Unique Working Dog Protects 380th

Vets Help Keep 'wardogs' Ready

Story and Photos by Cpl. Nicole Lavine

MARINE CORPS AIR GROUND COMBAT CENTER TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif.  – The saying goes that a dog is a man’s best friend, but in the eyes of the Provost Marshal’s Office dog handlers here, military working dogs are considered fellow warriors. Therefore, Marines treat their military working dogs the way they would a fellow Marine.

Army Maj. Tod M. Thomas, the western regional surgeon chief, and Army Capt. Amy J. Clark, the Combat Center’s Veterinary Treatment Facility section chief, perform stomach surgery on a military working dog to at the VTF June 2.

One Army veterinarian and two veterinarian technicians at the Combat Center Veterinary Treatment Facility strive to keep these furry companions healthy and combat effective.

Since Marines take care of their own, working dogs are monitored and maintained to assure mission readiness and capability, said Lance Cpl. Patrick S. Shanahan Jr., a PMO military working dog handler.

Lance Cpl. Patrick Shanahan, a military dog handler with the Combat Center’s Provost Marshals Office, takes a moment with his dog, Ayaks, after a preventative stomach surgery was performed at the Combat Center Veterinary Treatment Facility June 2.

“Both of us have jobs to do,” Shanahan, a Baltimore native, said about his dog, Ayaks. “If he’s healthy, he’s more likely to complete his tasks.”

One of the best ways to assure readiness is through preventative medical care, which is provided by the VTF to military working dogs as well as personally owned pets.

“Every decision we make ultimately impacts the kennel master” said Army Maj. Tod M. Thomas, the western regional surgeon chief. “If a dog is not deployable, that may mean the team is not deployable, or the handler may have to train and certify another dog beforehand.”

Army Spc. Nathan Kuhnle, a veterinary technician with the Combat Center’s the Combat Center Veterinary Treatment Facility prepares to put Ayaks, a military working dog, under anesthesia for a preventative surgery on his stomach June 2.

Thomas and Army Capt. Amy J. Clark, the Veterinary Treatment Facility section chief, performed surgery on Ayaks at the facility Tuesday.

The procedure was done to prevent the specialized search dog from developing a fatal condition known by veterinarians as gastric dilatation and volvulus syndrome, or “bloat” which causes the stomach to become twisted and cut off blood flow to vital organs.

“It is the number one preventable cause of death in dogs,” said Thomas, a Somerville, Ala., native. “GDV is responsible for nine percent of deaths in DoD [Department of Defense] dogs each year. This dog we’re doing surgery on is a healthy dog; we are doing this for prevention instead of emergency treatment.

Army Maj. Tod M. Thomas, the western regional surgeon chief, and Army Capt. Amy J. Clark, the Combat Center’s Veterinary Treatment Facility section chief, perform a preventative surgical procedure on Ayaks, a military police working dog, at the VTF June 2. The procedure is done to many military working dogs to keep them from developing a fatal twisted-stomach syndrome.

“This is a double bang for the buck because there have been no compromises to his blood flow and we maintain the skills we would need to operate on a dog that hasn’t already had this procedure,” Thomas said.

Clark, a native of Anchorage, Alaska, said in addition to supporting PMO and other animal-handling military occupational specialties, providing animal treatment is a personal reward.

Army Capt. Amy J. Clark, the Combat Center’s Veterinary Treatment Facility section chief, prepares to perform stomach surgery on Ayaks, a military working dog, with the help of Spc. Nathan Kuhnle, a veterinary technician, at the VTF June 2.

“I don’t think I ever thought about doing anything else,” Clark said. “I may have thought about doing this since I was around five.”

It is recommended by the VTF staff that military working dogs go under the knife for this procedure no more than 18 months after arriving at the Combat Center.

Ayaks’ surgery took about two hours and involved making a shallow incision on his stomach and mirroring it to another incision on the inside of his right abdominal area. The two incisions were connected and sewed together so that as they heal, scar tissue will hold the dog’s stomach in place, reducing the chance of a twist.

Ayaks, a military police working dog, is put under general anesthesia before getting preventative surgery on his stomach at the Combat Center’s Veterinary Treatment Facility June 2.

As Clark and Thomas stitched up Ayaks’ shaved belly, Shanahan stood in the corner of the room with his arms crossed and his face partially hidden behind a surgical mask. Shanahan has been Ayaks’ handler for the past 11 months and has already stood by his companion through a minor dental surgery.

