HOWELL – Local author and former sergeant in the Marine K-9 unit, Alfred Brenner, released a book recalling his service in Afghanistan, including his injury by an IED.
The story follows him and his K-9 partner, Grief, as they try to navigate the dangerous landscape of war in the Middle East. The book is titled “Surviving With Grief: The Story of How a Marine and His Dog Survived The Everyday Battles of War,” which represents a double meaning for not only the tragic events he witnessed during his time overseas, but also the K-9 partner he shared them with.
Brenner, a graduate of St. Rose, completed Marine boot camp at Parris Island after graduating high school in 2007. In 2008, he attended military police school and was selected to become a K-9 handler. He was sent to Military Working Dog School in Lackland AFB, San Antonio, for proper K-9 training. He and his K-9 partner, a German shepherd named Grief, would train together until they were deployed together in 2010. Their deployment coincided with one of the biggest K-9 deployments in US military history.
During one of his missions, Brenner was injured by an IED that was mounted into the side of a wall. Brenner’s injuries required immediate evacuation, and he was sent back to the States to receive many different surgeries that required months of recovery therapy. Grief, who was Brenner’s partner throughout his entire time in Afghanistan, was killed by the IED. Brenner received Grief’s ashes after the fact so that he could always have a piece of his partner with him.
“Whenever somebody gets hurt or injured during battle, we have to call in a nine-line, which is a call over the radio requesting medical evacuation,” Brenner told The Howell Times. “When they called it in, I was able to hear it, and they said they had one wounded in action and one killed in action. It was at that moment that I put it together.”
While he was aware that Grief had likely passed due to the explosion, the reality that he lost his partner did not set in until he was at a hospital in the States, and he saw a picture on Facebook of him and Grief. It was at that moment that Brenner broke down into tears. Brenner’s injuries and recovery process paled in comparison to the pain of losing Grief.
Despite the tragedies that transpire during the book and the hardship he endured after his time overseas, Brenner stresses that this is, overall, a hopeful and happier story in the end. Despite everything that transpired throughout his service, despite the pain of losing Grief, and despite the long recovery process, he is still finding a way to navigate life’s hardships every day. Despite everything he has endured, he has found a way to keep going. That is the main message he hopes to resonate with his readers.
“Surviving With Grief” is available for pickup/ order on sites like Amazon and Google Books. For any other inquiries about the book or about Brenner himself, people are encouraged to check out the website that goes by the same name. More about the book can also be found on social media sites like TikTok and Instagram.
