Play Time
U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Max W. Donahue plays with Paco, his military working dog, in Lahib, Iraq, June 16, 2008. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Stuart Wegenka.

Labels: Iraq, Lahib, military working dog, photos, USMC

PAW PALS - U.S. Army Capt. Stephen Johnson shakes the paw of Sgt. 1st Class Freida, a specialized search dog, after a re-enlistment ceremony on Forward Operating Base Hammer, Iraq, June 9, 2008. Johnson is commander of the 1st Armored Division's Headquarters Company, 2nd Brigade Combat Team.U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Michael Schuch

Labels: 1st Armored Division, FOB Hammer, military working dog, photos, SFC Freida, US Army

CANINE FREIDA - U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Robert Springmann works with his specialized search dog, Sgt. 1st Class Freida, as they look for weapons caches during an operation in Naba Safi Village, Iraq, on May 22, 2008. Springmann is assigned to the 89th Military Police Brigade, 178th Military Police Detachment. U.S. Army photo by Pfc. David J. Marshall

Labels: 178th Military Police Detachment, 89th Military Police Brigade, Iraq, military working dog, Naba Safi Village, photos

From Defenselink:

Air Force Staff Sgt. Kevin Nelson, 506th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron military working dog trainer, practices techniques with his dog Charlie during a recent training event. Air Force dog handlers at Kirkuk are assigned to either 506th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron or 732nd Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron. Both squadrons have separate kennels and missions. U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Eric Schloeffel



By Air Force Senior Airman Eric Schloeffel
Special to American Forces Press Service

KIRKUK REGIONAL AIR BASE, Iraq, May 12, 2008 – Prompted by a few words of command by his handler, military working dog Charlie sprints ahead and attacks a simulated enemy during a training session here.

Air Force Staff Sgt. Kevin Nelson, 506th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron military working dog trainer, practices techniques with his dog Charlie during a recent training event. Air Force dog handlers at Kirkuk are assigned to either 506th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron or 732nd Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron. Both squadrons have separate kennels and missions. U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Eric Schloeffel
(Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available.

For Charlie, a German shepherd deployed here, this attack is no less a priority than 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 Air Force 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 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 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 Air Force 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 frequently is on the lookout for explosives during its missions. The team is composed of airmen filling "in-lieu of" taskings -- U.S. Army positions augmented by the Air Force.

"Everything we do in this capacity is outside the wire," said 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, Carroll said.

Carroll is not new to the military working dog career field, but he said 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."

Carroll, who volunteered for the position, said soldiers have helped his transition into the Army's working environment.

"The Army has made me very comfortable incorporating the dogs into their mission," he said. "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."

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

"A dog's scent is far more advanced than a human's," said Esparza, who is deployed from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz. "In comparison, humans can't distinguish the individual ingredients when we smell a pizza. [Dogs] 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 United States, 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 Nelson, who is deployed from Hill Air Force Base, 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."

Carroll's dog sleeps in his bedroom, thus making their relationship an around-the-clock endeavor, seven days a week.

"There is definitely a bond that forms when you live with a dog every day for six months," 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," 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."

(Air Force Senior Airman Eric Schloeffel serves with 506th Air Expeditionary Group Public Affairs.)



Airman 1st Class Ryan Wasson, 506th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron military working dog handler, holds his dog Charlie back from Staff Sgt. Kevin Nelson, 506th ESFS military working dog trainer, during a recent training event here. Air Force dog handlers at Kirkuk are assigned to either 506th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron or 732nd Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron. Both squadrons have separate kennels and missions. U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Eric Schloeffel



Related Sites:
Multinational Corps Iraq
Multinational Force Iraq

Labels: 506th ESFS, 732nd ESFS, Iraq, Kirkuk, military working dog, photos, USAF

From Multi-National Force-Iraq:


Sgt. Angela Mathern and her bomb-sniffing dog Vinny, both of the 51st Military Police Detachment, based out of Ft. Lewis, Wash., inspect a cart carrying propane tanks in downtown Mosul during a search of random vehicles for weapons and bomb-making materials, Feb. 14. Soldiers from the 552nd Military Police Company, based out of Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, pull security. Photo by Sgt. Patrick Lair, 115th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment.


