FORT GREGG-ADAMS, Va. — Military Working Dogs and their handlers came together for a week of training in deployment-like scenarios.
Veterinary Readiness Activity Fort Liberty, Fort Gregg-Adams Branch and the 544th Military Police Detachment hosted the second annual MWD Deployment Training Week. The purpose of the training was to provide immersive training to MWD handlers and medical providers from the Virginia and North Carolina region.
It took collaboration from a number of partners from the local area and beyond sharing ideas and learning together to make the week successful.
MWDs from around the Army, Navy, State Department, the FBI and the Air Force took part in the training, said Capt. Brandon White, the commander of the CASCOM Law Enforcement Activity and the 544th.
In sum, there were about 20 dogs training at Fort Gregg-Adams for the week.
Tasks included Canine Tactical Combat Casualty Care, night detection, scent detection and canine bite work, as well as specific training for medical providers and handlers.
The group Paws for Heroes, a nonprofit that rescues homeless dogs and professionally trains them to serve as companion dogs for veterans suffering from PTSD, also attended, he said.
The Virginia Army National Guard provided MEDEVAC helicopters for the hoist training that took place Thursday.
“The dogs can be hoisted up by the helicopter and move d from one place to the next,” said Sgt. 1st Class Dylan Thillemann, the LEA Detachment Sergeant.
In addition, the Kennel Master for the 544th, Staff Sgt. Kevin Gilgannon, stayed in the helicopter during the exercise.
“When the K-9 gets up there, there is someone who knows how to handle the dog in a stressful situation,” Thillemann said.
The dogs and handlers would be moved in and out of a high-risk situation or a combat zone by helicopter in a deployed environment, White said. The 544th has one MWD team deployed to the U.S. Central Command area of operations, and another team is scheduled to deploy next year.
“Military Working Dog teams deploy all over the world, but our assignment is to CENTCOM here at Fort Gregg-Adams,” White added.
At the end of the training, the goal was to enhance knowledge and hands-on experience for participants in the training tasks and improve handler and medical provider capabilities in the event of an MWD casualty.
The U.S. Army K-9 Corps was established in 1942, but dogs played a role in the Army since its inception. The Army officially established its military working dog handler Military Occupational Specialty, 31K, in 2014.
Military dog handlers are responsible for training and caring for dogs, both at home and abroad, supporting missions and daily law enforcement. Military Working Dogs search for narcotic drugs or explosives and work with their human counterparts to neutralize threats in law enforcement operations, according to a summary of the MOS at GoArmy.com.
For more about MWDs, please see: https://www.defense.gov/Multimedia/Experience/Four-Legged-Fighters/
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