Georgia National Guardsman Chris Duke was serving in Afghanistan when he came across three stray dogs. He took them under his wing.

He named them Sasha, Target, and Rufus. Being with the dogs served as a great escape for Chris and his fellow soldiers whenever they were homesick.

One night, a suicide bomber strapped with explosives tried to get into Chris’s barracks. The dogs barked and attacked the bomber, keeping the bomber out of the barracks. The bomber blew himself up, but did so outside of the barracks, saving all 50 soldiers inside.

Unfortunately, one of the dogs, Sasha, didn’t make it. The other two, Target and Rufus, suffered injuries but fully recovered.

After returning home to the United States, Chris was worried that something might happen to Target and Rufus, who were left behind in Afghanistan. He thought that they might not receive the same care that he had given them.

Chris wrote a letter to a veteran’s assistance group, and ended up raising $21,000 — enough to bring the dogs to the U.S.

Chris now has Rufus, while another soldier took Target.

Watch the video below for the full story.