In 2008 Treo and his handler Sergeant Heyhoe were deployed to Afghanistan, becoming one of 25 dogs supporting British troops there.[6] On 1 August 2008 Treo found an IED, called a daisy chain because of the way multiple explosive devices are wired together, concealed by Taliban insurgents along the side of a road. In September 2008 he found a second daisy chain, both times saving the lives of British soldiers as well as civilians.[citation needed] His success at detecting IEDs did not go unnoticed by the insurgents, and intercepted radio traffic included conversations about "the black dog."[7] He retired in August 2009 and was awarded the Dickin Medal in February 2010 at the Imperial War Museum in London.[3]