KABUL, Afghanistan --
NATO-led Resolute Support advisors from the U.S. and Denmark are working with the Afghan Air Force to implement a training plan that builds the capabilities of Afghan military working dog handlers as they develop a relationship with their dogs and advance their technical skills to better secure the Afghan Air Force.
"My primary responsibility is to help the Afghans establish their military working dog program,” said Tech. Sgt. Joshua Giles, Train, Advise, and Assist Command-Air (TAAC-Air) advisor. "We want to help establish their program with working dogs, establishing security, and conducting missions so at the end of the day years down the road they're capable of doing that on their own.”
The dogs were presented to the Afghan Air Force with training and guidance from Resolute Support advisors, in order to expand the capabilities of the Afghan Air Force.
"[Having the dogs] is a force multiplier adding to what the security team can provide to the base,” said Giles.
But the dogs’ mere presence is only half of the equation, it takes dedicated Afghans willing to work with and train the dogs.
"I joined the team voluntarily and am very excited to be a dog handler,” said Mustafa, Afghan Air Force military working dog handler. "I am really happy that I am entrusted to be a dog handler.”
The capabilities military working dogs bring to the table exceeds just the handler and the dog.
"We are really happy to have the dogs because the job the dog performs is one that humans are not able to do,” Mustafa said. "My job is really helpful and fruitful for the Afghan Air Force. Now we can find any kind of material that the enemy wants to bring inside of the airfield. We are thankful for the assistance and advising NATO does for us.”
Established in 2015, Resolute Support (RS) is a NATO-led, non-combat mission to train, advise and assist the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF), who assumed nationwide responsibility for Afghanistan’s security following the conclusion of the previous NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) mission. Its purpose is to help the Afghan security forces and institutions develop the capacity to defend Afghanistan and protect its citizens in a sustainable manner.