In 2009, then-Lance Corporal Andrew Mulherron was one of 12 Marines from his unit selected for a bomb-dog mission. It was then that he met Boone, a labrador retriever trained to find explosives. The two bonded quickly as they trained for their upcoming deployment and in 2010, they went to Afghanistan.
It was at the height of the action there, and there were heavy casualties. Boone frequently found IEDs, and they both lost friends. But according to Mulherron’s mother, Boone helped him get through it. But when the deployment was over, the two had to say goodbye after almost two years together. Boone deployed to Afghanistan again with another Marine; Mulherron would deploy three more times. But he never forgot Boone and always wanted to find him again.
Then as fate would have it, he met someone who would make their reunion possible. While flying to Iraq, Mulherron began chatting with flight attendant Molli Oliver, a dog lover who also helped facilitate rescues. And she promised she would get Boone for him.
After reuniting another military dog with his former handler, she spent $1,400 and visited Boone several times. Then, finally, after three years apart, Boone and Mulherron were finally together again. And while Boone was a little unsure at first, it only took a few times tossing a ball before that bond was as strong as before… a team once again.