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Working dog kennels receive massive renovation

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Vincent Borden
  • 386th Air Expeditionary Wing
SOUTHWEST ASIA --  Military working dogs traveling here before departing to the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility are receiving a "bone-a-fide" upgrade to their accommodations, courtesy of the 386th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron.

The renovations, which included floor stripping and resealing and the installation of air-conditioning units, floor drains and plumbing, are part of an overall space expansion project for the kennels.

Labor for the project is a collaborative effort being handled exclusively by different sections of the 386th ECES, which include the Structures section and Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning, among others.

"The project is totally in-house from start to finish," said Master Sgt. Gerald Amidon, NCO in charge of the Structures section. "We moved the kennels once they arrived, put them together and installed all the plumbing and electric power."

The upgrade allows more K-9s to be accommodated in kennels during their time here before continuing their journey to locations in the AOR. The old facility could accommodate a maximum of eight working dogs; the facility expansion easily triples that number.

"When you're dealing with the Army, Air Force and Navy, the 386th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron can receive anywhere from 12 to 24 dogs a month," said Tech. Sgt. Matthew Rebholz, 386th ESFS kennel master. He and his team of military dog handlers are responsible for the K-9s assigned to this location and others in the local area.

"The dogs fly through here from stateside bases on their way to [different locations in the AOR], said Sergeant Rebholz. "They're on the ground here no longer than 72 hours before departing on six-month assignments in Iraq and other locations."

The improvements are far from just an amenity upgrade, however. As a part of the renovation package, the 386th ECES modified and installed electric heat alarms in the kennels, an improvement from the battery-operated ones they were previously equipped with.

The heat alarms have saved two dogs' lives since they were modified this year.

"If the temperature in the trailer goes above 80 degrees it immediately sounds the alarms", said Sergeant Rebholz. "They've sounded once since I've been here... there were two dogs in the kennel. It was still a decent temperature in there when the alarm sounded, so the handlers were able to take their dogs and put them in kennels in their tents before the temperature rose further."

The kennels also provide a comfortable haven for dogs traveling with the Army and Navy, who at times may wait here a week or more before traveling to different locations in the AOR. Extended stays present their own set of problems.

Before the kennel facilities were set up, handlers were forced to keep their dogs in kennels in their tents, Sergeant Rebholz said. There they were susceptible to things like heat-related injury due to air-conditioning malfunction, as well as interaction with other people living inside the tent when they were let out of their kennels.

The new facilities alleviate any possibility of those types of safety-related mishaps from occurring.

"This gives handlers a fully functional kennel to put their dogs into during their stay here before traveling abroad," said Sergeant Rebholz  .

Other upgrades scheduled to be completed by the 386th ECES include entry ramps for the building and a fence surrounding the facility.