Page 219 - The History of the Royal Army Veterinary Corps 1962–2021

THE HISTORY OF THE ROYAL ARMY VETERINARY CORPS 1962 – 2021
warring factions, now vacant. However, there may be old military equipment, trenching systems, etc. which could be booby-trapped or still harbour UXO.
Support to Engineer construction tasks:
Widening of routes to allow larger vehicles to manoeuvre. Prove a route to a specific grid point for a Rebroadcasting (REBRO) site installation.
A small team was formed to conduct the training, ably led by Sgt Paul Bunker. Three transferees to the Corps were selected to train six dogs to deploy to Bosnia for initial operations: Corporals Adam Vizard, Andrew Sinclair, and Wesley Quigley (was awarded the MBE in 2011 and later became OC of Canine Training Squadron), were all experienced E2 handlers from the Army Dog Unit Northern Ireland before transferring to the RAVC.
Training, which was based in the former Army Dental Centre at Old Dalby, near the DAC, initially involved six Labradors specially selected for the project. The agreed ratio was two dogs per trainer a decision made early on in the process to ensure that there was always a ‘one trainer, two dog team’ attached to each of the three bomb disposal teams. The teams would then rotate between routine explosive ordnance tasks and the IRT role.
Several innovative phases were developed throughout the project to include a platform and tubes ‘imprinting’9 system, utilizing clicker training and passive response.
One of the first challenges was to imprint the dogs to 0.025grams of TNT (the primary component of landmines located in Bosnia) while developing a focused passive response. The training platform and tube system were designed to meet both needs. Eight platforms (approx- imately 18 inches/45cm high x 36 inches/91cm wide) were made, capable of holding seven metal tubes. The tubes would contain distracters, TNT, and distracters mixed with TNT.
As the handlers were required to wear a bulky and restrictive bomb suit, the next challenge was how to handle the dog effectively and efficiently in said suit and, at the same time, remain situa- tionally aware in a potential minefield. This prompted a trial of several ideas which culminated in the decision to use clicker training to train the dog to follow a target stick. The target stick was a mine prodder, issued to each handler, with a cork placed on the tip. The dog was trained to follow the cork with its nose while searching for a target odour, all the time working on a short
lead attached to a body harness. This allowed the handler to work the dog to search the ground in front of him, in a figure of eight pattern, ensuring that the dog’s nose covered 100% of the safe lane ahead of the handler.
The dog was taught to respond to the edge of the air scent cone/pool or the ground’s scent footprint. This enabled a standoff capability as the task was to ‘mark and avoid’, not conduct disposal operations. The ‘mark and avoid’ technique meant that the EDD team could change direction once a dog had responded and move around the suspected area. The dog would react with a sit and focus on the source and refuse to move despite the handler telling it to. The dog was conditioned to only move if rewarded or physically picked up and re-set in a new start position. This system was developed to ensure the handler – working in isolation in the rescue role – did not put any other lives at risk and did not move forward after the dog had responded.
Handlers carried pin markers and cans of spray paint to mark the searched ‘safe lane’ as they progressed. Meanwhile the RE IRT maintained an over-watch of the EDD team and, in some cases; kept a close link with the handler by securing a rope to the back of the bomb suit should a physical recovery be needed.
The Dog Training School’s secured training area, “the village”, became home to several training minefields. Utilising mines recovered from Bosnia – without fuses fitted but containing TNT – six minefields were established by the REs; four to be used for training and two reserved for UK-based independent certification. As training progressed, other distractions were introduced to test the dogs’ resilience, drive and concentration such as noise, including engines revving, horns sounding, doors banging and people shouting or screaming.
As the EDD capability was destined to be integrated into RE bomb disposal teams, joint training was conducted at 33 Engineer Regiment, Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD), Wimbish, in Essex, which included all pre-deployment training with members of their assigned Troop. The EDD teams were assigned to three Troops from 58 Field Squadron (EOD), each led by a Bomb Disposal Officer (BDO), who had Operational Command and control.
The teams deployed to Bosnia on 2nd November 2000.
Initially, they were based at the Canadian Inter- national Demining Centre, Mine Dog Training
9 The term imprinting was introduced to the Corps at this time by the EDD project. It was being used in the Balkans AOR by civilian demining organisations and thus integrated into the Corps EDD program.
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