Canine defenders keep warfighters safe

  • Published
  • By Capt. Miki Kristina Gilloon
  • 447th Air Expeditionary Group Public Affairs
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AFPN) --  A 12-inch-long mortar round lay partly hidden in the overgrowth near a checkpoint at Baghdad International Airport. It was found and safely destroyed thanks to the keen senses of a four-legged member of the 447th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron.

Rudy, one of several military working dogs deployed supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom, alerted his handler, Staff Sgt. Albert Branch, of his find. Branch, deployed from the 60th Security Forces Squadron at Travis Air Force Base, Calif., recognized the instant change in his dog’s behavior.

“(He moved side to side trying to locate the scent) -- something he’s been trained to do,” Branch said. “He knew something was there, but he was trying to pinpoint exactly where it was.”

The mortar round, along with other dangerous items -- improvised explosive devices, rocket propelled grenades, and shell casings from small arms fire -- are routinely found by 447th ESFS military working dog teams. The dogs also support the U.S. Army’s 1st Armored Division by patrolling at and near the airport checkpoints.

“We’re helping them out by conducting explosives detection and making a physical presence at the gate,” said Staff Sgt. Michael Renner, 447th ESFS kennel master and handler. He is deployed from the 21st SFS at Peterson AFB, Colo.

When items are found, they are marked and identified for the Army’s explosive ordnance disposal team, which destroys the objects.

Working as a team, a dog and handler’s typical day averages 13 to 14 hours working air-base defense and force protection.

“We’re here as a physical deterrent and to keep people from either trying to smuggle explosives in or infiltrating the base,” Renner said. “But our main purpose here is explosives detection.”

The military working dog teams search vehicles daily at the Air Force checkpoint.

“If it comes into our section of the base, we’re searching it to make sure that it’s explosives-free,” he said.

When U.N. employees were treated here after the bombing of the U.N. headquarters in downtown Baghdad on Aug. 19, the military working dogs were the first line of defense. The animals played a critical role in ensuring the safety and security of 447th Air Expeditionary Group airmen.

“(The dogs searched) for explosive devices or weapons of any kind when patients came in, and another dog patrolled the 447th Expeditionary Medical Squadron for security,” Renner said.

Along with foot patrols around the base, searches and real-world events, the handlers are constantly training their dogs. The dogs are given various explosive-detection scenarios and controlled-aggression training, where a “suspect” is pursued or attacked by the dog.

One type of training scenario consists of having the dogs search for simulated explosives in a vehicle. The dogs’ reactions upon finding the “planted” scents also help train 447th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron airmen.

It is important to be familiar with the dogs’ reactions, according to Senior Airman Rob Cook, 447th ECES explosive ordnance disposal team member. He is deployed from the 452nd Civil Engineer Squadron at March AFB, Calif.

“We try to learn from them, and we take it back to train our squadron,” he said. “The dogs pinpoint what they find -- if they find it in the front quarter panel, that’s where we’re going to detonate the explosive. So the dogs help us as well as (helping) security forces.”

Temperatures in Baghdad soar higher than 100 degrees Fahrenheit, but Renner said the animals have acclimated well. When the dogs and handlers arrive on station, the handlers give them a couple of days to adjust and limit their movement in the heat.

“We basically give them one hour on when they’re searching, and a two-hour down time period where they can go and do scattered searches. (This gets the dogs) used to the heat in small amounts,” he said.

The dogs are also provided air-conditioned shelters and are kept as cool as possible during daytime activities to prevent heat stress injuries.

The biggest challenge for the handlers is keeping the dogs motivated, Renner said.

“Going out every day doing the same thing is very monotonous for them, and they really start to get discouraged with it,” he said. “So … (we) try to play with them as much as possible to get them really positive and motivated about what they’re doing here.”

Whether it is walking the dogs or taking out their favorite chew toys, the handlers are always coming up with new ways of making everything a game for the animals.

Branch has worked with Rudy for about three months, and watching his dog progress has been rewarding despite the challenges.

“Rudy is turning out to be a better dog each day, and it’s good to see the both of us growing as a team,” he said. “He definitely has the potential to be even greater than what he is right now as we work together more and more.”