I’m Staff Sgt. Kristina Dennison, a 386th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron K-9 handler. I am deployed from the 4th Security Forces Squadron at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina.

As a K-9 handler, I am responsible for the care and training of the military working dog, Gina. This contributes to combat operations abroad and installation security by providing explosive target odor detection. By using the training I provide, Gina can sniff out improvised explosive devices, illegally-cached weapons, and even possible suspects. The best part of my mission is continuing to learn. Every day is a training day for the handlers and the dogs as we continue to build on our skills and practice our proficiency. Another great part of the mission is working hand in hand with our security forces counterparts, it keeps camaraderie high.

Being deployed versus being at home station has a lot of the same operations with K-9. One difference is the heat. My job is to make sure Gina is getting a rest cycle and is 100 percent healthy. Her working temperature is 102.5 and with the heat index around 120 it has me checking her temperature more frequently.

The biggest challenge I face in my mission is the heat. The concrete shoots the temperature up 30 degrees so we have dog boots to help prevent her paws from getting burnt. This week we will be losing a second dog team due to medical issues, which puts our manning at risk. To overcome this, the Air Force is sending a team from another deployed location. We manage to embrace the change by being a tight-knit K-9 family and pushing through it together.

Some of my professional goals are to get selected for the MWD trainer’s course, and also to do a special duty assignment within the next four years. My personal goals include finishing my bachelor’s degree within the next two to three years in Homeland Security, and possibly going to officer training school.