Creatures replaced humans on the front page of The Canberra Times on February 6, 1986, after news broke out about Australia's longest-serving dog being handed to the Canadians.
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Warrant Officer Mate was a bedouin dog given to the RAAF contingent by Arab tribesmen.
He became the longest-serving member of the Australian contingent of the Multinational Fix this textForce and Observers group in the Sinai.
Adopted as the contingent mascot, Mate had become known to all Australians and New Zealanders who have served in the group, raised to help supervise the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Egyptian positions they had occupied since 1967.
Warrant Officer Mate was handed over to the Canadian contingent which took over the Australian responsibility for operating helicopters along the withdrawal lines.
Even though he was being left behind, Warrant Officer Mate had at least one entitlement which none of the other Australian Multinational Force and Observers MFO members had.
Like the others, he was presented with the MFO medal and ribbon and was allowed to wear the decoration, unlike his human friends who were refused permission to include the MFO ribbon in their dress.
