Photo By Tech. Sgt. Rebecca Wirth | Pennsylvania Air National Guardsman Master Sgt. Jillian Dietrick, assigned to the...... read more read more
For a few hours on July 8, 2026, the 171st was treated to an unexpected morale boost; one with four paws, a wet nose, and a wagging tail that was happy to greet everyone.
Day after day, the Guardsmen and civilian team at the 171st Air Refueling Wing, near Pittsburgh, Pa. work tirelessly to maintain mission readiness. Long before the first aircraft launches for the day and well after the last one returns, they dedicate countless hours of ruff work to ensure that the wing is always mission-ready.
While mission success remains the priority, wing leadership recognizes that taking care of its Guardsmen is equally essential to getting the job done.
A certified therapy dog, Ashoka and her trainer Dawn Switzer, visited the wing for a second time, offering Airmen and civilian employees a chance to take a moment and decompress. As Ashoka made her way around the base, smiles replaced serious expressions, the quiet quickly turned to laughter, and the stress of maintaining the base’s mission began to slowly fade away.
“I got into therapy work because I like bringing joy to people,” Dawn said. “My dad was in the Navy for 30 years, so I knew I wanted to work with the military because I know that they have tough jobs.” Throughout the visit, Ashoka, while dressed in a patriotic red, white, and blue bandana with matching sunglasses, delivered on that mission of spreading paws-itivity and joy as she made her way around the base.
Ashoka’s presence at the 171st highlighted an important part of mission readiness that can easily go overlooked. By working together with the base’s Department of Psychological health, the wing commander plans to make visits with therapy dogs a recurring morale booster. Base leadership understands that taking care of its Airmen is important and equally essential to maintaining a force that is capable of responding whenever needed.
"Our people are our greatest strength," said Col. Ryan D. Strong, 171st ARW commander. "They work incredibly hard every day to keep this wing ready. Taking a few minutes to step away and recharge helps ensure that they're ready to continue accomplishing the mission at hand."
| Date Taken: | 07.15.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 07.15.2026 10:41 |
| Story ID: | 569978 |
| Location: | CORAOPOLIS, PENNSYLVANIA, US |
| Web Views: | 22 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, A New Tail at the 171st ARW, by TSgt Rebecca Wirth, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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