Fort Stewart’s dog and pony show, without the ponies

Photo By Staff Sgt. Richard Wrigley | Bbently, a military working dog with the 93rd Military Working Dog Detachment, 385th Military Police Battalion, guides-under-guard Sgt. Kayla Streeter, a patrol explosive detector dog handler for the 93rd MWDD, who is playing the role of a perpetrator, toward his handler, Sgt. Ryan Cody (not pictured), also a patrol explosive detector dog handler for the 93rd MWDD, during a MWD capabilities demonstration for the children of the Fort Stewart Child Development Center, April 2. The Demonstration was in celebration of April being designated the Month of the Military Child. (U.S. Army Photo by Staff Sgt. Richard Wrigley 3rd ID, Public Affairs NCO)  

FORT STEWART, GA, UNITED STATES

04.07.2015

Story by Staff Sgt. Richard Wrigley 

3rd Infantry Division

FORT STEWART, Ga. -- Dogs flew through the air, children ooohed and aaahed, and the adults in attendance gave applause, as the members of the 93rd Military Working Dog Detachment showed off their capabilities.

Soldiers and Military Working Dogs of the 93rd MWDD, 385th Military Police Battalion, put on a demonstration for the children here at the Fort Stewart Child Development Center, April 2.

April is the Month of the Military Child. The show was held in celebration and in honor of the military children present.

“From deployments to new schools, military children are faced with unique challenges that ordinary youth their age never experience,” posts the U.S. Army Morale Welfare and Recreation online. “Their ability to adapt to present and future changes deserves our respect and admiration.

“In an effort to recognize the hard work, and applaud the courage of military children, the Department of Defense has deemed April as the Month of the Military Child.”

Kamaria Black, assistant facility director at the Fort Stewart’s CDC, explained how the facility services children from military families, Department of the Army civilian families, and retiree families who are zero to five years of age.

Black explained how the demonstration was especially significant to the children in attendance.

“Our children love to see the animals, and they also love to see service members showing what there parents do, and how they protect and serve our community, so this event was doubly good for the children,” said Black.

Sgt. Ryan Cody, a patrol explosive detector dog handler for the 93rd MWDD, and the noncommissioned officer in charge of the MWD demonstration, really thought the event went well.

The kids responded well to the dogs and seemed to take in the knowledge of what the MWDs do. They were attentive, happy, and well behaved. True to the inquisitive nature of children, they also had a lot of questions at the end of the demonstration, explained Cody.

The event held special significance for Cody, as he is father as well as a MWD handler.

“This is important to me because it supports the military children, and they go through so much and are forced to be so resilient; between their dad or mom deploying, constantly gone for training and irregular work hours, [the children] make so many sacrifices,” said Cody. “This month, and this event, is to honor them and those sacrifices.”

Other contributors to this story include the U.S. Army MWR at http://www.armymwr.com/momc.aspx

• Date Taken: 04.07.2015
• Date Posted: 04.07.2015 12:05
• Story ID: 159303
• Location: FORT STEWART, GA, US