Shanahan said he feels more comforted knowing his dog is at a lower risk of developing bloat or other stomach problems.

“I’ll stay with him through the night at the kennels,” Shanahan said, stroking his partner’s head as he awoke from anesthesia. “I’ll check up on him regularly, but I’m sure he’ll be fine.”

Ayaks, a military police working dog, is put under general anesthesia before getting preventative surgery on his stomach at the Combat Center’s Veterinary Treatment Facility June 2. The procedure is designed to keep his stomach from twisting and causing a fatal condition in dogs his size and body-type.

The VTF is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily and is closed Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. Even though the facility will treat personally owned pets through appointments, VTF does not perform emergency procedures.

For pet emergencies, contact the Hi-Desert Animal Hospital in Twentynine Palms at 367-9511 or the Companion Animal Clinic in Yucca Valley at 228-1474. For more information call VTF at 830-6896

Military Dogs Bite Into Their Mission

Marine Corps News|by LCpls Brian Marion and Jason Hernandez

AL ASAD AIR BASE, Iraq  — Dogs have served in nearly every major conflict in human history.  The Romans deployed entire company-sized formations of dogs and armies in medieval Britain used dogs to pull armored horsemen off their mounts for infantrymen to kill with ease. During World War I, the Belgian army used dogs to tow machine-gun carriages and canines have been in action with U.S. forces since the birth of the nation.

That tradition continues today in Iraq’s Al Anbar province where military working dogs are hard at work detecting explosives, sniffing out drugs, tracking down potential enemies, and serving as an extra set of eyes and ears on patrols.
 
“We use these working dogs for a variety of counter-insurgent, counter-[improvised explosive device] and force protection roles,” said Sgt. Elijah S. Prudhomme, a kennel master with Task Force Military Police, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment.  “They help us seek out dangerous materials while putting the Marines at as little risk as possible.”
 
They may be animals, but the dogs display just as much discipline as their Marine handlers.  Able to operate without a leash, the dogs show initiative, communications skills and, when necessary, ruthless aggression.
 
They’ve been trained on how to “sniff out” hazardous substances and point out the locations of these hazardous materials to their handlers.  It is also not uncommon to watch a dog sweeping an open area in a tight, scanning formation dozens of yards away from its master.
 
“They’re also highly trained on how to attack and take down an opponent,” said Prudhomme.  “We train them on that regularly to ensure that our Marines have a dog well-trained on how to non-lethally remove a threat.”
 
To show off their dogs’ prowess, the TFMP dog handlers put on a military working dog demonstration for the Marines of the Multi National Force – West command element aboard Al Asad Air Base, Iraq, May 26, 2009. The handlers and their canine companions showed off their search and discovery techniques around buildings and vehicles, but the most intense part of the demonstration had a bit more bite.
 
To cap off the half hour-long demonstration, Prudhomme donned a protective set and attempted to ‘flee’ from another handler and his dog. In response, Diva, a German Sheppard combat tracker dog, was let off the leash and sent in pursuit. Latching on to Prudhomme, Diva was able to wrestle the much larger and heavier man to the ground within seconds. A simple voice command from her handler stopped the attack, and Diva returned to her master’s side.
 
“It was a lot of fun being the victim in the bite suit,” said Navy Lt. Chris Martin, the battalion chaplain for TFMP who has volunteered to be ‘attacked’ during an earlier training evolution. “It’s neat to see what the dogs can do and feel the type of force they hit you with. The impact feels like someone suddenly grabbing your arm and pulling you down to the ground.”
 
Getting the dogs into prime condition is no simple feat. The handlers spend almost every waking moment of the day with their dogs to establish the bonds and reinforce the skills necessary to make the animals an essential part of the ongoing mission in Iraq.
 
“Most people think we sit around and play with the dogs the entire time, but we don’t,” said Petty Officer 2nd Class Danielle Kubit, master-at-arms for TFMP’s military working dog section. “It isn’t easy training. It takes a lot of hard work to train the dogs and you have to start with baby steps.”
 
According to Kubit, each day involves hours of training and reinforcement of skills to keep the dogs at their peak. Military working dog detachments are scattered throughout the Al Anbar province to support MNF-W operations, and at any given time, can be found conducting searches, out on patrols with Iraqi and Marine forces, or simply standing by for the call to leap into action.
 
