K-9 teams serve as force multiplier

  • Published
  • By 1st Lt. Rusty Ridley
  • 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
SOUTHWEST ASIA --  When you enter most duty sections in a deployed environment, you're typically not greeted with barking. If you didn't know any better, you might think you were at the veterinarian's office.

However, Airmen assigned to the 332nd Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron K-9 Division at an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia wouldn't have it any other way.

K-9 teams serve as a force multiplier because of the dogs' acute senses of sight, smell and hearing.

"As a K-9 handler, you're given the mission as a whole and you're directed to fill the gaps," said Staff Sgt. Steven Owen, 332nd ESFS military working dog handler and native of Kansas City, Kan. "It's beneficial to the mission because we can control an entire area with the dogs' eyes and noses alone. It allows us to see the unseen outside of the wire."

Even when they're off duty, MWD handlers spend as much time with their dogs as possible.

"You'll have some deployed situations where you are with your dog 24/7," said Tech. Sgt. Travis Hofmann, 332nd ESFS kennel master, who is a native of Sanborn, Minn.

Because they didn't replace anyone, Hofmann and his team had to create a plan and rely on their experiences.

"We had the opportunity to write how things are done our own way," said Hofmann who is deployed from Peterson Air Force Base, Colo., and worked with his leadership to determine the scope of their mission.

Dogs and their handlers conduct foot patrols, routine checks of on-base buildings, perimeter sweeps, vehicle inspections and other anti-terrorism measures. Dogs are trained to be a watchful eye and detect aggressive movement. Hofmann said the mere presence of dogs on base acts as a deterrent.

Situations on base dictate the mission, but training stays consistent.

"We always train for real-world situations--stateside and in a deployed location," said Tech. Sgt. Herbert Frost, 332nd ESFS MWD trainer deployed from Sheppard AFB, Texas, and native of Hampden, Maine. "We try to keep everyone in the same mentality."

German shepherds and Belgian Malinois receive initial training at Lackland AFB, Texas, when they are between 12 and 36 months.

It can be easy to build an attachment with their canine co-workers, but handlers will ultimately be assigned to several dogs throughout their careers. This helps with handlers new to the career field being paired with an experienced dog and experienced handlers can help train a K-9 just out of the schoolhouse.

MWD personnel change duty stations, but dogs are assigned to bases allowing for continuity at home stations and consistency for deployments.

"The bond that we have is a mandatory bond," said Owen, who is deployed from Offutt AFB, Neb. "You have to know him and he has to know you and know what you want out of him at a moment's notice. So the bond you have and the capabilities to speak to that dog and give him the direct order or command at a moment's notice are very key to the mission."