New kennel to open

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. James M. Hodgman
  • 55th Wing Public Affairs
OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb. --  Offutt's military working dogs are highly trained canines who patrol the base with their handlers nearly 24 hours a day, assisting with random anti-terrorism measures, searching for explosives and narcotics, and yes, biting with or without command when necessary.

For the past six months, a handful of these four-legged warriors have called a house in Capehart housing home. Soon however, they'll have a home they can be proud of.
A new Offutt kennel is set to open Nov. 18 with each individual kennel measuring 10 feet by 12 feet. It will also have two isolation kennels, so injured or sick dogs can be properly cared for, as well as an air mitigation system, and more storage and office space than the previous kennel.

Each MWD will also have a brick dog house inside his or her individual area.
It's important to ensure Offutt's MWDs are properly taken care of and the new kennel was badly needed, said Lt. Col. Brian A. Barthel, 55th Security Forces Squadron commander.
With the old facility, handlers had issues with mold, poor drainage, climate control and safety concerns, the colonel said.

But, thanks to $750,000 in renovations, the new kennel, "(will provide) better care for our MWDs who provide critical explosive, narcotics and patrol capability for the base (populous) and protection level assets," Colonel Barthel said.

One handler is relieved to know that Offutt's canines will soon have a satisfactory home.
Tech. Sgt. William Thomas III, 55th SFS MWD trainer and a handler for the past five years, said the old kennel was supposed to be a temporary facility and it presented numerous problems.

The walls weren't insulated, the ceiling leaked in the winter, water permeated the walls and the floors weren't sloped to assist with drainage, which caused the drains to back up often, Sergeant Thomas explained.

Severe weather also presented obstacles.

"When we received severe weather warnings, we had to load the dogs into a trailer and take them on base to shelter them in the Martin Bomber Building," Sergeant Thomas said. This was extremely dangerous, he added, especially with the cold weather Nebraska can experience.

"Our dogs are vital to the mission, not just here but (when) we deploy with them," Sergeant Thomas said. The training and care they receive here prepares them to accomplish the global mission.

Every day, Sergeant Thomas added, MWDs are conducting sweeps at various locations on base, patrolling the fenceline, conducting vehicle inspections and if necessary, keeping watch of a suspect during a search.

For these reasons, and many more, Sergeant Thomas is thrilled to know a new kennel will be opening soon.

The new kennel, which will house up to 10 MWDs, will be a welcome change for Sergeant Thomas, his fellow handlers and most importantly, their dogs.

"The new kennel is a hardened facility so we'll have the ability to shelter in place, the air changing system is awesome, because it will change the air inside the kennel every 30 seconds which (will) help avoid mildew buildup, prevent condensation buildup and provide a better environment for the dogs," Sergeant Thomas said.

If that isn't enough, the remodeled home will feature heated floors and approximately four times the storage space of the previous kennel.

Colonel Barthel said he's very thankful for everyone who had a hand in making the new kennel a reality.

"I want to thank the senior leadership on this base for all the support and funding," he said. "These military members, and members of our Air Force, provide a very important and often forgotten service to our base, community and nation; we'll now be able to give them the home they deserve."