Four-Legged
Defenders Sniff Out Trouble
By Eric Schloeffel
AFPS
 |
Airman 1st Class Ryan Wasson, 506th Expeditionary Security
Forces Squadron military working dog handler, holds his dog
Charlie back from Staff Sgt. Kevin Nelson, 506th ESFS military
working dog trainer, during a recent training event here.
Air Force dog handlers at Kirkuk are assigned to either 506th
Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron or 732nd Expeditionary
Security Forces Squadron. Both squadrons have separate kennels
and missions.
Photo
by Eric Schloeffel / U.S.
Air Force Photo |
KIRKUK REGIONAL
AIR BASE, Iraq — Prompted by a few words
of command by his handler, military working dog Charlie sprints ahead and
attacks a simulated enemy during a training session.
For Charlie, a German shepherd deployed here, this attack is
no less a priority than if it were a real insurgent attempting
to harm coalition forces. Despite
temperatures hovering near the century mark, Charlie makes no bones about
pushing his paws to the limit for the seemingly small reward
of some praise from his
handler.
"The
dog sees everything he does here as a game," said Air
Force Tech. Sgt. Patrick Carroll, 732nd Expeditionary Security
Forces Squadron military working dog handler. "Even when
the dog does have a big find, the dog never sees it as work.
Seeking a reward and praise from their handler is the primary
reason the dogs do the work for us."
While these
military working dogs may be unable to comprehend their important
contribution to the global war on terrorism while playing "the
game," their capabilities are vital to the safety of coalition
forces both inside and outside the base perimeter.
Air Force
dog handlers at Kirkuk are assigned to either 506th Expeditionary
Security Forces Squadron or 732nd Expeditionary Security Forces
Squadron. Both squadrons have separate kennels and missions.
 |
Air Force Staff Sgt. Kevin Nelson, 506th Expeditionary
Security Forces Squadron military working dog trainer, practices
techniques with his dog Charlie during a recent training
event. Air Force dog handlers at Kirkuk are assigned to either
506th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron or 732nd Expeditionary
Security Forces Squadron. Both squadrons have separate kennels
and missions.
Photo by
Eric Schloeffel / U.S.
Air Force Photo |
The 506th ESFS
military working dog team conducts missions with the goal of protecting
the more than 5,000 coalition forces personnel who reside at the
base. While working inside base confines, 506th ESFS military working
dogs conduct frequent patrols and assist security forces airmen
at entry control points.
"Explosive
detection is one of the main things we do with the dogs," said
Air Force Staff Sgt. Kevin Nelson, 506th ESFS military working
dog trainer. "The dogs are also trained to protect, deter,
identify and apprehend any unauthorized personnel or contraband.
Basically, the dogs prevent anything from getting on base that
isn’t supposed to be here."
The 732nd
ESFS team typically works with the U.S. Army’s 1st Brigade,
10th Mountain Division, during the brigade’s missions outside
the wire in the city of Kirkuk and surrounding areas.
Similar to
the 506th ESFS, the 732nd ESFS military working dog team frequently
is on the lookout for explosives during its missions. The team
is composed of airmen filling "in-lieu of" taskings
— U.S. Army positions augmented by the Air Force.
"Everything
we do in this capacity is outside the wire," said Carroll,
who is deployed from Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii.
The 732nd
ESFS team conducts a wide range of missions that include raids,
cache searches and vehicle searches. The team’s missions can
last for more than 10 days outside the wire, Carroll said.
Carroll is
not new to the military working dog career field, but he said
he feels his current deployment is unlike anything he’s ever
seen.
"People
can tell you what you’re getting into, but after leaving that
gate you realize it’s different than anything you’ve ever seen," he
said. "But I build on each and every mission, and it’s
been satisfying to help assist the Army mission with Air Force
canines."
Carroll,
who volunteered for the position, said soldiers have helped
his transition into the Army’s working environment.
"The
Army has made me very comfortable incorporating the dogs into
their mission," he said. "I’ve been working with
canines for more than 12 years now, but nothing comes close
to what I’ve seen here. Working outside the wire with the Army
has been a very rewarding opportunity."
To accomplish
such a wide variety of missions both on and off the base, dog
handlers rely on the keen senses of their canines, Air Force
Tech. Sgt. Andrew Esparza, 506th ESFS kennel master, said.
"A dog’s
scent is far more advanced than a human’s," said Esparza,
who is deployed from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz. "In
comparison, humans can’t distinguish the individual ingredients
when we smell a pizza. [Dogs] can smell the cheese, pepperoni,
oregano and all of the other ingredients individually."
Each handler
typically has his or her own assigned dog during a deployment.
These dogs often travel with their handler from the United
States, and spend much of their deployment patrolling and sharpening
their skills.
Since handlers
spend so many of their hours with the dogs, the commonly known
bond between "man and his best friend" often forms,
said Nelson, who is deployed from Hill Air Force Base, Utah.
"You
can’t help being attached to the dogs; they depend on you," he
said. "You are completely responsible for the dog’s health
and safety. But you also always have a partner that will lay
down their life for you – these dogs aren’t scared of guns,
knives or anything else. They are extremely loyal.
"For
us, a dog is similar to another person on the team," the
sergeant added. "The dog is treated the same as if they
are an airman, because the dog won’t be any good at his job
if we don’t take great care of him."
Carroll’s
dog sleeps in his bedroom, thus making their relationship an
around-the-clock endeavor, seven days a week.
"There
is definitely a bond that forms when you live with a dog every
day for six months," Carroll said. "My dog, Jack,
makes the time away from my family not as bad."
While military
working dogs will never receive retirement checks or re-enlistment
bonuses for their abilities to sniff out weapons caches, these
canines are a vital and valued capability in the deployed environment.
"These
dogs are basically tools that we use to help save lives," Carroll
said. "I know for a fact that my dogs have found weapon
caches that would’ve otherwise been used against coalition
forces. Whether it’s protecting the base from within or going
off base, these dogs play a major part in helping to keep us
safe."