After joining the Australian Army at the age of 17, Shane Bryant eventually fulfilled his ambition to qualify as an explosive detection dog handler. In 2006 he took a job in Afghanistan as a civilian dog handler contracted to provide support to the US Army and other coalition military forces. He currently splits his time between Kabul and Port Kembla, where he lives with his partner, Nat, five children, and a Staffordshire Terrier named Tyra.