Dishonoring “Constant Vigilance”: Why the SOF K9 Memorial Standard Must Be Protected

Combat Assault Dog Duco sits next to the SOF K9 Memorial in Fayetteville, NC to pay his respects to some of his fallen teammates. Unfortunately the Airborne and Special Operations museum staff have allowed non SOF K9s, not killed in combat, pavers to be placed at this memorial. The last part of Constant Vigilance reads "here we honor our SOF K9's that have paid the ultimate sacrifice"

The SOF K9 Memorial

There are places that are more than stone and bronze. They’re a line in the sand. They’re a standard. They’re a promise.

In Fayetteville, North Carolina, near Fort Bragg, on the grounds of the Airborne & Special Operations Museum, there is one of those places: the SOF K9 Memorial known as “Constant Vigilance.” It was created to memorialize fallen Special Operations Forces canine heroes killed in action, and to give their names a permanent home worthy of what they did and what they gave.

The memorial was dedicated on July 27, 2013. A bronze Belgian Malinois in full kit stands watch near Iron Mike and the museum’s front doors like a sentry guarding the legacy of Airborne and Special Operations.

And around that statue, the pavers matter, because names matter.

Constant Vigilance

The granite marker at the base carries the phrase “CONSTANT VIGILANCE,” and it ends with the line that defines the purpose of the memorial: “Here we honor the SOF K9s that have paid the ultimate price.” 

That’s not a slogan. That’s the standard.

It tells you who the memorial is for. It tells you what it means. And it tells you what the criteria is supposed to be: SOF K9s who paid the ultimate price, killed in action. 

Why This Place Matters

If you’ve never handled a dog in the Special Operations community, it’s hard to explain the bond without sounding like you’re exaggerating. You’re not.

A SOF handler and his K9 learn each other in a language most people never hear. The dog doesn’t care about rank, politics, or excuses. He cares about the work. He cares about his handler. He cares about the team. When the ramp drops or the door opens, that dog goes forward without needing to be convinced. That kind of loyalty rewires you.

So when we build a memorial to honor SOF K9s killed in action, it isn’t about “recognition.” It’s about respect. It’s about guarding the meaning of sacrifice.

The original intent of Constant Vigilance, SOF dogs killed in the line of duty, has been publicly described since the memorial’s unveiling, including that the pavers around the statue list SOF K9s killed in action.

The Pavers Are Not Decoration

The pavers aren’t landscaping. They are a roster of sacrifice.

When the public story says these stones are for SOF K9s killed in action, that becomes the expectation and the obligation.

That’s why this matters: when the criteria changes, or gets blurred, something else changes with it: the meaning.

Here’s the Problem

Let me be clear, because people love to twist this kind of message.

This is not disrespect toward military working dogs, patrol dogs, detection dogs, Border Patrol K9s, or law enforcement K9s who served honorably and died in the line of duty. Those dogs deserve honor, and their handlers deserve support.

But this memorial, this specific memorial, was created to honor SOF K9s killed in action.

In 2024, the SOF K9 Memorial Foundation dissolved and control shifted to the Airborne and Special Operations Museum, raising real concerns about how the memorial’s original intent will be protected going forward.

And here’s where it becomes personal: in my opinion, the standard has already been compromised by allowing pavers that do not meet the memorial’s stated purpose.

Police K9's Bulder and Figo

Two examples of what I’m talking about are K9 Bulder and K9 Figo, both law enforcement k9s, killed in the line of duty, both worthy of honor, and both not SOF K9s.

• K9 Bulder was a U.S. Border Patrol K9 who was shot and killed during a warrant service in El Paso, Texas (December 2019).

• K9 Figo was a Georgia State Patrol K9 who was shot and killed during the apprehension of a homicide suspect in Clayton County (October 7, 2022).

  
  

Let me say it plainly: I’m not saying those dogs don’t deserve a memorial. They do. I’m saying the SOF K9 Memorial—built around the words “Here we honor our SOF K9s that have paid the ultimate price”, is sacred ground with a specific purpose.

When we start placing non-SOF names into a SOF K9 killed-in-action memorial, we don’t “expand honor.” We dilute it. We blur the standard. And eventually, the memorial becomes something else entirely.

The SOF K9 Memorial pays tribute to the sacrifice of K9s from Special Operations Forces who paid the ultimate sacrifice. The Airborne and Special Operations Museum is disrespecting these K9's by allowing non SOF K9 pavers to be placed.

Why SOF K9 Duco Doesn’t Have a Paver

People have asked me why Duco doesn’t have a paver at the SOF K9 Memorial. The answer is simple: Duco did not die in combat. He served, he worked, and he earned his place in our lives forever, but the memorial’s inscription is clear about its purpose: honoring SOF K9s who paid the ultimate price.

And yes, museum staff told us we could add a paver for Duco. We chose not to, because this isn’t about what we can do. It’s about what we should do. If we’re going to demand standards for a sacred memorial, we have to live by those standards ourselves.

