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Four legged defenders sniff out trouble

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Eric Schloeffel
  • 506th Air Expeditionary Group Public Affairs
KIRKUK REGIONAL AIR BASE, Iraq --  Prompted by only a few words of command by his handler, military working dog "Charlie" sprints ahead and rabidly thrusts to attack a simulated enemy during a recent training session here.

For Charlie, a German Shepherd deployed here, this attack is as large a priority as if it were a real insurgent attempting to harm coalition forces. Despite temperatures hovering near the century mark, Charlie makes no bones about pushing his paws to the limit for the seemingly small reward of some praise from his handler.

"The dog sees everything he does here as a game," said Tech. Sgt. Patrick Carroll, 732nd Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron military working dog handler. "Even when the dog does have a big find, the dog never sees it as a work. Seeking a reward and praise from their handler is the primary reason the dogs do the work for us."

While these military working dogs may be unable to comprehend their important contribution to the Global War on Terrorism while playing "the game," their capabilities are vital to the safety of coalition forces both inside and outside the base perimeter.

Air Force dog handlers at Kirkuk are assigned to either the 506th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron or 732nd Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron. Both squadrons have separate kennels and missions.

The 506th ESFS military working dog team conducts missions with the goal of protecting the more than 5,000 coalition forces personnel who reside at the base. While working inside base confines, 506th ESFS military working dogs conduct frequent patrols and assist security forces Airmen at entry control points.

"Explosive detection is one of the main things we do with the dogs," said Staff Sgt. Kevin Nelson, 506th ESFS military working dog trainer. "The dogs are also trained to protect, deter, identify and apprehend any unauthorized personnel or contraband. Basically, the dogs prevent anything from getting on base that isn't supposed to be here."

The 732nd ESFS team typically works with the U.S. Army's 1st Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, during the brigade's missions outside the wire in the city of Kirkuk and surrounding areas.

Similar to the 506th ESFS, the 732nd ESFS military working dog team is also frequently on the lookout for explosives during their missions. The team is composed of Airmen filling "in-lieu of" taskings -U.S. Army positions that were augmented to the Air Force.

"Everything we do in this capacity is outside the wire," said Sergeant Carroll, who is deployed from Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii.

The 732nd ESFS team conducts a wide range of missions that include raids, cache searches and vehicle searches. The team's missions can last for more than 10 days outside the wire, Sergeant Carroll said.

While Sergeant Carroll is not new to the military working dog career field, he feels his current deployment is unlike anything he's ever seen.

"People can tell you what you're getting into, but after leaving that gate you realize it's different than anything you've ever seen," he said. "But I build on each and every mission, and it's been satisfying to help assist the Army mission with Air Force canines."

Sergeant Carroll credits fellow Soldiers in helping his transition into the Army's working environment.

"The Army has made me very comfortable incorporating the dogs into their mission," said Sergeant Carroll, who volunteered for this ILO tasking. "I've been working with canines for more than 12 years now, but nothing comes close to what I've seen here.
Working outside the wire with the Army has been a very rewarding opportunity."

In order to accomplish such a wide variety of missions both on-and-off-base, dog handlers rely on the keen senses of their canines, said Tech. Sgt. Andrew Esparza, 506th ESFS kennel master.

"A dog's scent is far more advanced than a human's," said Sergeant Esparza, who is deployed from Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz. "In comparison, humans can't distinguish the individual ingredients when we smell a pizza. When a dog smells pizza, they can smell the cheese, pepperoni, oregano and all of the other ingredients individually."

Each handler typically has his or her own assigned dog during a deployment. These dogs often travel with their handler from the U.S., and spend much of their deployment patrolling and sharpening their skills.

Since handlers spend so many of their hours with the dogs, the commonly known bond between "man and his best friend" often forms, said Sergeant Nelson, who is deployed from Hill AFB, Utah.

"You can't help being attached to the dogs - they depend on you," he said. "You are completely responsible for the dog's health and safety. But you also always have a partner that will lay down their life for you - these dogs aren't scared of guns, knives or anything else. They are extremely loyal.

"For us, a dog is similar to another person on the team," the sergeant added. "The dog is treated the same as if they are an Airman, because the dog won't be any good at his job if we don't take great care of him."

Sergeant Carroll's dog sleeps in his bedroom, thus making their relationship a 24 hours/seven days a week endeavor.

"There is definitely a bond that forms when you live with a dog everyday for sixth months," Sergeant Carroll said. "My dog, "Jack," makes the time away from my family not as bad."

While military working dogs will never receive retirement checks or re-enlistment bonuses for their abilities to sniff out weapons caches, these canines are a vital and valued capability in the deployed environment.

"These dogs are basically tools that we use to help save lives," Sergeant Carroll said. "I know for a fact that my dogs have found weapon caches that would've otherwise been used against coalition forces. Whether it's protecting the base from within or going off base, these dogs play a major part in helping to keep us safe."