SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, NC — A blanket of silence covered Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in North Carolina. A group of people in civilian clothes gathered together in a large, gated area covered with green turf, steam emanating from behind their masks in the crisp, cool morning air of April 20, 2021.
A man wearing an Air Force uniform began speaking in front of the group, temporarily digging through the calm silence.
The 4th Security Forces Squadron military working dog section invited handlers and their dogs from the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Homeland Security, and the East Carolina University Police Department to join them for a day of training at the base.
“It’s important that we get together and train together because all of our different areas of expertise and knowledge can make all of us better handlers,” said Tech. Sgt. Dakota Willis, 4th SFS MWD section noncommissioned officer in charge. “There aren’t too many dog handlers in the military, federal, and civilian world so one person’s information and guidance can go a long way.”
The morning started off with handlers and their dogs going through an obstacle course which involved jumping and scaling over barriers, going through tunnels, and traversing a long, thin walkway.
Willis said while this type of training is common to the MWD world, their counterparts often don’t get the chance to run through a course like this.
After taking turns going through the course, the group dispersed into several teams to go through special scenarios tailored to each dog’s area of expertise.
(*This article includes 6 pictures)
