Front-line defenders proceed on lead

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Kelly White
  • 379th Air Expeditionary Wing
SOUTHWEST ASIA --  They're loyal, trusted wingmen, attentive warriors and fierce defenders -- often more feared by a criminal than an M-16. And although they're all of maybe 3 feet tall, when they're out looking for trouble, just about everyone around takes notice.

"That's what it's like to work with a dog," said Staff Sgt. Jonathan Bierbach, a 379th Security Forces Squadron K-9 handler. "A military K-9's presence brings both a psychological deterrent and a whole new level of assurance, whether it's during patrols, detection or the protection of the troops the dog's with."

Sergeant Bierbach and his German shepherd partner, Deni, are one of about a half-dozen K-9 and handler teams currently deployed here, and their primary mission is providing first-line base defense.

"We search every vehicle that comes through the gate, thousands every month," the sergeant said. "We also do building searches and walking patrols. When Deni's walking around, my focus is on him. He's trained to detect certain scents and can detect things humans can miss. If he does something different around a specific vehicle, I know there's something to look for."

When it comes to sniffing out danger, a dog is able to pick up a scent 100,000 times more effectively than a human, according to American Kennel Club officials.

K-9 candidates for military working dog positions must successfully complete a 120-day training course at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, where their scent-detection ability is honed to spot drugs and explosives. Once assigned to their first handler, the partners continue training to earn the dogs' MWD certification.

Achieving certification doesn't mean the demands on the dogs decrease, however.

"MWDs must maintain 95-percent accuracy to keep their certification," Sergeant Bierbach said. "That's a really high standard they have to continually meet. I don't know any human who's that good."

Three-year-old Deni has been working with Sergeant Bierbach, his first handler, for one year. This is Deni's first deployment.

"He had just turned 2 when I got him," the sergeant said. "He was a puppy, and anyone who knows what a puppy is like -- it's definitely not about obedience. He just wanted to run, not listen. He was all about, 'I want to play. I want your arm in my mouth.'

"We worked together nine months before deploying," Sergeant Bierbach added. "That's a long time. Some handlers pick up their dog and deploy within a few months, because the demand is so great. We're gone a lot, because everybody wants K-9s."

Another K-9 unit member here, a 9-year-old German shepherd named Ajax, is the squadron's most seasoned MWD, currently in his fifth deployment. Ajax has served in both Iraq and Afghanistan, and has performed multiple temporary duty missions in the Pacific.

Staff Sgt. Christopher Hinds and Ajax have been partners for about 10 months. Sergeant Hinds, a K-9 handler for two years, is Ajax's sixth handler.

"I first worked with (Ajax) while my kennel master out-processed for his deployment," Sergeant Hinds said. "When he got back from the deployment and told me I was going to be (Ajax's) handler, I was happy.

"Everything a dog does is recorded, so I reviewed his entire record -- every page -- quirks from when he was a young dog, any repeat problems; I knew it all," Sergeant Hinds said. "I picked him up and had a blast right away."

Both handlers said that while not every K-9/handler partnership is a good match, the bond formed between a compatible pair is meaningful to both the handler and the dog.

"He just loves me," Sergeant Hinds said. "A dog gives you subtle cues that he does or doesn't like you. Within two weeks after I had him, he was always excited to see me, jumping up on me. He does anything I ask him to. His personality's just like mine, so it's perfect."

Sergeant Hinds said there's another reason Ajax is special to him.

"Due to his age, it looks like I'll be his last handler," he said. "This makes it more personal for me to make sure he's getting the best attention possible. I will always hold him to a high standard, but I ... put more attention and emotion into the playtime we get. I love to be very interactive in play with him.

"I truly do hope I get to see Ajax on to the next handler when it is my time to leave (my home base)," Sergeant Hinds added. "But if he does pass during my time with him, I will miss his loyalty. He's always by my side, even off-leash. I don't have to tell him, he is just there looking for my approval. I'll also miss how he always stands directly in front of me, or if I'm on the ground he'll stand over my leg to protect me. It is so funny, but I love it."

It's not just the handler who misses his partner when they're apart. The dog does, too.

"Sergeant Hinds went TDY for a few days and Ajax moped while he was gone," Sergeant Bierbach said.

He walked around bored and depressed. He had separation anxiety for his handler, the sergeant said.

Redeploying can also be a difficult time for the partners.

"That two-week reconstitution time is hard," Sergeant Bierbach said. "It's great to be with your family again, but you feel guilty leaving the dog. The dog will be at the kennel missing the handler -- depressed. It's a weird transition.

"You leave your family to deploy, but you take your dog, definitely not as a pet, but as a handler, he's your partner and best friend," Sergeant Bierbach said. "You work and play together. Every single day -- days off -- I see him, even if it's just an hour or two just goofing around with him to build rapport. Twenty-four hours a day, that dog is your life. And it's the same thing for the dog.

"I hate to use the word 'indescribable' to explain what the bond is like," Sergeant Bierbach said, "but you've got to be there.

"I love having a K-9 partner," he said. "It's definitely not easier. There's a lot more paperwork and a lot more personal time required, but I have the best job. I walk my dog all day long."