Australian MPs, canines ensure safety during TS09

Photo By Gunnery Sgt. Cristina Bates | AC Richard Borg, Royal Australian Air Force military working dog handler, runs an escape scenario so Uri, an Australian army working dog, can react and practice his attacks.  

CAMP ROCKY, AUSTRALIA

07.07.2009

Story by Cpl. Cristina Bates 

U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Pacific

CAMP ROCKY, QUEENSLAND, Australia — Known for their loyalty, obedience and discipline, dogs have become an integral part of military and civilian law enforcement units, aiding officials with tracking down criminals and missing people, sniffing out bombs and other critical tasks.

As more than 21,000 Australian and U.S. service members prepare to participate in Exercise Talisman Saber, military police dogs and handlers from the MP detachment in Oakey, Queensland, Australia, are standing by as one of the many security measures set in place.

Cpls. Jason Browne and Samuel Montigne, Oakey MP det. military police dog handlers, spend their days preparing themselves and their dogs, Shadow and Uri, for missions as the exercise may require.

Molding a dog to meet human needs is no easy task. The process involves dedication, patience and resilience on behalf of both the dog and the handler.

"Dogs are very smart creatures. Given a confident handler and the right training, they can be taught to do just about anything," said Browne, a Brisbane native.

Future Australian army military police dogs are born and raised by reputable breeders in the country. Once dogs are deemed mature enough to undergo the process, they are paired up with a handler and together they attend the military police dog handler's course in Sydney.

During the three-month course, Military police dogs are trained to perform search and rescue missions, escort and guard prisoners, track down escaped prisoners and tranquilize unruly persons impeding on military training. Handlers learn to build their relationship with their dog and teach their dog obedience to orders.

"Being able to see the product of my work after weeks of training is satisfying. You get a dog that's unrefined and you manipulate certain behaviors to get the dog to work for you," said Montignie, from Sydney. "In the process, you develop a relationship that you just can't explain to where that dog would sacrifice his life for me."

As with most skills, military working dogs must constantly practice these basic skills to maintain their readiness as well as the handler's.

"No matter how long you have the dog, you're always maintaining training, developing new ideas and ensuring the progressive development of the dog and his skills," said Montignie. "We're utilizing our time here to prepare the dogs for tasks that units or other members of the defense force may require us to conduct."

To train the dogs realistically, human decoys wear thick, Belgian-made ring suits and run a series of training scenarios including escorting prisoners and thwarting escape attempts.

"To be confident as a handler and maintain a confident dog, you can't be afraid of getting bit. It takes high levels of trust among a man and his dog," Browne said.

The vast amount of time handlers spend ensuring their dogs are properly groomed, well-rested and constantly trained and ready for their mission, leads to an indescribable bond between the two.

For Montignie, dog handling is not just a job. Though he's only been a MP dog handler for about a year, he is very familiar with training dogs to do specialized tasks. His father served in the Belgian Marines as a military dog handler. Growing up around dogs, he saw their potential to assist human beings.

"I guess dog handling runs in my blood. I grew up around dogs and got to know the bond that grows between a man and his dog," said Montignie. "It doesn't matter what you do, a dog will be there by your side. They don't care if you're rich or poor. They'll still be loyal to you."

Browne and Montignie are confident that Shadow and Uri will be ready for anything that may arise during the exercise.

TS09 is a biennial, combined training activity designed to train Australian and U.S. forces in planning and conducting Combined Task Force operations, which will help improve ADF/US combat readiness and inter-operability.

The exercise is a major undertaking which reflects the closeness of our alliance and the strength of the military-military relationship.

• Date Taken: 07.07.2009
• Date Posted: 07.07.2009 01:34
• Story ID: 36048
• Location: CAMP ROCKY, AU