The black German shepherd's handler was Air Force Staff Sergeant Brent Olson, and the two worked together in Afghanistan. During a mission to clear a hostile village, Olson got hit in the arm by shrapnel, and Blek went deaf. A helicopter arrived to take Olson away, but a crew member told Olson that Blek couldn't come. Olson refused to go if Blek couldn't accompany him. "There's no way I'm leaving my dog," Olson told the crew member. The dog was allowed to go, and though Blek is still deaf, Olson officially adopted him.
