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Informationen zum Autor Samuel P. Fortsch is a former Captain in the US Army and a lifelong writer who first began creating other worlds and characters in the fifth grade. He lives in Western Massachusetts with his lovely wife, three wonderful kids, and his two pooches. Klappentext Join former U.S. Army rescue dog Sgt. "Rico" Ricochet and his fellow Pawtriots as they embark on heroic missions in this all-American illustrated chapter book series! Former Army rescue dog Sgt. Rico, a bomb-sniffing Malinois, is on his first mission in Washington, D.C., to save The Sanctuary animal shelter from the evil Mr. Mocoso...But does Rico have what it takes to lead the Pawtriots to victory and save his fellow canines? For young readers wanting action-packed adventure with a patriotic message, the Pawtriots are the perfect team! CHAPTER 1AIRBORNE Location: Classified Date: 15AUG18 Time: 1800 hours Welcome aboard, recruit! Things move fast in the Army, so let me debrief you. That’s Army-talk for “getting you up to speed on the details of the mission . . . and quickly. We’re about to jump out of a C-130 Hercules—that’s a big plane! A four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft to be exact. We’re cruising at an altitude of one thousand feet and zooming through the sky at 115 knots—that’s more than 130 miles an hour—above the rain forest. The thick trees and dense fog will make this jump even more dangerous, so we have to stay extra focused. We’re linking up with US troops on the ground at RP1 . That means Rally Point 1—our first checkpoint. The troops are en route to a small farming village deep inside the forest.We’ve received intel reports that the enemy has forced the villagers out of their homes and taken the land for themselves. The enemy then placed hidden explosive traps around the village to keep us out. And that’s why we’re here: to find and safely disarm the explosive traps and return the land to the villagers. It’s rightfully their land and it’s our job to make sure it stays that way. Now, I bet you’re wondering: Who is this crazy dog and why is he about to jump out of a perfectly good airplane??? I’m Sergeant Ricochet. Rico for short. I’m a Belgian Malinois, and I’m a soldier in the United States Army. I was born for this life. Really . . . I was! Back at Lackland Air Force base in Texas two years ago. That makes me fourteen in human years. And that’s where I met her: Kris, my handler, the woman I’m strapped to. She chose me out of twenty other pups at the base. She said it was because I had so much energy, like a pinball “ricocheting” around the room . . . and the name just stuck! For the last two years, Kris taught me everything there is to know about sniffing bombs, bad guys, and bacon! She’s trained me since the day I was born. Okay, I didn’t actually get trained to sniff meats, but I absolutely love, love, love bacon. And Kris knows it, too. She always gives me hers because she’s a vegetarian.Kris also taught me the Soldier’s Creed. It’s the code that she and I live by. It’s what all soldiers in the United States Army live by. It keeps us focused and determined so we can do our job and complete the mission—no matter the situation. Between the roar of the C-130’s big engine and the whipping of the wind outside, it’s hard to even think, let alone stay calm. But that’s part of the Soldier’s Creed: I am disciplined, physically and mentally tough, trained and proficient in my warrior tasks and drills. It’s our job to stay calm in the face of danger. And it’s our duty to place the mission first.Kris gives me a squeeze and a peck on the head, and I know it’s time to jump. She checks and tightens my straps on the parachute. I slobber her with my tongue to let her know how much I love jumping out of airplanes. “When we jump, count to four, then pull the ripc...
