Army sergeant and his dog awarded Bronze Star

FORT GORDON - An Army Sergeant and his partner, a four-year-old Belgian Malinois dog, each were awarded a Bronze Star for their service in Afghanistan from April through October of last year. <br> <br> The ceremony Wednesday was a first for Fort Gordon&#39;s commander, Brigadier General Janet Hicks. <br> <br> She said she had not pinned a Bronze Star on a soldier before as she presented the medals to Sergeant Matthew Hammond of Fort Gordon&#39;s 35th Military Police Detachment and his dog, Donja. <br> <br> Hammond and Donja&#39;s chief duties in Afghanistan were to check for explosives in packages and vehicles and to do some crowd control. <br> <br> On one occasion, Donja began sniffing a vehicle and sat down, a sign she had found something. <br> <br> Hammond said, ``Every time a bomb dog sits, I get a little nervous.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> Further inspection found C-4 explosive residue and other bomb-making items under the carpet of the car. Authorities also discovered that the driver of the vehicle was wanted in Pakistan for murder.