This archive includes blog posts published by the Military Working Dog Team Support Association prior to 2016, as well as miscellaneous content that is now out-of-date.

MWDTSA, founded in 2006, has served hundreds of military working dog teams in all branches of the service. We provide care packages to handlers and K9s serving in global combat zones. We schedule recognition events for active duty teams at home station kennels.

As well, we support veterans causes and much more. The blog posts in this archive cover a range of topics, from kennel visits to donor thank yous. For more stories, also check out our Kennel Talk archive here: https://www.mwdtsa.org/kennel-talk-newsletter-archive/

Will you become part of MWDTSA’s story? We are seeking volunteers to help in variety of roles, including fundraising. It’s an honor to support our troops, both the two-legged and four-legged variety! For more information, visit https://www.mwdtsa.org/.

jestes_rebel_field_bwz Combat Tracker LabIt is often said that a picture is worth a thousand words. For me, sometimes it’s even more than that.
Years ago, even before 9-11, as I started to learn about the role of Military Working Dogs in Vietnam, I ran into a couple of photos posted on a website that were just so compelling to me that I felt that I had to get involved. Both photos were of dogs and handlers from the 47th Infantry Platoon Scout Dog in Vietnam. The one that I have permission to use is attached. If you look at the photo, the face of the young man and the dog reveal tomes about being in a war.

I have been honored to have an opportunity to meet this young man, who is now many years older, at a reunion at Fort Benning back in 2002. And, although I told him then that a great deal of my passion for this work started with the connection I felt to that photo, I’m not sure he really fully understood. It haunted me.

Olivia, a military working dog, sleeps next to her trainer inside a U.S. Army Stryker after a morning of conducting vehicle searches in Mosul, Iraq, Oct. 19, 2006, in support of a joint U.S.- Iraqi army mission. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Michele A. Desrochers) (Released)

Olivia, a military working dog, sleeps next to her trainer inside a U.S. Army Stryker after a morning of conducting vehicle searches in Mosul, Iraq, Oct. 19, 2006, in support of a joint U.S.- Iraqi army mission. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Michele A. Desrochers) (Released)

Equally compelling is the photo of a dog handler following the lead of a labrador retriever through the dangerous waters of Vietnam. Following this dog team are the remaining members of a Combat Tracker Team.

If we fast forward to our current missions and operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, I’ve been lucky to have received and uncovered many wonderful photos over the years. But again, but a few really stand out to me as photos that tell a full and valuable story about how two friends, one human and one canine, can combine into a force mulitiplier and make the world safer for all of us. Yes we do owe them all a debt of gratitude, but I think in these simple and straightforward photos you will clearly see the love that runs up and down that leash, the commitment to the mission and the unique work and nature of a military working dog and his handler. I think you’ll see it if you look with your heart. As one of my all time favorite books Le Petit Prince is quoted, “On ne voit bien, qu’avec le coeur.” One only truly sees with the heart. If you open your heart, it’s all so hard to miss.

A U.S. Marine and military working dog Marty take a break as they conduct training for the Lioness Program at Camp Korean Village, Iraq, Nov. 30, 2006. The program uses female Marines to conduct security searches of women who may not be comfortable having amale search them. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Jennifer L. Jones) (Released)

A U.S. Marine and military working dog Marty take a break as they conduct training for the Lioness Program at Camp Korean Village, Iraq, Nov. 30, 2006. The program uses female Marines to conduct security searches of women who may not be comfortable having amale search them. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Jennifer L. Jones) (Released)

Dog handlers, past and present we salute you all! Stay safe.

