In honor of K-9 Veterans Day on Thursday, Air Force Tech Sgt. Blair Pembleton allowed herself to be attacked by a dog.
Pembleton, a handler for military working dogs, was wearing the upper half of what she and her Space Base Delta 1 co-workers refer to as “the suit” – a protective garment that can withstand even a viselike bite from Jagd, a Belgian Malinois.
In a simulated training scenario, Pembleton played the role of an uncooperative suspect who tries to flee. She didn’t get far before Jagd caught her and clamped down on her protected arm.
Even with the suit on, Pembleton said, she could feel the dog’s strength as it “subdued” her.
“When we’re in the suit, we’re basically just a giant chew toy to them,” she said.
The scenario was part of a live demonstration at Peterson Space Force Base in honor of K-9 Veterans Day, an annual March 13 observance that recognizes the service and sacrifice of military working dogs, or MWDs. Hosted by Space Base Delta 1, the event showcased the dogs’ obedience, agility and attack abilities.
Headquartered at Peterson, Space Base Delta 1 provides mission-critical support for space operations and homeland defense. The SBD1 K-9 team currently consists of 12 working dogs – German shepherds, Belgian Malinois, Dutch shepherds, and one Labrador retriever, according to the kennel master, Tech Sgt. Cody Lake.
“We have four single-purpose dogs that sniff for drugs or explosives,” Lake said. “The rest are dual-purpose certified, which means that can also apprehend suspects, and find them hidden in a building or a field.”
The military working dogs are bred at a facility at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio. They are often housed with a foster family, where they undergo some basic obedience training. The puppies who seemed best suited for K-9 work are returned to Lackland for additional training before being sent to various duty stations, according to Lake.
“Generally speaking, the dog’s training never ends,” he said. “When we first get the dogs, they’re like a brand-new Airman just out of tech school. They have a certain amount of training, but they’re not fully mission-capable just yet. So it’s on us, as their handlers, to start building them up and getting them more advanced.”
The primary role of an MWD is deterrence, officials said. The dog’s presence often brings a psychological element that encourages compliance. But presence alone doesn’t always work.
The military K-9s are trained to attack “with or without leash, and with or without command,” meaning that if they perceive aggressive behavior from a suspect, they pounce.
“Our MWDs will act as a secondary security force member when searching a person,” Lake said. “If at any time, the suspect decides to fight, or interfere with the search, our dog will be on them within a split second.”
The dogs are also trained to back off when a suspect surrenders. In one scenario on Thursday, Pembleton pretended to flee, and Jagd rocketed after her. When the dog got close, Pembleton yelled, “I give up!” On command from another handler, Jagd stopped but stayed close to Pembleton in case she started running again.
The Space Base Delta 1 K-9s keep a busy schedule, supporting operations at Peterson, Schriever and Cheyenne Mountain Space Force bases. They also support Secret Service operations, visits from senior officers and distinguished guests, and a host of other activities.
Two of the SBD1 working dogs will be retiring soon, at which time Lake and his team will contact former handlers to see if they’d like to give the working dogs a permanent home. Pembleton currently has a former MWD at home, she said.
“This is a great job,” Pembleton said. “You get to hang out with your best friend all day long. What could be better than that?”
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