New military working dog facility built to highest "green" standard

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Jasmine Reif
  • 56th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. (AFNS) --  In an effort to be environmentally friendly, members of the 56th Security Forces Squadron military working dog section are currently undergoing green construction, which began in January with an estimated completion date at the end of July.

While the project did not cost enough to be required to be green, wing officials said they felt it was necessary to make the effort to incorporate as many Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design aspects as possible.

LEED is an internationally recognized green building certification system, providing third-party verification that a building or community was built sustainably and functions efficiently.

"This is a culture change," said 2nd Lt. Christopher Warshaw, the 56th Civil Engineer Squadron energy projects manager. "We are trying to impart the idea behind LEED certification on all of our future projects."

The $1.475 million project includes artificial turf, green construction techniques, a rain water collector and possible solar panels.

"The artificial turf won't need to be watered, and unlike the turf on a mini-golf course, this grass is a mesh of fibers that have a realistic look and feel," Lieutenant Warshaw said. "The MWDs and the trainers will feel like they are on real grass. On the turf there is also a rain water collector, which will collect rainwater for irrigation use at other base locations."

In addition to the environmental benefits, the artificial turf will also benefit the dogs, officials said.

"The artificial turf allows us to train year round," said Tech Sgt. John Pillarella, the 56th SFS military working dog section NCO in charge. "The hot Arizona sun always burns the grass, making it sharp and brittle for our dog's paws. Our new obedience yard can be sprayed with water, and it's ready for use. Also, under the sunshades we have in place, it's 10 to 15 degrees cooler, which is very important during the summer months."

Officials said the possibility of solar panels is still being explored by members of the 56th CES.

"We have looked into putting solar panels over the holding pond to reduce evaporation loss, and we've looked at stationary panels that can be ground or roof-mounted," Lieutenant Warshaw said. "However, we are still in the early stages of the study and have not come up with any concrete courses of action, but the goal would be to generate electricity to be consumed on site at the MWD facility."

The old MWD facility was built in 1983, and the handlers said they are excited about the improvements being made.

"It's a standard to which all other kennels should be built in the entire Defense Department," Sergeant Pillarella said. "In fact, people from four other bases have contacted me about acquiring the same construction for their kennels. The new green kennels will use less water and the field won't require maintenance, meaning no riding lawn mowers producing green house gases."

The MWD facility is one of a few construction projects completed over the past year being built to LEED requirements.

"As we move forward, all new construction and major renovations will be at the very least certifiable to the LEED silver level," Lieutenant Warshaw said. "For all other projects, we will be as environmentally conscious as possible by incorporating the many aspects of LEED construction into them."

The improvements made to the kennels will not only improve morale, but will improve mission accomplishment as well, officials said.

"We will have a storage room for our equipment instead of a closet," Sergeant Pillarella said. "There will also be a veterinary exam room, which will allow the veterinarian to come to us and we won't disrupt the operations at the vet clinic. They have also added workstations so the handlers won't have to fight over computers anymore. This construction is bringing us into the 21st century.

"This should be a model for all (Department of Defense) kennels," he added. "Compared to the other kennels I have seen, this one is going to be the best by far."