A CAT’S NOSE KNOWS
The Incredible Story of Lucca, the Explosive-Detecting Dog Who Saved Lives Sometimes, dogs are more than just a
the Marines were restationing him at the Marine Security Guard School. But before he had to leave, he was allowed to choose a new handler for Lucca. Willingham chose Corporal Juan Rodriguez, whom he sensed was the perfect match for Lucca. And he was right. Lucca and Rodriguez picked up where she and Willingham left off until one day in 2012. The pair were four hours into their patrol in southern Afghanistan when Lucca located her second IED of the day. However, when she moved closer to the device to lie down — it exploded. Rodriguez quickly ran to Lucca, where he discovered she had lost one of her front paws in the explosion. He applied first aid, a tourniquet, and called for a medevac, never leaving her side. She had suffered burns to her neck and torso, and doctors had to amputate her front left leg.
man’s best friend — they are heroes. When the Israel Defense Forces brought Chris Willingham, a Marine specializing in training military dogs, a small German shepherd and Belgian Malinois mix puppy in 2006, he knew she was special. Willingham named her Lucca, and in 2008, the pair deployed for their first tour in Iraq, where they spent countless hours together searching for improvised explosive devices or IEDs. When Lucca smelled a bomb, she’d lie down and wait for Willingham, an action they repeated so many times that the pair seemed to read each other’s minds. In fact, the duo became so successful that when platoons suspected they were heading into especially dangerous territory, they requested the team by name.
However, in less than a month, Lucca was back to running around with the same spirit as before her injury but was now retired from her day job. She was reunited with Willingham and lived the rest of her days with him and his family peacefully until her passing in 2018. Lucca led more than 400 patrols during three combat tours in her career. She found 40 confirmed insurgents and countless explosives, and she never had a single human casualty during her six years of service.
After returning from their second tour in Iraq, Willingham received orders that
How Tailgating Can Lead to Serious Consequences STAY BACK AND STAY SAFE
As college and professional football is underway, people are coming together to tailgate before cheering on their favorite sports team. On top of hanging out with friends and family, you get to eat great food, listen to music, play games, and connect with other sports fans. But while tailgating for games is fun, tailgating drivers on the road is another thing entirely — and a serious offense. Here’s what you need to know. Because of California’s busy and fast-paced roadways, commercial drivers are held to a higher safety standard to protect themselves and other road users. An essential part of a truck driver’s role includes maintaining a safe following distance when driving behind other vehicles. If a law enforcement officer sees you following too closely behind an automobile, they could issue a traffic citation, heavy penalties, and driver disqualification under federal regulations. WHAT IS CONSIDERED A SAFE FOLLOWING DISTANCE? Because you’re in charge of a massive vehicle that weighs up to 80,000 pounds, tractor-trailers require significantly more distance than other motorized vehicles. According to DOT FMCSA, if the vehicle in front of you is driving 40 mph or less, the minimum following distance is one second for every 10
feet of vehicle length. For truckers, this results in four seconds between you and the car in front of you.
If a vehicle is traveling faster than 40 mph, you should apply an additional second. This means you should have a 6–7-second following distance under normal road and traffic conditions. WHAT ARE THE PENALTIES FOR TAILGATING? California Vehicle Code Section 21703 says, “The driver of a motor vehicle shall not follow another vehicle more closely than is reasonable and prudent, having due regard for the speed of such vehicle and the traffic upon, and the condition of, the roadway.” If you’re caught tailgating, you will get a traffic infraction, fines, and 1.5 NOTS points on your driving record. Tailgating is considered a serious offense, and if you receive a second serious offense charge within three years of the first citation, you can receive a 60-day driver disqualification. Tailgating in a commercial vehicle is a serious issue, resulting in significant state and federal penalties. To protect yourself and your livelihood, always maintain a safe following distance, and seek expert legal counsel if you are charged with this offense.
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