Serving in Iraq presents a unique set of challenges for the dog handlers most people wouldn’t imagine, and that involves taking care of the dogs in the brutal Iraq heat. Unlike other ‘service members’ who can verbalize when they are becoming hot or tired, the handlers must look for non-verbal clues from their partners whose fur and body types make them more susceptible to the heat.
 
“We have to keep themydrated and in the shade because the heat makes them tired very fast,” Kubit said.
 
Kubit went on to say that the gravel and rocks dominating the Iraqi landscape can tear up a dog’s paws and when the ground gets too hot, it can cause their paws to crack and burn. To combat this, the dog handlers coat their canine partner’s paws with a special spray.
 
Despite the difficulties, Kubit, Prudhomme and the other dog handlers agree theirs is an essential job and well worth the extra effort.
 
“I love my job,” Kubit added.  “We put in several hours of hard work to train the dogs and get them to trust us enough to be our partners – and we do get to play with them.”

Dogs, handlers compete

The competition is one tool that can be used to assess training success and where improvements need to be made.

For some, the military environment was one that was entirely new.
Civilian Cpl. Brian Moore, who is with the Waynesville Police Department, brought Oxx, the department’s newest employee, to test his skills and learn some new things.

“I’m pleased with him,” Moore said of Oxx’s performance through the week-long competition. “I’ve learned a lot from the other handlers.”
Oxx performed well in the exercises, although one obstacle course proved to be a bit more challenging than anticipated.
“We’ve never run an obstacle course,” Moore said. “That was all new to us.”

And though the course wasn’t done to perfection, Moore will be able to take the experience and develop Oxx’s skills even moore.
SFC Sean Shiplett organized this year’s event— an undertaking he’s worked on since January.

“This gives the teams scenarios they may not see on a daily basis,” Shiplett said, explaining what goes on during the competition. “Every environment that the team goes into is going to be a new environment.”
Moore wasn’t the only civilian participating in the mostly military event. Mark Lenger, a K-9 handler with the Johnson County Sheriff’s Department, was there as well.
“I came down to enjoy the benefits of the training they’re putting on down here,” Lenger said.

“The military is known for having excellent dogs and excellent trainers,” he  continued. “It was worth it to me to come down.”
SFC Jimmy Blankenship said dogs have a long history in law enforcement and military operations. Their sense of smell and ability to learn make the ideal partners in fighting crime.

“They are very vital. They provide force protection,” Blankenship said. “We’ve been utilizing them for approximately 50 to 60 years.”

A bite out of crime in Iraq

Horseheads grad trains Army dogs

U.S. Army Spec. Gregory Corsi must have nerves made of steel because he allows 80-pound snarling dogs to lunge at him and makes sure they get a good bite.

Gregory, a 2004 Horseheads High School graduate, is a student military working dog handler with the 341st Training Squadron, wrote U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Jessica Switzer. He spends his days at the Department of Defense Military Working Dog Center at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas.

U.S. Army Spec. Gregory Corsi is a military dog handler at the Department of Defense Military Working Dog Center at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas.-Star Gazette

The center has courses that train human handlers and dogs to work together as sentries, and bomb and drug sniffers, Jessica wrote.

Four-legged students learn to identify the scents of a wide variety of explosives and drugs, many of which are odorless to humans, Jessica wrote. They also are trained to patrol and taught when it is and isn’t appropriate to bite a human, and when to let go.

Human students learn the basics about the dogs and then begin to work with them. For Gregory, working with canines is a completely different military experience.

“My job offers me the opportunity to encounter many law enforcement situations,” Gregory said. “I enjoy working with my dog on a daily basis; it’s very rewarding.”

He understands that facing ferocious attacks, hammering in constant commands and providing frequent praise will one day pay off with human lives saved on the battlefield.

“Military working dogs save lives in a number of situations,” said Gregory, who joined the Army for four years and served in Iraq for 15 months as a military policeman. “The dogs continue to get drugs off the streets and keep explosives off the roads in Iraq and Afghanistan.”

It may sound dangerous, but Gregory’s job doesn’t surprise his mother, Lou Ann Lance of Elmira.

“He always wanted to be a police officer,” Lou Ann said.

He also followed in the footsteps of his older brothers: Army veteran Matt Corsi, 27, a former military policeman who served in Iraq, and Army Capt. Joe Corsi, 25, a military intelligence officer who served in Afghanistan and will go to Iraq later this year.

