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FORT HOOD, Texas - Nine military working dog handlers and their K9 companions of the 89th Military Police Brigade participated in a validation exercise to test their ability to work as a team.
The teams conduct the exercise every 90 days to ensure they can perform at the highest level, whether they are drug detection or explosive detection teams.
Staff Sgt. Joshua Miller, the senior dog trainer for the 89th Military Police Brigade, said the exercise tests the team’s ability to find hidden explosives and drugs as well as revealing to the handler their strengths and weaknesses.
“Validation is required quarterly and is also required before the teams can become certified,” said Miller. “This exercise is meant to mirror the certification, and includes elements of obedience, patrol, apprehension and detection.”
The teams are required to identify 20 different training aids, and can only miss one to meet the standard.
For the first day’s portion of the detection training the teams met at Howze Theater, they were tasked with conducting an explosives and drugs sweep. The theater replicated operations conducted by the teams during events like a dignitary visit, or a large gathering of service members.
“In the case of the president of the United States or any other high ranking individual coming to interact with the Soldiers, we would conduct a sweep of the venue to ensure there isn’t anything that can harm that individual,” said Miller.
Emphasizing the importance of the exercise, Miller said teams that cannot pass validation will not be allowed to become certified, and will have to undergo additional training until they can meet the standard.
One team participating in the exercise, Staff Sgt. Richard Morrison and his partner Amy, have recently redeployed from a mission to Afghanistan, and witnessed the benefits of this training.
“On our deployment we were responsible for route clearing, the clearing of buildings and checking all vehicles coming on and going off of our installation,” said Morrison. During one of these route-clearing missions Amy was able to identify an improvised explosive device which allowed it to be disposed of before anyone could get
injured.”
Morrison said the biggest benefit of this exercise is it allows the handler to assess their team’s ability to work together.
“In this theater we have to sort through a large space filled with seats and possible hiding places for explosives to be planted, and if the handler and the dog can’t work well together then there’s a huge chance something could be missed,” said Morrison.
Morrison said understanding the cues the dog gives is what makes or breaks a team.
“Every good handler knows what his dog is trying to tell him or her,” said Morrison. “It’s being in synch with your dog that determines the success of this training.”
As the senior trainer, Miller said he believes the training the teams are receiving will set them up for success for the upcoming certification or whatever the teams may encounter in the future.
“I have full faith and confidence in the abilities of our teams to handle this or any exercise they’re faced with,” said Miller.
The exercise will continue throughout the week, and will be followed by a certification conducted by the FORSCOM Military Working Dog Program Manager later this year.
| Date Taken: | 12.01.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 12.02.2014 12:40 |
| Story ID: | 149172 |
| Location: | FORT HOOD, TEXAS, US |
| Web Views: | 238 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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