Dogs' strong bond with their handlers gives military in Iraq an added advantage

[Crossfire Bulldogs]

By Gene RectorTELEGRAPH STAFF WRITER

ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE - Katja won't be home for Christmas this year. He deployed to Iraq on Sunday with his best friend, Staff Sgt. Chris McCleskey.

Katja is a Belgian Malinois - a fawn-colored, black-masked bundle of energy, devotion and ability. He and McCleskey are assigned to the 78th Security Forces military working dog section at Robins Air Force Base, a place where bonds are forged that exceed even the normal, close-knit ties of soldiers going to war.

Deployment - both domestically and overseas - is routine for the working dog section. "We do the full gamut, depending on who needs us," said Tech. Sgt. David Barber, the kennel master.

Barber's team of Malinois and German shepherds are keenly trained to detect bombs and drugs. They also are adept at patrol. "Our dogs will search and find the bad guys, then bite and hold until we apprehend them," he said.

Working dogs are used at least two different ways in the war on terrorism - searching vehicles and packages at the entrance to coalition compounds, and sweeping convoy routes and houses for booby traps and hidden explosives.

Rudy just returned from 8 months in Iraq. The Air Force stopped giving medals to dogs, but Barber thinks Rudy deserves one. "He's our best all-around dog," he said. "He's amazing. He's one in a million."

The 7-year-old Malinois, assigned to a U.S. Marine unit while in Iraq, uncovered a number of weapons caches and at least two bombs. One find was particularly noteworthy.

"A tactic the terrorists use is to set up a car bomb, figure out where the responding forces are likely to establish a command post, then set up a second bomb to get the rescuers," Barber said. Rudy helped foil one terrorist plan when he discovered the second bomb before it detonated.

"It was hidden from the rescuers and Rudy found it," he said. "They learned later that a Marine sniper had taken out the guy who was supposed to detonate it. That's the reason the rescuers didn't get blown up immediately."

The Air Force uses only Malinois and German shepherds, and it scours the world looking for suitable recruits. "Both of those breeds adapt well to temperature extremes. Some breeds can't do that," Barber said. "They're also intelligent enough to detect bombs and drugs and bite people. Other breeds may bite or search better, but the Malinois and shepherd are well rounded."

All Air Force dogs receive initial training at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, then get additional upgrading at their home bases. Robins handlers use an incremental approach.

"You try to break down the task into the smallest possible steps," Staff Sgt. D.J. Ellison said.

Ellison is called "horse whisperer" by his cohorts because he also trains Arabian horses. He says the training techniques are similar.
"You take those small steps and build back up; you put A, B and C together," he said.

A shell game approach is often used to teach drug and bomb detection. "We'll hide something in one box and we'll move it into a building," said Barber. "We'll start simple and teach the dogs what to look for and how to get their toy or reward. After that, we'll move the box to another facility, then to vehicles and aircraft."

The choice between Malinois and German shepherds is arbitrary, Barber insists. "It's more a Ford or Chevy argument," he said. "You have some people who love Malinois and others who favor shepherds. It just depends on who likes what."

There are differences between the two. The German shepherd tends to be larger and heavier. "The Malinois have higher drive," Ellison said. "They're more hyper and have a more full-mouth bite. They can take correction better. They have more self-confidence, bite quicker and enjoy it more."

The intangible is the relationship between dog and handler. When a new dog arrives or a handler is replaced, it begins with daily feeding, even reading to the dog so that he begins to recognize his new handler's voice.

One factor is the age of the dog. "The bonding can happen in a couple of weeks with an older dog," Senior Airman Marcus Reaves said. "The dog knows what you're trying to do. A younger dog might require a month or two."

All dogs are trained to protect their handler, Barber added. "But it's like any other relationship. Some dogs jell better with their handler," he said. "Of course, everybody's had one or two dogs that's their favorite."

Personality is also important, believes Staff Sgt. Purnell Smith. "Some dogs blend with your personality and they work better for you," he said. "If you get a laid-back dog that likes you, then he's going to go out and break his neck to perform for you."

Even in the age of high-tech sensors, detection devices and night vision goggles, the well-trained dog remains an irreplaceable tool.
"There's mechanical stuff out there that will detect drugs and bombs," Barber said, "but there's nothing as reliable as a dog. They're also a bullet you can call back. It gives you an added advantage.

"Also, a dog bite hurts, but it's not deadly force. So it's safer for the bad guy, too."

There's another intangible.
Reaves said he's loved dogs all his life. "So if I'm going to be in the military," he asked, "why not do something I love?"

Barber said most, if not all of, his handlers agree with him.
"If we had to choose between a human and a dog," he admitted, "most of us would choose the dog.

Ultimately, the dog is working for love. When they find someone they really like, they'll give their life for them."