Soldiers were some dogs' best friends Saturday, when students from the Fort Sill Noncommissioned Officers Academy took them for a walk and provided information about how animals can be adopted at the Fort Sill Stray Animal Facility.
Ten Soldiers and an instructor from Air Defense Artillery Senior Leader Course No. 1-10 drove the dogs from post to Elmer Thomas Park in nearby Lawton.
They walked the dogs and showed them to park users as a community service project. The rest of their 21 classmates were at the Main Exchange, P-Xtra and two Shoppettes where they provided literature about adopting cats and dogs from the stray animal facility.
"It's a tradition that the Air Defense Artillery has brought with them to the NCO Academy at Fort Sill from the NCO Academy at Fort Bliss," said student Sgt. 1st Class Steve Strickland, referring to the community project.
"It's an attempt to get the students involved in the community ... and let the community know that we care," said Strickland, a recruiter in Hixon,Tenn. Sgt. 1st Class Spencer Knight, a small group leader for the school, said each class decides if they want to do a community project and what it will be. This class's choice put them in the dog house - which can be a great choice, Knight said.
"Everyone loves animals. You see the students and they have big smiles," Knight said. "A couple students are going to adopt dogs."
Dogs ranged in size from a corgi-mix to a Rottweiler, and varying breeds, including, of course, numerous Heinz 57s. The spirited dogs took the Soldiers for a walk around the lake area.
Student Staff Sgt.Kenneth Scarlett, an instructor at the 6th ADA Brigade at Fort Sill, walked a dog that drew raves from walkers at the park.
"What a cutie," and "It's a girl," were some of their comments. Student Staff Sgt. Rich Hauser, of the 5th Battalion, 5th ADA at Fort Lewis, Wash., said he volunteered to work on the project because he likes dogs and has two.
"The Soldiers get satisfaction out of helping the vet clinic get some of these dogs adopted," Hauser said. "I know a few of us if we actually lived here, we wouldn't mind taking some of them home."
The volunteer work by the Soldiers in the SLC helped out the stray animal facility, said Capt. Branden Maxwell, officer in charge of the Fort Sill Veterinary Treatment Facility. "It helps get the word out that there are cats and dogs available for adoption," Maxwell said. And, it gives the one paid kennel employee time to work on other tasks.
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