When a Marine returned home from Afghanistan, he discovered a new struggle at home with PTSD. 

So, he began his journey, the search of a lifetime, to find his partner from the battlefield. 

For Lance Corporal David Pond, the wait was longer than the war. 

“I think people have this perception that it’s 30-year-old men that fight wars,” Pond said. “It’s not. It’s 19-year-old kids.”

In Afghanistan, his mission was dangerous. He was charged with searching for roadside bombs with his partner, a Belgian Malinois named Pablo. 

“It was love at first sight,” Pond said. 

One mistake, one missed scent, could be catastrophic. 

“He was my rock, my foundation,” Pond said. “All I know was how to be deployed with this dog. No more. No less.” 

When Pond returned home to Colorado in 2001, he found a different battle: PTSD. 

He needed his new friend more than ever, but Pablo was then working at a Marine base in Georgia. 

Pond started a new mission to adopt him. 

He collected more than 187,000 signatures in an online petition. 

Finally, his wait was over. 

His partner is now officially retired and reunited. 

“I don’t have kids, but it’s my son,” Pond said. “It’s the closest thing to a son I have.” 

Mission: accomplished. 

(Copyright (c) 2015 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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