Wednesday, 27 February 2008

MOSUL — U.S. military police in northern Iraq are developing new tactics in an attempt to counter insurgent violence in the Ninewah provincial capital city of Mosul.

In February, the 552nd Military Police Company, based out of Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, working with military canine handlers, began conducting a series of random traffic searches in downtown Mosul for vehicles transporting explosives.

“If we get detection dogs and start actively seeking them out, it denies the enemy the capability of bringing them out,” said Sgt. 1st Class Michael Ford, platoon sergeant for 1st Platoon, speaking of the explosive materials often used by insurgents to create improvised bombs in houses and roadways.

On Jan. 24, the issue was brought to a head when an estimated 20,000 tons of insurgent explosives detonated in a three-story building in downtown Mosul, resulting in death and injury to multiple Iraqi civilians.

“The goal here is to deny the enemy that availability of supplies,” said Ford, now on his third combat deployment to the city.

On a recent outing, Sgt. Angela Mathern, a canine handler with the 501st Military Police Detachment, based out of Fort Lewis, Wash., accompanied Vinnie, an explosives dog, in his search of vehicles at downtown intersections.

“I let Vinnie do his thing. He’s the expert on it all,” she said of the three-year-old black lab she’s trained with for nearly a year. “I’m the expert on handling him. My eyes are always on my dog.”
Both Mathern and Ford said the searches are just another way Coalition troops are working to bring security to the city of nearly 1.7 million residents.

“This is just something else we can do to help out in our area,” Ford said.

“Our basic mission here is to save lives,” Mathern said. “Whenever people ask me why I do this job, I tell them I’m saving lives every time I go out.”

(Story by Sgt. Patrick Lair, 115th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment)


In Other Recent Developments Here:

TIKRIT — Multi-National Division – North Soldiers killed seven terrorists during a firefight east of Khan Bani Sa’ad in the early morning hours of Feb. 25.

BAGHDAD — Coalition forces captured four suspected al-Qaeda in Iraq leaders in Baghdad, Feb 24.

Labels: 51st Military Police Detachment, 552nd Military Police Company, Iraq, military working dog, Mosul, Ninewah Province, photos

DIYALA PROVINCE OPS - A soldier assigned to the 2nd Infantry Division and his military working dog clear a building in Diyala Province, Jan. 10, 2008. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Sean Mulligan

Labels: 2nd ID, Diyala Province, military working dog, photos, US Army

From Multi-National Force-Iraq:



Udi, a United States military working dog stationed at Forward Operating Base Kalsu, poses for the camera after he completes his daily training, Dec. 25. Photo by Pfc. Amanda McBride.



Monday, 31 December 2007

FOB KALSU — With their strong sense of smell and their immeasurable loyalty, the highly trained military working dogs (MWD) in the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, are proving to be essential in the fight against terrorism.

Military working dogs first entered the United States armed services in March 1942. Today, the dogs are still providing support to the troops on the battlefield.

A single dog can search more area in less time than an entire company could do, said Staff Sgt. Charles Graves, a dog handler with 241st Military Police Detachment, Fort Meade, Md.

“By using the dogs, you are leaving your shooters to other aspects of the mission, rather than having them go out to start a search capacity,” Graves said.

Knowing the commands taught by the dog handler, the MWDs search for improvised explosive devices, weapon caches and other devices meant to harm Coalition forces and local citizens.

“They’re a good deterrent for any terrorist activity," Graves said. “They see the dogs out and know that (the dogs) will spot items humans won’t necessarily find on the first search or even with an in-depth search.”

While deployed in support of the war against terrorism, the dogs serve a one-year tour.

“Right now, we are the only service doing 12 months with the dogs,” said Sgt. Steven Ramil, a dog handler attached to 4th BCT, 3rd Inf. Div.

When not on missions, the dogs train daily to sustain the skills they already have.

“The dogs go through obedience, detection and protection training,” Graves said. “Patrol dogs also go through aggression training.”

Graves said that even though the dogs are trained to search and find items that could hurt fellow Soldiers, they are also a big morale booster.