Dixie

Photo credits:

Olivia, a military working dog, sleeps next to her trainer inside a U.S. Army Stryker after a morning of conducting vehicle searches in Mosul,. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Michele A. Desrochers) (Released)

A U.S. Marine and military working dog, Marty. take a break as they conduct training. f. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Jennifer L. Jones) (Released)

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Russell McLaughlin, takes a moment to scratch the back of his military working dog after the completion of a raid in the village of Tall Qabb village, Kirkuk province, Iraq.. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Samuel

U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Maurice Hoffman, a K-9 military working dog handler attached to the 10th Mountain Division, rests with his working dog after a cordon and search in the village of Al Kahn in Kirkuk, Iraq,. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Samuel Bendet) (Released)

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Russell McLaughlin, a K-9 dog handler attached to the U.S. Army's 25th Infantry Division, takes a moment to scratch the back of his military working dog after the completion of a raid in the village of Tall Qabb village, Kirkuk province, Iraq, Dec. 8, 2006. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Samuel Bendet) (Released)

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Russell McLaughlin, a K-9 dog handler attached to the U.S. Army’s 25th Infantry Division, takes a moment to scratch the back of his military working dog after the completion of a raid in the village of Tall Qabb village, Kirkuk province, Iraq, Dec. 8, 2006. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Samuel Bendet) (Released)

Sebastian's+dog+cropped+compressedEnjoy a few photos sent by Marine and Navy handlers deployed in Iraq: photos of mission ready dog and handler, training and just chillin’.

I was reminded recently that your family is limited and you get what you get. You pick one spouse. But your friends can be as infinite and diverse as you choose. Best friend, new friend, old friend, trusted friend, true blue friend. There are not enough special words to adequately describe friendship, especially friends as special as these young military men and women. They are a pretty unique and amazing group. Sebastian, we send our prayers that you, your buddies and your dogs –stay stafe. Semper fi.

Just+chillin'+with+the+guys+compressed training+in+iraq+2+cropped+compressed

 

Tess+face+1.28.08.h[1]Al Dodds is back along with hero dog, Tess. Al is a veteran Navy dog handler from the Vietnam era. He signed up with a contractor to take his Human Remains Detection (HRD) dog , Tess, over to assist in special searches for missing Americans. We first met at a reunion event at Fort Benning back in 2002 or 2003 and later he joined us for a special event with the wonderful Navy handlers down at King’s Bay Kennels, just north of Jacksonville, Florida.

Later, as the US went to Iraq and Afghanistan, we had service members who went missing and the need for HRD dogs became obvious. Several missing members have been found and their remains returned to their families in the US.

Over the months that he and Tess have been working in Iraq, he’s been sending many photos. Take this opportunity to check out the photos, take a look at the story behind Tess’ hero dog status on the “Heroes” link on the front page of the website. She’s quite a girl.

Al+and+Tess+pose+with+happy+Iraqi+children search.1.28.08+Large+number+of+supporters+in+search

The official photo with Governor Perdue and all of the handlers at the Capitol on March 25, 2009. Additional candid photos outside with some of Army handlers from Ft. Benning and a dog, Cider, and handler from Ft. Stewart. We were delighted to welcome handlers from Ft. Stewart for the very first time.

The official proclamation will be professionally framed and presented to the kennels at Robins AFB later this spring. Can’t wait to get to visit the base and see their dogs work.

100_1690 100_1691 100_1692

Lots of photos have made it to these blog pages showing the currently deployed handlers, but thought you all might enjoy seeing some of the photos from the Vietnam Era. With a nod to the combat tracker website, I’m going to generously steal what they have to say. 1. Because it’s correct and 2. because I’m too tired to paraphrase.

Jim Tomlinson and Jet Larry Snitgen and Goldie Pawfest

In Vietnam, there were “small groups were small, highly-trained units usually consisting of five men and a Labrador Retriever. This group was called a “Combat Tracker Team” (CTT). They were a composite group and cross-trained, enabling all members to complete the mission. The purpose of CTT was to: reestablish contact with the “elusive enemy”, reconnaissance of an area for possible enemy activities, and locate lost or missing friendly personnel. The methods used in completing the missions were Visual and Canine Tactical Tracking. The unit was usually supported by a platoon or larger force and worked well ahead of them to maintain noise discipline and the element of surprise.”

Enjoy some of these photos and check out the Combat Tracker Website at www.combattrackerteam.org for many more photos and much more in depth information.