Say Their Names, Honoring Our Fallen SOF K9s

They say you die twice, once when you physically pass, and again when your name is spoken for the last time.

In honoring our fallen SOF K9s who paid the ultimate sacrifice, I say these names:

Iwan, Rocky, Arcos, Valco, Ties, Pepper, Bonky, Duke, Vinny, Boy, Atos, Ramon, Reno, Duke, Shadow, Bahco, Falco, Freddy, Blade, Conan, Spido, Nik, Sammy, Barbar, Nero, Youri, Eros, Cody, Nora, Jarco, Hunter, Djanga, Boy, Marco, Bohdi, Benno, Kaylo, Timo, Ape, Banan, Apollo, Shadow, Jani, Sandy, Roy, Merle, Iris, Maiko.

Fundraising For The "In Honor Of Duco" Project Silenced

Here’s another issue that needs daylight.

There are organizations doing real work to help SOF K9 handlers shoulder the burden the government does not cover, especially retired working dog medical care. The reality is brutal: there is no “Doggie VA,” and specialized care is expensive.

That is exactly why we built the In Honor of Duco Project in partnership with Scott’s Wish, to help ensure no SOF K9 handler has to make a medical decision about their retired teammate based on finances.

But the Airborne & Special Operations Museum Foundation has published policies that prohibit outside fundraising on museum property, allowing fundraising only for direct support of ASOM/ASOMF.

In my experience, that policy has been enforced in a way that shuts down even discussing outside efforts to support SOF K9s, efforts that exist specifically to take care of the dogs and handlers this memorial was built to honor.

And yes, when you’re told “don’t talk fundraising here,” and it’s backed by policy and threats of legal escalation, the message is clear: keep your mouth shut. 

Standards Protect Honor

In the training world, we don’t get results by “kind of” holding the standard. We don’t get survivability by being vague. We don’t get performance on demand by lowering the bar because it feels uncomfortable to say “no.”

Memorials work the same way.

A memorial is a promise. It tells the world: This means something, and we will protect what it means.

If we change who qualifies, without a separate space, separate criteria, separate story, we’re not being inclusive. We’re being careless.

And careless is how sacred things get slowly turned into background noise.

A Better Way Forward

If the goal is to honor more K9s, I support honoring more K9s, done the right way.

Here’s the solution that protects the SOF K9 Memorial while still allowing broader recognition:

1. Reaffirm the memorial standard in writing - The museum and ASOMF should publicly state that the “Constant Vigilance” SOF K9 Memorial exists to honor SOF K9s killed in action, consistent with the memorial’s inscription and original intent.

2. Create a separate, distinct K9 recognition area - Honor non-SOF K9s and other line-of-duty losses with a separate installation or paver area, so one mission doesn’t overwrite the other.

3. Establish a review process that includes SOF K9 handlers - If you’re going to manage a SOF K9 memorial, then SOF K9 representation needs to be part of protecting the criteria.

4. Publish clear paver criteria and verification - No ambiguity. No “exceptions” that become the new rule.

   
   

That’s not bureaucracy. That’s stewardship.

Take Action

If you agree this memorial should remain true to its purpose, speak up, professionally and respectfully. Don’t attack staff. Don’t threaten anyone. Just demand the standard be protected.

Call or email the museum/ASOM Foundation:

• ASOMF Main Line: (910) 643-2778 

• ASOMF Email: info@asomf.org 

• Museum Director contact (U.S. Army CMH listing): james.bartlinski.civ@mail.mil 

  
  

What to say (copy/paste script):“Hello, my name is ______. I’m calling because I support the Airborne & Special Operations Museum, and I’m asking you to protect the integrity of the SOF K9 Memorial ‘Constant Vigilance.’ The memorial’s inscription states it honors SOF K9s who paid the ultimate price. Please publish clear criteria for pavers at that memorial, reaffirm that it is reserved for SOF K9s killed in action, and create a separate recognition area for non-SOF K9s so the memorial’s original purpose is not diluted.”

Closing

“Constant Vigilance” isn’t just a name. It’s a reminder that vigilance is required, not only in combat, but in how we honor those who fought beside us.

If we won’t protect the meaning of a memorial built for SOF K9s killed in action, then we’re telling the next generation that standards don’t matter, and that sacrifice can be repurposed when it’s convenient.

I’m not willing to accept that. And neither should you. - Rick and SOF K9 Duco (5 July 2021)

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Rick Hogg is the owner and primary instructor of War HOGG Tactical, Inc., a North Carolina–based training company that travels nationwide delivering firearms and tactical instruction. A 29-year U.S. Army Special Operations combat veteran, SOF K9 handler, and former Special Forces Advanced Urban Combat Course (SFAUC) instructor, Rick applies decades of operational and instructional experience to a building-block training methodology focused on mastering the fundamentals of marksmanship and producing repeatable shooting performance on demand under stress.