“When we go out on some missions where the guys have been out in the field for three weeks with no hot water or hot chow, they will just brighten up when they see the dogs,” Graves said.

While deployed, the MWDs depend solely on their handler to take care of them.

“The handler is responsible for everything dealing with the dog,” Graves said. “The dog is like your child; you feed him, clean up after him and take care of him.”

The handler and dog team go out on missions knowing that they have each other’s back, said Graves.

“There is a never-ending loyalty with these dogs,” Graves said. “They would save my life and I would save theirs.”

(Story Courtesy of Task Force Marne Public Affairs)


In Other Recent Developments Here:

BAGHDAD — Members of a Concerned Local Citizen group seized a cache of munitions southeast of Forward Operating Base Hammer and east of the city of Al Nijidat, Dec. 26.

BAGHDAD — Coalition forces killed six terrorists and detained 14 suspects Saturday and Sunday during operations targeting al-Qaida in central and northern Iraq.

Labels: 3rd ID, FOB Kalsu, military working dog, MWD, photos, US Army

IRAQ ROOF PATROL
A U.S. Army dog handler working with the 1st Cavalry Regiment helps clear a building in Galahbia in the Diyala Province, Iraq, Dec. 23, 2007. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Sean Mulligan

Labels: 1st Cavalry Regiment, Diyala Province, Galahbia, Iraq, military working dog, US Army

In the Hole
A U.S. Soldier feels inside a tunnel for hidden weapons during a joint cordon and search with Iraqi National Police at a brick factory in Narhwan, Iraq, Nov. 6, 2007. The Soldiers are from Alpha Battery, 1st Battalion, 10th Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Timothy Kingston.




PORT HUENEME, Calif. (Nov. 7, 2007) - Seabees assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 3 warm up with a set of jumping jacks before going on a two and a half mile march in full battle gear on board Port Hueneme. NMCB 3 is training in preparation for their upcoming deployment to the Middle East. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Carmichael Yepez




A Marine with third platoon, Company L, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 6, patrols his neighborhood in Fallujah's Nazaal district, Nov. 6. The leathernecks with third platoon moved into a house soon after they arrived in country and began assimilating into the neighborhood. This increased proximity to ordinary Iraqi folks in the city has brought them to the point of inclusion in the community. Photo by: Sgt. Stephen M. DeBoard , 2nd Marine Division Read the story associated with this photo




5th International Working Dog Breeding Conference
Tech. Sgt. David Adcox holds his military working dog Samo, as decoy Staff Sgt. Jeremy Toliver agitates the dog during a demonstration Nov. 7 for the 5th International Working Dog Breeding Conference at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. The conference was attended by 140 people from 16 countries, representing military, government and non-government programs, academia and industry. The conference focuses on the improvement of dogs through selective breeding for working occupations such as military, police, detection and assistance. The sergeants and Samo are from the 341st Training Squadron at Lackland. (U.S. Air Force photo/Robbin




Coast Guard Rescues Passengers from Grounded Cruise Ship
PORTSMOUTH, Va. - A Coast Guard rescue crew from Station Portsmouth ferries passengers of the cruise ship SPIRIT OF NANTUCKET to shore after the ship ran aground in the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway approximately 8-miles north of the Virginia, North Carolina stateline,Thursday, Nov. 8, 2007. The Coast Guard is investigating investigating the cause of the grounding. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Kip Wadlow)

Labels: 10th FAR, Fallujah, Iraq, military working dog, photos, Regimental Team 6, Seabees, US Army, US Navy, USAF, USCG, USMC

Sgt. Jaimi Diaz, a dog handler with Task Force Military Police, poses for a photograph with her dog, Darrah. Diaz is currently the kennel master in Al Qaim, Iraq, and is running patrols with 1st Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment.


Nov. 5, 2007
Story ID#: 20071158478

By Gunnery Sgt. Brenda L. Varnadore, II Marine Expeditionary Force (FWD)

CAMP GANNON, Iraq (Nov. 5, 2007) -- Operation Iraqi Freedom has called on Marines from different military occupational specialties to serve on the frontlines with infantry units. One Long Island, N.Y., native is guiding them on patrols with her dog, Darrah.

