MILWAUKEE-- Eight law enforcement officers and seven canines from the Racine Police K-9 Unit traveled to the 128th Air Refueling Wing, Wisconsin Air National Guard, here to conduct a police canine exercise Feb. 20, 2019.
A K-9 unit is a specialized sector of law enforcement that uses service dogs to assist officers in tasks such as public order enforcement, search and rescue, tracking and more.
While at the 128 ARW, the Racine Police K-9 Unit handlers challenged their dogs by performing suspect apprehension and illicit substance detection training within the foreign environment of a KC-135 aircraft hangar.
“The 128th facilities are so different compared to our day-to-day canine training courses,” said Steven Beal, a police officer and K-9 handler for the City of Racine Police Department. “With odors emanating from the jet fuel, tires, new people and the aircraft, this created a completely new kind of obstacle for our dogs.”
While in the line of duty, police canines are exposed to drastically different environments on each scene. By conducting training in unfamiliar areas, such as the 128 ARW hangar, this enhances the dogs’ abilities to adapt more quickly and be more ready to perform their duties in new places.
Moreover, because the 128 ARW does not have a military working dog unit assigned to the base, these types of joint exercises foster strong working relationships that can be used later to meet a broader range of mission requirements.
“If the 128th ever needed police canines on base, we’d be thrilled to step up and help in any way we can,” said Beal.
The 128 ARW has hosted different Wisconsin K-9 units for training here in the past, but this was the first time the Racine Police K-9 Unit has trained on base.
“Both local law enforcement and the 128th have a primary mission to keep the community safe,” said Chief Master Sgt. Wolf, the security forces manager for the 128th Security Forces Squadron. “So whenever we have the opportunity to team up to better serve our community, we’re all for it.”