my family again Miriah Allamong.”
U.S. Navy – Female Veteran (PTSD & Anxiety)
“I’m Maria L., a former Petty Officer Second Class in the U.S. Navy. After deployment, anxiety ruled my life. I couldn’t sleep, I’d wake up in a panic, and riding the bus or sitting in a waiting room felt like combat—heart racing, hands shaking, scanning every exit. I lost jobs because I couldn’t stay in the building when a panic attack hit.
Miriah with War Dog Guardians matched me with Sage a Yellow Lab a calm rescue dog they trained to support PTSD and anxiety. Sage senses when my anxiety is building, applies deep pressure by leaning into me, and helps guide me out of situations before I hit full panic. With Sage, I’ve held a steady job, I don’t cancel therapy appointments out of fear, and I finally sleep more than a couple of hours a night. I’m still working through my trauma, but I’m no longer doing it alone, Miriah and Sage saved my life.”
U.S. Air Force – Male Veteran (TBI & Medical Alerts)
“My name is David H., and I served as a Technical Sergeant in the U.S. Air Force. A blast overseas left me with a traumatic brain injury. After I got home, I started having sudden dizziness and blackout episodes. I was terrified something would happen when I was alone with my kids. I stopped driving long distances, and I wouldn’t go anywhere without another adult. I reached out to WDG and Miriah helped me on my darkest of days and she introduced me to Eco’s a Belgian Malinois, a medical-alert dog trained to recognize subtle changes in my balance and behavior. Echo alerts me early, nudging and guiding me to sit before an episode gets bad. If I do go down, Echo is trained to retrieve my phone or get help. Since Echo came into my life, my emergency room visits have dropped, and I’ve regained enough confidence to coach my son’s soccer team and take my kids to the park on my own. I’m still careful, but I don’t feel helpless anymore.”
U.S. Marine Corps – Female Veteran (PTSD & Depression)
“I’m Nicole M., a former Sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corps. When I left the Corps, I brought home injuries nobody could see. Nightmares, flashbacks, and depression had me shutting out friends and family. I’d stare at the door for an hour before trying to go outside, and most days, I just wouldn’t go. The idea of sitting in a crowded room made my skin crawl.
War Dog Guardians paired me with Ranger, a shelter-rescued Belgian Malinois they trained specifically for PTSD support. When I start to dissociate, Ranger nudges and paws at me until I come back. In public, he positions himself to give me space and a clear line of sight. Having Ranger gave me enough courage to attend a Veteran peer group, then another, and eventually to take a part-time job. I still have rough weeks, but I’m connected again—to other Veterans, to my community, and to myself Thank you Miriah.”