Sgt. Jaimi Diaz, the Al Qaim kennel master, Task Force Military Police, is currently working with 1st Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 2, as a dog handler. She runs dismounted patrols with the unit to look for improvised explosive devices while balancing her duties in the kennel.

“As a canine handler, I go out and clear routes for convoys and patrols to go through or we do reconnaissance and quick reaction force,” said the 2003 Hampton Bays High School graduate. “And as a kennel master, I get to oversee the Marines and make sure they are getting the right training.”

Diaz, who is on her first deployment, volunteered to leave her unit in Okinawa, Japan, to fill a yearlong individual augment billet. She began her assignment at Camp Fallujah where she served for five months as the senior dog handler. She was then sent to Al Qaim, on the Syrian border, to take over the role of kennel master and said she is learning a great deal.

“You work harder when you know people believe in you and know you can do the job. All my (staff noncommissioned officers) had confidence in me as the senior guy because right now I am in charge of six other handlers, one Navy, at the kennels in Al Qaim,” said Diaz. “I have a lot of interaction with the command. When you are a junior Marine you really do not know why are doing this, you don’t know what is going on, you wonder where you are going next. But being the senior guy, you actually find out what everyone is doing, why they are doing it and how you play a part.”

Although Diaz left her husband, Sgt. Christopher Diaz, in Okinawa with her 2-year-old son Jeremy, she still calls back regularly to seek his advice on how to live up to the expectations and how to support the units to the best of her ability.

“I enjoy talking to him about things because I do not feel stupid asking him questions because he has the same job as me and understands,” she said. “He was in Ramadi during 2005 so he can answer questions I wouldn’t feel comfortable asking someone else.”

She also relies heavily on her dog to keep the Marines she is supporting safe. She has had Darrah for more than a year and a half and brought her from Okinawa. Although she is the dog’s third handler, she said they have bonded well.

“When you first hear about canines and hear all this stuff they can do, you really don’t believe it,” said Diaz. “But once you see it, you definitely realize how amazing they are.”

One of the most important aspects of keeping the Marines she works with safe is making sure her dog is up to the task.

“I have been doing it for three years so it is easier for me to tell if there is something wrong with my dog and know how to fix it,” said Diaz. “And if I can’t fix it, there are definitely people that can help me out. It is all about the training that you do and how often and how much dedication you actually have. If you spend the time in it, you will have a dog that you can have complete confidence in because you know that lives depend on it.”

Diaz doesn’t think being a female plays a part in getting her job done though. She said that everyone has accepted her and treats her as just another Marine in the unit. Since being attached to an infantry battalion is rare for a female, she is trying to show them that females can do exactly what the males are doing.

“I really have had no problems,” she said. “I love working with the guys, and they have accepted me and Darrah as if we were always there.”

Diaz is looking forward to returning back to her family and job in Okinawa in three months. She said she plans on applying for the Marine Enlisted Commissioning Program to become an officer.

Labels: 1-4 Marines, Al Qaim, Camp Gannon, Iraq, military working dog, photos, USMC, women in the military

Sgt. Richard Miller, from Floresville, Texas, a military policeman with the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Inf. Div., encourages his specialized search dog, Gabriel, before a search exercise at Forward Operating Base Hammer Oct. 24. Miller uses Gabriel in cordon and searches, cordon and knocks, raids, route sanitation and route clearance missions to sniff out explosives, munitions, weapons and ammunition. Photo by Spc. Ben Hutto, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division Public Affairs.


Tuesday, 30 October 2007
By Spc. Ben Hutto
3rd Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs

FORWARD OPERATING BASE HAMMER — The German shepherd trots from rock to rock, ears pricked upward and nose pointed towards the earth, intent on his mission.

Several feet away, his handler, Sgt. Richard Miller, from Floresville, Texas, a military policeman with the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, silently watches as the dog gets closer to the C4 explosive he has hidden under some rubble.

The specialized off-leash search dog looks back at his handler and sits down beside the hidden explosive.

"Good boy," Miller says, walking toward Gabriel. "Good job, Gabe."

The dog's tail swings back and forth as his trainer approaches. His mission accomplished, the dog eagerly awaits his reward.

