Photo By Senior Airman Mikaela Smith | From the left, U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Kaitlynd Newland and Staff Sgt. Veronica...... read more read more
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JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va. – Military working dogs are more than just animals; they are mission-critical teammates and loyal companions. Whether detecting explosives, or patrolling with handlers, MWDs are a force multiplier that cannot be easily replaced.
That is why on May 8, 2025, the Langley Veterinary Treatment Facility (VTF) hosted a Canine Tactical Combat Casualty Care course. The joint training led by U.S. Army veterinary personnel taught K-9 life-saving skills to volunteers from the 633d Medical Group and handlers from the 633d Security Forces Squadron MWD section.
Like TCCC for humans, the course is designed to ensure service members are adequately trained to adapt and mitigate the impact of injuries to K-9 forces, bridging the gap when veterinary professionals aren’t readily available.
“K-9 TCCC is crucial for the well-being of MWDs in combat zones,” said U.S. Army Sgt. Briyana Smith, Langley VTF noncommissioned officer in charge. “It equips personnel with the ability to provide timely and effective care, significantly improving the chances of survival for military working dogs in combat situations.”
The training dives into canine-specific trauma care and addresses unique challenges that differ from treating human patients. According to Smith, one of the greatest hurdles is recognizing and adjusting to the anatomical and physiological differences of canines compared to humans.
U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Veronica Baham, a 633d SFS MWD handler, shared that for newer handlers, every step of K-9 TCCC can feel overwhelming, and for seasoned handlers, recalling training and applying it in real world situations can be incredibly stressful, especially when every second counts to save a canine’s life.
“As a handler, we may find ourselves in (austere environments), on Secret Service Missions, working the base as a patrol unit, or down range,” said Baham. “So, ensuring that we can stabilize our dog long enough to reach veterinary care, should be something that every handler can achieve.”
That responsibility begins with trust. While the technical skills are essential, Baham emphasized that the bond between handler and dog needs to be established early on.
“The dog has to believe their handler will do everything possible to keep them alive,” Baham said.
This training ensures that both medical personnel and handlers are better prepared to respond in the future battlespace of dispersed and multi-domain operations. As military working dogs continue to operate in high-risk environments, the ability to deliver rapid care in the field directly contributes to the survival of the canines, who serve alongside their handlers.
| Date Taken: | 05.13.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 05.20.2025 15:23 |
| Story ID: | 498495 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 35 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, First Aid for Four Legs: Members Train to Treat Canine Injuries, by SrA Mikaela Smith, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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