MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, Calif., -- “OUT,” shouted the handler, confidently commanding his military working dog to release the padded arm of a simulated suspect from its powerful jaws.
Military police dog handlers practice drills like this dozens of times every day, meticulously scrutinizing the performance of themselves and that of their dogs. After all, their commands are the only thing releasing suspects from the bite of the trained animals.
“Military working dogs would be as useless without their handlers as an M-16 service rifle is without someone to pull its trigger,” said Cpl. Lance Wright, chief trainer for the Provost Marshal’s Office here.
There are two ways military policemen can become handlers.
Their first chance is to finish in the top 10 percent of their military police class.
They must then pass a board selection process. Each board selects one or two candidates based on their bearing, knowledge of their field and personal merit.
The next chance is in the operational forces. MP’s can use their own time to work with their station’s K-9 unit until a school slot becomes available. However, they must prove themselves capable and competent before the unit will award a school seat.
“It’s a competitive job field that produces the best of the best,” said Wright. “We get paid to work with animals and protect Marines. It doesn’t get better than that.”
Dog handlers attend a 13-week course at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, which is broken into two training blocks.
During the first block, handlers learn commands for obedience, aggression and attack, search and escort, field scouts and building searches.
The second training block covers detection. Each military working dog is trained in patrol, with a specialty in either narcotics or explosives detection. Handlers are trained to work with both specialties. They learn to conduct sweeps, vehicle and building inspections and prepare for VIP visits.
Handlers also complete their final evaluations by performing in front of a certifying official. The official can disqualify a handler for loss of control, safety violations, lack of confidence, failure to detect a training aid and failing to apply proper fundamentals.
Once handlers reach their unit they are assigned at least one dog to care for and train. They also develop special ties with the dogs.
“The bond you develop with your dogs creates a level of trust, fidelity and loyalty that’s unreachable by human standards,” said Cpl. Josh Stevens, the field training officer for the Provost Marshal’s Office here.