Photo By Senior Airman Paige Weldon | From left, Col. Johari Hemphill, 22nd Mission Support Group commander, Maj. Cameron...... read more read more
Subscribe
MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. — Defenders, both two-and-four-legged, along with Team McConnell leadership and members, gathered for the groundbreaking ceremony of a new $8.6 million military working dog kennel and training facility here, May 29, 2025.
In 2023, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Kansas City District announced they were in the planning and design portion of the kennels. The current facility is below Department of Defense standards and does not offer adequate space for both the dogs and handlers to live and work. These conditions have created unnecessary stress and resulted in negative health impacts for the team. The new facility aims to create improved living conditions for the handlers and dogs by going above the Department of Defense requirements.
“The new kennel is 15 years of hard work and team effort coming together,” said Staff Sgt. Kaitlyn Coble, 22nd Security Force Squadron military working dog handler. “The new kennel will return a severely lacking standard of care for these animals and prevent illness and injury that our dogs have been suffering from for over two decades.”
The small and aging living areas the dogs are confined to are frequently resulting in illnesses and injuries that take them away from duty and even end their career before the average MWD. The new facility will feature larger indoor and outdoor living areas for the dogs, allotting them the necessary space to thrive.
Handlers quality of life will also be improved upon the completion of the new facility. Each handler will have their own dedicated office space to perform administrative duties and store gear, as well as separate locker rooms for males and females. The current facility lacks these amenities, which has increased their response times and negatively impacted their readiness.
“This will help us with readiness, lethality and projecting air power across the globe,” said Col. Cory Damon, 22nd Air Refueling Wing commander. “We are able to deliver hope to those in need because we can protect this base.”
By constructing the new kennels at a higher standard, handlers and their dogs will be better equipped to execute their mission both at McConnell and in a deployed environment.
“As Airmen, we choose to serve, but the dogs don’t get that choice,” Coble said. “Since we make that choice for them, they deserve the very best that we can give them in time, effort, energy and facilities.”
The construction is currently projected to be completed by July 2026. Once completed, it will further certify Team McConnell’s military working dogs and their handlers readiness to provide global air mobility support, anytime, anywhere.
| Date Taken: | 05.29.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 06.05.2025 13:08 |
| Story ID: | 499741 |
| Location: | MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, KANSAS, US |
| Web Views: | 30 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, New military working dog facility groundbreaking, by SrA Paige Weldon, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
