EDD Sarbi in Afghanistan

Sarbi was an explosive detection dog (EDD) trained to detect improvised explosive devices. She went missing when a joint US, Australian and Afghan vehicle convoy in Afghanistan was ambushed by the Taliban, and a rocket exploded near her. It was for his actions in this ambush that SAS Trooper Mark Donaldson was awarded the Victoria Cross. In November 2009, year Sarbi was reunited with the Australian Forces after being listed as missing in action for almost 14 months. She may have lived with the Taliban during this period. In 2010 Charles Green and Lyndell Brown created this painting in their Melbourne studio as a response to the story of Sarbi's return. The painting is recreated from a photograph they took in Afghanistan during their 2007 tour as official war artists. Brown and Green were captivated by Sarbi's dramatic story and by the media interest and strong public sentiment it aroused. The artists took many photographs of the EDD dogs and their handlers. Brown and Green have always been fascinated by the close bonds the dogs form with their handlers, and the fact that the dogs often come from pounds and are selected because of their intense interest in the games that are used to train them.