Page 8 - Nellis AFB Bullseye 7-10-15

8 July 10, 2015 Feature BULLSEYE

www.aerotechnews.com/nellisafb Facebook.com/NellisBullseye

Man’s best friend keeps Nellis safe

U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Jake Carter By Airman 1st Class Jake Carter “I first saw dog training when I was in technical train-
ing. They did a demonstration and I thought it was really
Staff Sgt. Logan Fitzgerald, 99th Security Forces Squadron 99th Air Base Wing Public Affairs cool and wanted to do that one day,” said Wells. “I think
military working dog handler, walks with his dog, Erik, at the mission is very important, so the fact that I get to
the MWD training grounds on Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. — Moving rapidly participate in different training scenarios is awesome.”
June 29. Fitzgerald has been a MWD handler for over five from building to building, a valuable Air Force asset closes
years but has only worked with Erik for over a year. in on an adversary’s location. During MWD handler training, Airmen learn the
basic steps to becoming a handler while gradually learn-
The target manages to evade custody for only a matter ing more techniques.
of moments before the asset picks up the target’s scent,
discovers their exact location, and neutralizes the threat “The first thing you will learn at training is basic obe-
with brutal efficiency. In this scenario, the asset is a mili- dience with dogs and how to train dogs,” said Fitzgerald.
tary working dog and the target is MWD handler posing “You work on controlled aggression and after that will be
as a hostile person during a training event. detection, which consists of bombs and narcotics.”

Staff Sgt. Logan Fitzgerald, 99th Security Forces According to Fitzgerald, technical training is not the
Squadron MWD handler, has been a handler for over last stop in learning how to be a handler, because on-the-
five years and works with Erik, whom has been his job training is crucial for both MWDs and handlers alike.
companion for over a year. Together, they and their fel-
low wingmen perform numerous day-to-day duties to “We always want to better our dogs and ourselves by
protect Nellis AFB. learning new techniques,” said Fitzgerald. “We can teach
our dogs to listen to our voice from 100 yards away, we
“For day-to-day operations, we work on the flightline, can teach them certain ways to do things, but they are
conduct building checks, respond to building alarms, dogs so we constantly have to work with them.”
perform walking patrols, training and any type of law
enforcement event,” said Fitzgerald. “We are also able to Although Fitzgerald has been paired with Erik for
respond to any bomb threat or suspicious packages. But little over a year, he knows that he will eventually have
if we are not performing any of these, we are constantly to move on to another dog to learn new techniques and
training.” continue his training.

Senior Airman David Wells, 99th SFS commander’s “If you are partnered with the same dog over and over
support staff, recently was selected to become a MWD again, you’re going to learn a lot but every dog is differ-
handler and has been working with MWD handlers until ent,” said Fitzgerald. “No dog is the same and it gets to
he leaves for training.
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