05/26/2026
50 combat missions.
One tunnel.
One terrorist.
Conan went in. Al-Baghdadi didn't come out.
SOF Conan was a Belgian Malinois assigned to U.S. Army Delta Force. From 2015 onward, he deployed four times across multiple countries in the Middle East alongside his handler — through some of the most dangerous special operations missions in the world.
On October 26, 2019, in Barisha, Syria — Operation Kayla Mueller. The target: Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, leader of ISIS, the most wanted man on earth.
As Delta Force closed in on the compound, Baghdadi fled into an underground tunnel. Clad in a su***de vest. Using his own children as shields.
Conan went in after him.
Inside the tunnel, an electrical trap had been set — wires running through the water on the floor. Conan hit it first. He absorbed the shock so his handlers didn't have to. His unit was alerted to the danger. They stayed back.
Cornered. No way out. Conan closing in.
Baghdadi detonated his vest. He killed himself and five members of his own family.
Conan survived.
He came out of that tunnel.
On November 25, 2019 — President Trump honored Conan at the White House. He knelt beside him. He called him a wonderful dog. A special medal — one of a kind, akin to the Medal of Honor — was presented in recognition of what Conan had done.
His handler said it simply:
"He was like a part of my family — both my military family and my family at home."
Conan retired and went home with the man he had served beside for years. He lived the life he had earned — warm, safe, loved.
In November 2023, Conan passed away from cancer and injuries sustained during his years of service.
His handler's final words for him:
"Fearless Warrior."
Two words. Everything.
End of Watch. SOF Conan. Delta Force. United States Army.
50 missions. One tunnel. One terrorist.
He came out. Al-Baghdadi didn't.
November 2023.
Fearless Warrior. Always. 🐾