Miller focuses the dog on the explosive while he reaches into his pocket and pulls out a worn-out orange cong. He tosses it in front of the dog and watches as he snatches it up and runs back to his handler.

The next few moments are filled with praise as Miller tosses the cong and Gabriel retrieves it.

"That's the whole reason the dog does what he does," explains Sgt. Timothy Kinsey, from Pueblo, Colo., a military policeman with the 3rd Brigade Combat Team. "We work to get paid. The dogs work for their reward. Gabriel is very focused on his reward. He'll do anything for those congs."

The 3rd BCT has three working dogs and they've been extremely busy since their arrival at Forward Operating Base Hammer.

"They are doing a good job," said Sgt. 1st Class Tommy Jamison, from Elmira, Ore., the provost sergeant for the 3rd BCT. "I've had to learn about them, but they have been great assets."

Jamison explained that the battalions in the 3rd BCT had to learn how to use the dogs on combat missions.

"They were skeptical at first," Jamison said. "The Soldiers had their TTPs (techniques, tactics, and procedures) and those needed to be changed to accommodate the dogs, so that caused some friction. It was hard to explain to leaders that the dogs needed air conditioned vehicles and tents to rest, but once they saw the benefits, everyone accommodated them."

Kinsey explained that there are limits to what the dogs can do.

"Some Soldiers have a hard time understanding that the dogs have the mentality of a four year old," Kinsey said. "When a dog is tired, they are tired. I can't tell them to suck it up and drive on. They love what they do, but they have limits."

The dog's sense of smell makes them perfect for detecting hidden contraband that Soldiers can overlook.

Miller explained that a dog can register and discern 10,000 - 40,000 scents at one time.

"The best way I can explain it is that if you were to walk into a fast food place you would smell the meat cooking on the grill and the mop bucket they are using to clean up a spill," Miller said. "A dog will smell the fat in the burger charring, the meat cooking, the sesame seeds on the buns, the pickle juice, the type of perfume the cashier is wearing and a thousand different other scents all at the same time."

That sense of smell allows dogs like Gabriel and Jim to smell a coil of detonation cord under a pile of rubble from 10 feet away.

"It takes a lot of luck and good information for the dogs to be effective," Miller said. "We have to be in an area where there is something. Sometimes things can be buried too deep or they have been moved, but the dogs are very accurate if something is there."

The accuracy of the dog's ability can be directly attributed to the training that the handlers give them on a daily basis.

"Every day is a training day," Miller said. "We conduct training as often as possible. It keeps the dogs sharp and helps us maintain our rapport with them."

That rapport is critical out in the field.

"The main thing between a trainer and a dog is their rapport," Kinsey said. "We have to notice the dog's behavior and make decisions based on that. A dog's normal temperature is between 101 and 103 degrees. If its body temperature gets up to 106, the dog starts shutting down and begins to die. Out here in the desert, that is a big risk we have to monitor."

Miller throws Gabriel's cong around a few more times before calling an end to the training session. The handler roughly shakes the dog and encourages him.

"Normally, specialized off-leash search dogs stay with the same handler their entire military career so we should be together a while," Miller said.

The 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, from Fort Benning, Ga., has been deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom since March.

Labels: FOB Hammer, heroes, Iraq, K9, military working dog, photos

A student in the Air Force Phoenix Warrior Training Course 07-6 participates in convoy training Aug. 21 on a range at Fort Dix, N.J. The course is taught by the U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Center's 421st Combat Training Squadron where Air Force security forces airmen practice expeditionary combat skills. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Scott T. Sturkol


Students in the Air Force Phoenix Warrior Training Course 07-6 practice convoy operations Aug. 29 at Naval Air Engineering Station Lakehurst, N.J. The course, which recently marked its first anniversary, is taught by the U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Center's 421st Combat Training Squadron at Fort Dix, N.J. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Scott T. Sturkol


Students in the Air Force Phoenix Warrior Training Course 07-6 practice convoy operations Aug. 29 at Naval Air Engineering Station Lakehurst, N.J. The course is taught by the U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Center's 421st Combat Training Squadron at Fort Dix, N.J. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Scott T. Sturkol



Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Goligowski and his military working dog, Endy, participate in a scenario Aug. 28 during Air Force Exercise Eagle Flag 07-6 during Phoenix Warrior training at Naval Air Engineering Station Lakehurst, N.J. The exercise is operated by the U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Center's 421st Combat Training Squadron from Fort Dix, N.J. Goligowski and Endy are assigned to the 319th Security Forces Squadron at Grand Forks Air Force Base, N.D. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Scott T. Sturkol


Students in the Air Force Phoenix Warrior Training Course 07-6 conduct a dismounted patrol during training Aug. 21 on a range at Fort Dix, N.J. The course is taught by the U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Center's 421st Combat Training Squadron where Air Force security forces airmen practice expeditionary combat skills. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Scott T. Sturkol


Air Force Staff Sgt. Pamela Lowande and her military working dog, Ziko, join other Phoenix Warrior students during a scenario Aug. 28 as part of Air Force Exercise Eagle Flag 07-6 at Naval Air Engineering Station Lakehurst, N.J. The Phoenix Warrior program is a year old. Lowande and Ziko are from the 81st Security Forces Squadron at Keesler Air Force Base, Miss. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Scott T. Sturkol



More photo essays at DefenseLink

Labels: 81st Security Forces, Keesler Air Force Base, military working dog, Phoenix Warrior, photos, Training, USAF

Labels: 178th Military Police Detachment, 20th Military Police Battalion, FOB Q-West, Iraq, K9, military working dog, photos, Tikrit, US Army

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Jeremy Behrens, from Alpha Company, 13th Psychological Operations Battalion, provides security from the turret of a Humvee in the village of Kapisa, Afghanistan, May 15, 2007. U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Dilia DeGrego


U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Brooks Jones and Aio, a military working dog, clear a construction site of unexploded ordnance in the village of Kapisa, Afghanistan, May 15, 2007. Brooks and Aio are both assigned to the 125th Military Police Company. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Michael L. Casteel



U.S. Army soldiers assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division test an audio speaker in the village of Kapisa, Afghanistan, May 15, 2007. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Michael L. Casteel


U.S. Army Maj. Lance Baker, commander of Alpha Company, 13th Psychological Operations Battalion, moves an audio speaker in the village of Kapisa, Afghanistan, May 15, 2007. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Michael L. Casteel


U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Jeremy Behrens, from Alpha Company, 13th Psychological Operations Battalion, provides security from the turret of a Humvee in the village of Kapisa, Afghanistan, May 15, 2007. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Michael L. Casteel


More photo essays at Defend America

Labels: 13th Psyops Battalion, 82nd Airborne Division, Afghanistan, Kapisa, Kapisa Province, military working dog, photos, US Army

BREAK TIME — U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Kevin Reese and his military working dog Grek wait at a safe house before conducting an assault against insurgents in Buhriz, Iraq, April 10, 2007. U.S. Army soldiers and Iraqi army soldiers are going house-to-house in search for weapons caches and enemy fighters after more than 1,000 residents of this Baqubah suburb were displaced by Al-Qaeda insurgents. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Stacy L. Pearsall

Labels: Buhriz, Iraq, military working dog, photos, US Army

WORKING DOG
A U.S. Marine with Echo Company, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, takes a break with his military working dog during a patrol at Observation Post Falcon in in Ramadi, Iraq, April 6, 2007. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Michael K. Kropiewnick

Labels: 2-5 Marines, 4th Iraqi Army Division, military working dog, Observation Post Falcon, photos, Ramadi, USMC

2/22/2007
TEAMWORK
U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Bob Weigold walks his explosive detection dog, Timo, along the perimeter of the base, Feb. 22, 2007, in Southwest Asia. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Frank Hatcher

Labels: military working dog, USAF

Working dog teams search, patrol together
SOUTHWEST ASIA (AFNEWS) -- Ensuring the safety of everyone at the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing here rests upon a group of Airmen and their highly trained four-legged partners. The 379th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron Military Working Dog Section has several certified teams made up of handlers and their explosive detecting dogs who inspect every vehicle entering the base.

Labels: 379th ESFS, military working dog, photos, USAF