With my new job, hours are taking me later into the evening, which is a totally new experience for me. I’m not fond of the hours, but you do what you’ve got to do. Without getting too sappy or dramatic, I do think about our deployed dog handlers, as well as all of the other men and women working in harm’s way many times throughout the day. When I saw these photos of the handlers working at all hours of day and night, and knowing how exhausted I am from just a little tweak in my schedule, it makes me respect what they do even more.

Here are a couple of photos of Marine buddy Chris and his MWD Lucca working in Al Qadasiyah and Diwaniyah, Iraq (both photos taken by Sr.A Eric Harris).

U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Chris Willingham, attached to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Special Troops Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, directs his dog Lucca, a military working dog, to search a car parked near an Iraqi election site for explosives in Diwaniyah, Iraq, Jan. 30, 2009. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Eric Harris/Released)

U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Chris Willingham, attached to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Special Troops Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, directs his dog Lucca, a military working dog, to search a car parked near an Iraqi election site for explosives in Diwaniyah, Iraq, Jan. 30, 2009. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Eric Harris/Released)

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Francis from Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., and his military working dog, Z, search abandoned lots in Bacharia, Iraq, Dec. 17, 2008, as part of a joint search of the community conducted by 4th Squadron, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Daniel Owen/Released)

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Francis from Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., and his military working dog, Z, search abandoned lots in Bacharia, Iraq, Dec. 17, 2008, as part of a joint search of the community conducted by 4th Squadron, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Daniel Owen/Released)

U.S. Soldiers and a military working dog provide command control during a security halt while conducting operations in the Multi-National Division (South-East) area of responsibility in Basra, Iraq, July 31, 2008. DoD photo by Pfc. Rhonda Roth-Cameron, U.S. Army. (Released)

U.S. Soldiers and a military working dog provide command control during a security halt while conducting operations in the Multi-National Division (South-East) area of responsibility in Basra, Iraq, July 31, 2008. DoD photo by Pfc. Rhonda Roth-Cameron, U.S. Army. (Released)

Timmy and Chay, military working dogs, strike as a team to take down U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Sergio Sandoval, during nighttime double dog aggression training June 18, 2008, Joint Base Balad, Iraq. Sandoval is assigned as a dog handler to the 332nd Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron, Detachment 1. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Julianne Showalter/Released)

Timmy and Chay, military working dogs, strike as a team to take down U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Sergio Sandoval, during nighttime double dog aggression training June 18, 2008, Joint Base Balad, Iraq. Sandoval is assigned as a dog handler to the 332nd Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron, Detachment 1. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Julianne Showalter/Released)


Checking empty lots in Iraq are USAF handler SSgt. Francies from Offett AFB with a photo taken by SrA Daniel Owen.

Also, working late are dog teams photographed by Pfc. Rhona Roth-Cameron in Basra. (No name was included for the dog or handler.)

In the last photo MWDs Timmy and Chay take a bite out of Navy handler, USNavy Petty Officer 1st Class Sergio Sandoval in a training exercise.(Photo by Sr.A Julianne Showalter.)

Our thoughts and prayers go out to these handlers and their dogs as they face down the demons of the night for all of us.

Danny Spaide and BoykeAs many of you may know, I’ve been looking for work recently, along with millions of other folks. It certainly hasn’t been easy or fast to find a new job, but I finally found one and am gainfully employed for all of one day now.

Yesterday was my first day, filled with orientation, classes and meeting new folks.

As luck would have it, I ended up sitting next to a nice young man. (At this point, I have to share that it finally dawned on me about 2 o’clock in the afternoon that I was the only “old” person there. All of those folks were born AFTER I got my college diploma.) Anyway, we did afternoon introductions and Justin advised that he had separated from the Army in October. Far be it from me to leave a veteran without thanking him for his service, I asked some more questions about where he had been stationed. He mentioned Balad and FOB Rustamiyah. “FOB Rusty?” I questioned. I knew Rustamiyah seemed small enough that he might know the dog handlers there. And, he did- the 95th MP BN. Small world? Coincidence? Either way, I always love being able to make those connections. Attached are some photos of Danny and Boyke, one of the FOB Rusty teams.