Their father is Tom Corsi, of West Elmira. Their stepfather is Dave Lance.

Having three boys join the Army didn’t rattle their mother, she said.

“They believe in what they’re doing,” Lou Ann said. “It’s my job to support them. We’re very proud of them.”

Kingsley is a staff writer for the Star-Gazette. Neighbors runs Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays.

A salute to the military working dog

By:ET3 Alexander Lockman

GROTON, Conn. – There are members of the Naval Submarine Base New London Security Team who deploy with little bark but a great deal of bite. SUBASE is one of a number of bases in the Mid-Atlantic Region with a corps of canine security specialists – Military working dogs (MWD).

MWDs have been a staple in militaries throughout history and continue to provide unique services to the armed forces of today. Their keen sense of smell and hearing as well as the ability to navigate through the wild has made them an asset for whoever they serve.

Canines were first utilized by the ancient people of Persian and Assyria as actual combatants. Later, the Romans gathered dogs in columns equipped with light armor and spiked collars while the English were known to attach long spikes over their heads and have them charge forward to attack the enemy’s cavalry. French emperor Napoleon is thought to be the first leader to make use of the dog’s superior senses by chaining them to the walls of Alexandria to warn of an impending attack. In the early twentieth century, Germany was the most dominant user of dogs; training them to perform scouting duties with infantry patrols. Additionally dogs served watch dogs and were used to carry messages from front line fighters to the rear.

In the early 1940′s many breeders in the United States had formed groups in support of using dogs in the military. One of the most famous groups was “Dogs for Defense.” They were created immediately after the attack on Pearl Harbor and strived to develop a large trained canine force to be used by the Army. On November 8, 1942 the 3rd Battalion, 30th Infantry, 3rd Division obtained dogs from Front Royal, Va. These would be the frontrunners of the United States canine force and were deployed during D-day. At first the dogs were gun-shy but soon proved to be more alert and responsive than their human handlers during sentry duty on the battle lines.

On the back of the canine’s success during the beginning of WWII, the first War Dog training center was established at Front Royal, Va., in August of 1942. The completion of the center allowed the training of 400 men and 900 dogs by June 1943; by July of that year over 11,000 dogs had been procured by the Army. Dogs and their handlers were sent to fight in Korea in 1951 and had logged over 400 patrols by 1953. The canines acted as forward scouts for the rest of the patrol, providing an advanced warning of approaching enemies or ambushes along their trail. The dogs now performed better around fire due to training involving gunfire, a practice that began after WWII to keep the dogs focused during intense combat. During the Vietnam Conflict over 4.500 dogs working dogs were sent to aid the war effort; primarily providing early detection for military installations, alerting soldiers of enemy infiltrators.

The North Vietnamese would not penetrate a sentry dog post undetected until December of 1966. Even then the infiltrators were spotted by the second sentry dog team. A fight ensued, leading to one handler and three dogs being killed, the first sentry dog casualties. During the struggle a dog named Nemo became a symbol of canine heroism in America when he saved the life of his injured handler after he himself was shot. Nemo would later lose his eye due to his injury.

Today dogs are mainly used for drug and bomb detection and are serving in all branches of the armed forces. The German Shepherd remains the most popular military working dog due to its intimidating size and detection abilities. Beagles and Terriers are also useful for their small size aboard ships and other small spaces. In 1999 the canine corps searched over 220 million packages and people with 11,000 drug and currency detections.

Dogs have played an important and ever evolving role in the militaries of the world. As technology advances and the battlefield changes, they prove to be adaptable and at SUBASE, MWD handlers will tell you that the dogs are irreplaceable. Deadline nears for Military Working Dog Award nominations Every year, the American Kennel Club (AKC) / DOGNY Military Working Dog Award shines the spotlight on a military working dog and handler team to acknowledge their dedication, sacrifice, and commitment to the U.S. Armed Forces and the citizens of our nation. An element of the AKC Humane Fund Awards for Canine Excellence (ACE), the award is a prestigious way to pay tribute to Military Working Dogs. ACE honorees are recognized nationally and five dogs are chosen who have performed an exemplary act or series of acts in the following five categories: law enforcement, search and rescue, therapy, service, and exemplary companion dog. Nominations will be accepted until June 30, 2009; for more information about the ACE awards or to download a nomination form visit http://www.akchumanefund.org. ©The Dolphin 2009