SIERRA VISTA, Ariz. – Fort Huachuca’s Directorate of Emergency Services joined Cochise County first responders and community neighbors for the annual National Night Out event held Nov. 1 at Veterans Memorial Park.
The 483rd Military Working Dog Detachment, U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID), Fire & Emergency Services Division and Conservation Enforcement ran static displays and interactive demonstrations of investigative tasks.
Meeting first responders with public safety, emergency care or law enforcement is rarely anyone's best day, so the gathering improves connections between responders and residents, said Capt. Traci Beri, commander, 18th Military Police and 483rd Military Working Dog (MWD) Detachments.
"We are supporting the annual National Night Out with our community partners and executing a military working dog demonstration," Beri said. "We are here to say, ‘we are here to help, and we are safe.’ I think it is important to get that out."
Spc. Shawn Buie, military working dog handler, and Nina, a Belgian Malinois military working dog, joined Sgt. Travis Hawthorne, military working dog handler, and Sira, a German Shepherd military working dog, all from the 483rd MWD Det., to demonstrate their ability to detect and locate explosives and drugs.
"Nina killed her demonstration," Buie enthused. "Nina comes out and kills it every year! This is our second year at this event."
Buie said the crowd loves Nina's performance.
"And Nina loves the work!" he exclaimed.
Sira is a new addition to the detachment’s kennel.
"This is Sira's first demonstration performing in front of many people!" Hawthorne exclaimed. "She excelled."
First responders and emergency service vehicles displayed life-saving capabilities while their strobes and spinning lights lit up the whole park.
Police Lt. Edgar Bustamante, conservation law enforcement officer at Fort Huachuca, talks about the wildlife populating the Fort. Packs of curious people stopped to see the javelina and raccoon skulls along with plaster casts of various hoof and paw prints.
At the CID's static display, a special agent explained their role in investigating criminal activity with an Army nexus, such as violations of the Uniformed Code of Military Justice, U.S. Federal Code or state laws.
# # #
Fort Huachuca is home to the U.S. Army Intelligence Center of Excellence, the U.S. Army Network Enterprise Technology Command (NETCOM)/9th Army Signal Command and more than 48 supported tenants representing a diverse, multiservice population. Our unique environment encompasses 946 square miles of restricted airspace and 2,500 square miles of protected electronic ranges, key components to the national defense mission.
Located in Cochise County, in southeast Arizona, about 15 miles north of the border with Mexico, Fort Huachuca is an Army installation with a rich frontier history. Established in 1877, the Fort was declared a national landmark in 1976.
We are the Army's Home. Learn more at https://home.army.mil/huachuca/.
Social Sharing