Vet Reunited with War Dog Who Saved His Life ‘More Times Than I Can Count’

War dog N641 Cena wasn’t just Marine Lance Cpl. Jeffrey DeYoung’s best friend during a dangerous deployment in Afghanistan.

Cena, an explosive-detection dog, saved DeYoung’s and other Marines’ lives “probably more times than I can count,”  DeYoung told the Detroit Free Press. Inextricably linked even when apart, the two came face-to-face after four years in a sloppy-wet, tail wagging reunion at the Detroit Metropolitan Airport Thursday morning, cementing their bond.

DeYoung’s daughters – Hayden, 3, and Marliegh, 2 – were at their dad’s side for the emotional reunion. “Because of you,” he reportedly said, whispering in the dog’s ear, “I got to have them.”

Cena licked his face in return.

DeYoung is adopting dog, who he calls “Chicken” because of the Cena's skittish behavior after detecting an explosive. The dog had seen an explosive detonate and learned a valuable lesson about backing away.

“It's all my Christmases rolled into one," he told MLive/The Grand Rapids Press. "I dreamed of this for four years and now it's happening.”

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The two met in training at Smithfield, VA in July 2009, shipped out to Afghanistan together three months later and and served together until DeYoung’s deployment ended in April 2010.

DeYoung didn’t get to say goodbye on the advice of his superiors, and he’s been consumed with worry since, the anxiety heightening his symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

When DeYoung’s tour was over, Cena trained with another handler and was re-deployed.

When they learned Cena was retiring, DeYoung’s wife, Lindsay, encouraged the adoption.

“I know when he got back, he had a lot of separation issues,” she said. “I think it’s going to be really good for him.”