Ricky, a Belgian Malinois at Maritime Safety and Security Team San Francisco, is shown outfitted in his vertical delivery gear consisting of a hoisting vest, eye protection and hearing protection during training at Coast Guard Base Alameda, August 16, 2017. (Coast Guard/Brandyn Hill)
Military working dogs sure know how to pull on the heart strings. Not only do they selflessly serve their handlers and their country, they manage to be fierce, inspiring and adorable all at the same time.
Don't believe us? Check out these 13 photos of military working dogs -- both currently serving and retired -- doing their thing.
Reisja, a 7-year-old Belgian Malinois from the Department of Defense (DoD) K-9 Unit, participates in training exercises at Arlington National Cemetery (ANC), Arlington, Virginia, March 1, 2018. (U.S. Army/Elizabeth Fraser)
Tommy, a Chief Explosives Detection canine stationed at Coast Guard Maritime Safety and Security Team Kings Bay, receives applause Thursday, July 27, 2017, during his retirement ceremony in St. Marys, Georgia. Tommy has served in the Coast Guard for nine years and has been on 24 deployments. (U.S. Coast Guard/Anthony L. Soto)
Washington District of Columbia United States - Sgt. Chesty XIII, official mascot of the U.S. Marine Corps, right, stares down his successor Recruit Chesty, left, during training at Marine Barracks Washington, D.C., March 20, 2013. (U.S. Marine Corps/Dengrier Baez)
Master-at-Arms 1st Class Casey Kaiwi conducts aggression training with Military Working Dog Diego onboard Naval Support Activity (NSA) Souda Bay February 28, 2018. (U.S. Navy/Joel Diller)
U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Hunter Gullick, dog handler, Provost Marshal's Office, K9 Section, Marine Corps Base, Camp Smedley D. Butler, poses with his Military Working Dog (MWD) while training aboard Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan, Oct. 5, 2017. (U.S. Marine/Rebecca L. Floto)
Luke, a retired military working dog, sits at the United States War Dogs Association display at the 2016 Shaw Air Expo and open house, "Thunder Over the Midlands," at Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., May 21, 2016. (U.S. Air Force/Zade Vadnais)
Tyndall Airmen provide a final salute to retired U.S. Air Force Military Working Dog, Mica T204, at the end of her final patrol Nov. 14, 2016 at Tyndall Air Force Base. Mica provided over 4,500 hours of counter-explosive operations and installation protection for more than 45 air assets and 7,000 military, civilian, and retired personnel. (U.S. Air Force/Javier Cruz)
Maj. Ryan Natalini, 2nd Security Forces Squadron commander, Senior Airmen Travis Hansen, 2nd Security Forces military working dog handler, and Marco all pose for a selfie at Barksdale Air Force Base, La., Sept. 8, 2017. Marco served as a military working dog in the U.S. Air Force for more than six years. (U.S. Air Force/Stuart Bright)
Lucca, a 12-year-old retired Marine Corps military working dog, visits Camp Pendleton Feb. 29, 2016. Before her retirement in 2012, Lucca completed two deployments to Iraq and one to Afghanistan where she led approximately 400 patrols until she was injured by an improvised explosive device. No Marines were injured on any patrol she led, including her final patrol where the explosion cost Lucca her front left leg. Lucca received the Dickin Medal, a European award that acknowledges outstanding acts of bravery or devotion to duty by animals serving with the armed forces or civil defense. (U.S. Marine Corps/Caitlin Bevel)
Spidey, a military working dog assigned to Law Enforcement Det., 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, waits by his handler, Marine Cpl. Zack Barkley, from Statesville, North Carolina, during a live-fire exercise on the flight deck of the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7) March 4, 2018. (U.S. Navy/Daniel C. Coxwest)
U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Dante Tost, 355th Security Forces Squadron military working dog handler, poses for a photograph with his MWD, Darius, at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., Jan. 4, 2018. (U.S. Air Force/Michael X. Beyer)
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