Dog teams recertify, earn excellence rating

By Andrea Sutherland (Fort Carson)February 7, 2013

Dog teams recertify, earn excellence rating
FORT CARSON, Colo. -- Sgt. Jon Silvey, left, 69th Military Working Dog Detachment, 759th Military Police Battalion, directs Turbo, a military working dog, as evaluators critique the team's performance Jan. 31. Silvey and Turbo were one of six militar... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT CARSON, Colo. -- Sgt. Jon Silvey urged his teammate forward Jan. 31 at the recreational lot near Gate 20.

"Right," he called, gesturing with his hand and walking to the right up the dirt road between the motor homes and recreational vehicles.

"Left," he said, moving toward the left.

With each command, his teammate, Turbo, obeyed, zigzagging his way up the road.

As the black Labrador retriever sniffed the ground, he halted, identifying a disturbance in the dirt.

After confirming the find with certifying officials, Silvey rewarded Turbo with a toy ball. The two tussled for a moment, then Silvey sent Turbo forward again.

For nearly an hour the two performed the tedious route-clearing mission, one of the final tasks during the four-day military working dog team certification.

"Certification is pretty difficult," said Sgt. 1st Class Thomas Macagg, certifying official and Military Working Dog Plans noncommissioned officer, U.S. Forces Command, Fort Bragg, N.C. "Downrange, you come across stuff that has been buried for days, weeks, even years sometimes. We're the ones that identify the area."

"(The certification) is good," said Silvey after he and Turbo completed the exercise. "I didn't know what to expect."

Although this was their first time going through the certification process, Silvey and Turbo developed a strong bond during their one-year deployment to Afghanistan with the 69th Military Working Dog Detachment, 759th Military Police Battalion.

Each year, military bomb and drug-sniffing dog teams are inspected and must complete a range of tasks including training missions with explosives and narcotics, vehicle searches, "bite work" and odor detection, Macagg said. Teams are also evaluated on facility maintenance and proper filing of administration paperwork.

"There's a five-page checklist," Macagg said. "This is the first time Fort Carson has had two 'excellence' ratings in a row."

Staff Sgt. Garry Mattingly, kennel master, 69th MWD, participated in the yearly certification process since he began working with military dogs in 2005. Now, as kennel master, he has to observe and trust his Soldiers.

"(Certification) is the most nerve-wracking thing," he said. "Your certification is dependent on so many people."

Mattingly said to pass, bomb-sniffing dog teams had to score above 95 percent. On average, only half of recertifying teams pass.

"They're doing well," he said. "They know what they're doing. They're combat-experienced dogs and handlers. They know what they have to do."

Six teams from various posts, including three from Fort Carson, completed the certification process in January. Two teams passed, including Silvey and Turbo.

Teams that did not pass the certification will continue training, with help from Macagg and other certifying officials.

"If we see a training deficiency, we keep training," said Macagg, who has 13 years of experience working with military dogs. "It would be a very large injustice just to check the box and not provide insight."