Dog handler’s homegrown values, environment mirror her K-9 career

Published May 22, 2013
By Master Sgt. Leisa Grant
Air Force Central Command Public Affairs

FORWARD OPERATING BASE PASAB, Afghanistan -- It's 6 p.m. and Chrach (pronounced Crash), a military working dog, is anticipating his evening meal. His handler has been feeding him twice daily for more than a year, since the two became a team. She is used to this routine, but not because she is his handler.

Air Force Staff Sgt. Jessie Johnson, a military working dog handler currently assigned to the U.S. Army 3rd Infantry Division Canine unit here, was born into an "animal house" and all the responsibilities of training the animals, playing with them, taking them to the vet and feeding them.

Some people have dogs for protection, for comfort or for show. But for Johnson and her younger sister, they were raised by a single parent. The dogs and horses were an important part of their upbringing in rural Pennsylvania.

"I always made sure my daughters treated animals kindly and the importance of taking care of the animals," said Robin Keller, Johnson's mother who often worked two full-time jobs so her daughters could enjoy a comfortable life.

Keller's parents taught her to treat both people and animals with kindness and respect, and later Johnson would instill the same values in her own children.

Fortunately, Johnson's grandparents lived nearby and were able to help out. Still, the kids had a great deal of responsibility and independence.

"At a really young age, my sister and I learned to take care of the animals and each other," Johnson said.

With this much exposure to animals, it may have seemed fitting for Johnson to become a dog handler when she joined the military. However, back then it was not a seamless process. Her love of dogs would not be enough alone. If so, more people would be canine handlers. Another homegrown value from mom would come to light.

"When you start something, you should always finish it," Keller said, adding that she instilled this in her daughters along with the notion that there was nothing they couldn't accomplish so long as they set their minds on doing it, and doing it well, beginning to end.

The start of Johnson's canine career didn't officially take place until five years after joining the Air Force.

Because of her long-time yearning to work with a K-9 team, Johnson made it a point to immerse herself in their world as much as she could while she worked as a security forces journeyman at the 820th Security Forces Squadron, Moody Air Force Base, Ga.

While there, she took the initiative to visit the kennels and introduce herself as someone, not only interested in joining the team, but willing to stay involved regularly with all aspects of caring for the dogs. Being a part of the feeding, grooming and training for about 20 dogs was nothing new for her, albeit a few more paws and wagging tails then she was used to all at once. There was one task she had to do to prove she could truly become a dog handler, one that simply not all can do.

"The big part was going out and catching the dogs, putting on the bite-suit and letting them bite me, and making sure I was comfortable with that," she said.

Furthermore, when her unit deployed she was selected to go out on patrols with the K-9 teams. For this, Johnson said she considered herself lucky and the experiences solidified her interest and determination even more so to become a dog handler.

"I got to see how [the dogs] led the troops and how everyone pretty much relied on their dogs to walk safely down a roadway," she said, recalling how amazed she was by this and that right then, she knew this was the job for her.

"That's what I want to do," Johnson said.

Soon after, she submitted a package with letters, memorandums, documentation of volunteer hours and various other required items. Just like her mom taught her, she was going to follow through and this meant all the way through - long after being selected, through the thickness of intense training, mission after mission.

Being a MWD handler demands a great deal of constant effort - ability to communicate effectively, displaying a high level of professionalism, remaining patient and calm under pressure, and perhaps most important at times, maintaining a high level of fitness.

"It's easy for dog handlers to become lazy," Johnson said, adding that teams can come here and do the bare minimum, but the laziness will reflect in their dogs and ultimately in the team.

"There is always something you can train your dog on, always something you can getter better at," she said. "It's really up to the handler to make the team."

Air Force Master Sgt. Jantzen Duran, kennel master and noncommissioned officer in charge of 3rd ID canine teams here, has the responsibility of selecting the most suitable teams for each mission. Whether the they are called to clear compounds of suspected caches, make roadways or helicopter landing zones safe or join air assault missions, they all have one thing in common - no room for error and no excuses for falling out.

"Being conditioned and having your dog conditioned is really important," Johnson said, adding that they can easily fall back during missions, which is why she strives so hard to keep both her and Chrach is top condition.

Johnson and Chrach are often called on for missions as a top MWD team here, but Duran knew this before they arrived.

"I attended training with [Johnson] prior to our deployment and she was by far the best handler of thirteen dog teams there," he said. "She was awarded Top Dog Award not only for her actions as a handler, but also her actions as an NCO.

"Being deployed with mostly Army, I couldn't ask for a better NCO to represent the Air Force."

Duran is not the only one who draws this conclusion about Johnson.

At the 56 SFS, her home station at Luke AFB, Ariz., her leadership quickly noticed her strong character and capitalized on it.

"Jessie's unique personality and great attitude made her stand out amongst her peers," said Capt. Tony Short, 56 SFS operations officer, adding that from the beginning it was evident with a little pushing and quality training Johnson would become one of the best handlers in the unit.

"In the first months she was eager to learn and excelled," he said, adding that she moved through the responsibilities and roles of being a new handler to an experienced one quickly. And when she is not deployed, she applies her same personality and professionalism in preparing new handlers for combat environments, just like the one here.

Whether new or old, on a combat mission or training stateside, the handlers aren't the only ones doing the schooling.

"The dogs teach you something every day," Johnson said. "There is never a time you can say you've taught a dog everything or that a handler knows everything. I learn every day."

With a hearty smile she admits the K-9 world is like no other, and enjoys the challenges and the camaraderie that come with the job.

"I've never been so happy to want to go to work," she said.