The Few. The Proud. The Kitten Rescuers.

Life can be treacherous for everyone living in a war zone. Homeless dogs have been gunned down in Baghdad, and there are even rumors that the Taliban are training monkeys to use guns. (Hey, I said that it’s a rumor.) But thanks to a few big-hearted Marines, two lucky cats, now named Kiki and Keykey, have been rescued from a dangerous area in Afghanistan.

When Lance Cpl. Chris Berry, Cpl. Brian Chambers, and Lance Cpl. Aaron Shaw of the U.S. Marine Corps noticed that some homeless cats were hanging around their base, they took the animals in and nursed them back to health, letting the cats sleep with them in the barracks. Then the men arranged for the cats to be transported to the U.S. to live with their families.

PETA is presenting each Marine with a Compassionate Action Award and is also offering to reimburse the cost of having Kiki and Keykey neutered in order to prevent more kittens from ending up homeless. Check out the photos of these Marines and their lucky rescues for further proof that real men are kind to animals!

Written by Lindsay Pollard-Post