100_1662 Being March, you never know if you’re going to get the lion, the lamb or lamb chops when it comes to the weather and today was no exception. Early this morning it was misting rain and cool, even though the weatherman “told” me it would be warm and sunny. Well, he didn’t lie, really, it just didn’t warm up until afternoon when the temperature hit the mid-70’s and the sun broke forth. It ended up being just a grand day.

MWDTSA was invited to attend an Open House at the local Invisible Fence dealer today. http://www.invisiblefence.com/

Several area vendors with dog related businesses were also in attendance and the general public was invited to come and bring their dogs. Activities for the dogs included agility play, bone toss and a paw print on a tile.

The best part of the day, other than getting a chance to hang around with buddies Ann, Liz and Ken, is that we got to meet some awesome folks. First, there is Jody McGlothlin of Invisible Fence with whom is always a treat to spend time. But, we also got to meet some pretty cool vendors and other folks that had a real interest in what we were doing.

100_1664We had several offers to help with fundraising etc, but one of the most unique that I think we’ve run across comes from Pet Dreams Memorial Center and its owner, Kevin Marcy. Kevin advised that his full service funeral home for pets would provide free service to anyone residing in the greater Atlanta area when their Military Working Dog dies. Since I’m thinking of getting one of these dogs as soon as I bulk up the bank account a bit, I think that is really, really generous and very appropriate offer.

There were many other really great vendors with amazing services and I was able to get cards from many of them. If you’re in the Atlanta area and need to know where to get an invisible fence, have a pet sitter come to the home or board your dog in a non-boring kennel, get a doggy bath with a blueberry facial, learn K 9 first aid from an expert, go to doggy obedience school and more, let me know, have I got info for you.

(BTW, I nearly lost Ann to the blueberry facial folks at Aussie Pet Mobile. Not only did the thought of a facial sound really amazing, the blueberries were somehow dancing in our heads and creating visions of muffins, too.) I’ll in100_1661clude a list of all the links of the wonderful vendors we met.

http://www.invisiblefence.com/

http://www.bonesandmore.com/

http://www.pettechatlanta.com/

http://www.dogschool101.com/

Enjoy a few photos of the day: Ann with the cutest little papillion, Ken with Kala (an extremely sweet mixed breed that just won all our hearts), Kevin Marcy with his display and some of the “goodies” available for munching.

Thanks, Jody, it was terrific and it’s always great to meet new friends. Monies donated at today’s event will go to my favorite charity : ), MWDTSA, to help us with new requests that are coming in.

Philip Mendoza doing the FURminator thing

MWDTSA is always grateful to get enthusiastic responses to the items being sent over. Nothing much seems to beat the FURminator for being a bit hit with the handlers and tough toys for being a hit with the dogs. Here’s a piece of a recent thank you note:

“I wanted to let you know that I got my package from you today and I also wanted to say thank you very much for the Furminator. Rico loves the toy I can’t get him to let it go sometimes. The snacks for both me and the dog are great they will be shared with my fellow handlers here but the Furminator is MINE! Thanks’ again for everything and here are some pictures but there are much more to come.”

Philip

Fort Benning dedication 2007 032Please accept apologies for the delay in updating the blog and photos on the blog.

I took a quick trip to North Carolina and tried to include visits to both Fort Bragg and Camp LeJeune.

The Fort Bragg visit went well as my POC, who was away at a class, made sure I had a good contact person in Sgt. Greenfield. It was a great surprise to find that Sgt. Greenfield had been the recipient of MWDTSA packages while he was in Afghanistan. He introduced me to Sgt. Floyd and I immediately recognized his name and knew that he had been in Iraq with his dog, Bridge. You’ll find photos of Greenfield and Floyd along with a photo of Floyd and Bridge in Iraq.

My trip to Camp LeJeune didn’t quite go as planned. Although I have a perfectly wonderful POC who wanted to get together, another visitor (the President) got preference. So, I didn’t get a chance to visit with the Marines, but wish them well as they head off to Iraq/Afghanistan over the next several weeks and months. Here’s a photo of Dennis, my Marine POC.

100_1531 100_1529