MPs, military working dogs prepare for Inaugural service

Staff Sgt. Mike Unruh has been preparing hard for this upcoming inauA,Aguration and the events that will be surrounding it. Unruh and his military working dog partner, Jofa, a four-year-old German shepherd, have been training more than eight hours a day for conditionA,Aing. Unruh expects some of his shifts to last 12 hours or more. Jofa, trained in detecting exA,Aplosives, will accompany him during the next 11 days. They are part of a group of more than 70 dogs the military and other law enforcement groups will have paA,Atrolling each venue and sweeping each event. Three Fort Belvoir dogs were hand picked for the experience they and their handlers can proA,Avide. They depart Wednesday to be deployed at various locations in Washington, D.C. "We will be ensuring the safety of the Presidents, elected offiA,Acials and dignitaries presA,Aent, along with all of the other people attending the ceremony," stated Unruh. The dogs have been exA,Aposed to working with unA,Afamiliar people and in warehouses and commisA,Asaries in different locaA,Ations. "While we are glad to provide an element to the very important service of protection, we will also be glad to get back home once it all is over," Unruh said.