MWD: From BMT to retirement

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Jeff Parkinson
  • 1st Special Operations Wing Public Affairs
HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. --  Military working dogs are part of everyday operations at the 1st Special Operations Security Forces Squadron here.

MWDs begin their careers like any other Airman at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, according to Staff Sgt. Ryan Troester, 1st SOSFS kennel master.

"Their initial training usually takes about six months," said Troester. "Initial training to meet basic qualifications when they reach home station is about 60 days, and beyond that we're advancing their training daily."

Once an MWD finishes initial training, they serve the military for the next six to 10 years performing duties such as patrols, narcotic and explosive searches, suspect apprehension, and deployments.

MWD Luck, 1st SOSFS, retired Dec. 6 at Hurlburt Field after serving more than seven years in the Air Force.

Often times, a handler giving up their dog can be a tough experience, according to Troester.

"It's like losing a best friend," he said. "They've spent every day with the dog, a bond formed, which is hard to break. Adjusting to a new dog can be awkward at first because they all have different personalities, but it can also be a refreshing change of pace."

Senior Airman Anthony Terrazas, 1st SOSFS MWD handler, has been partnered with Luck since March 2013.

"Luck will be missed dearly here," he said. "He is a remarkable [dog] and had numerous finds throughout his career."

When a MWD is eligible for retirement, they are normally adopted and placed in a home where they can spend the rest of their life as a family pet.

Capt. Joseph Farinash, 1st SOSFS operations officer, adopted Luck upon his retirement.

"Luck has embraced his new life as a couch potato better than my wife and I had anticipated," said Farinash. "It wasn't an effortless transition either, he was so laser focused on being an MWD and doing his job that he doesn't know anything outside of that world.

"Introducing him to the new things he isn't familiar with is fun, rewarding and sometimes challenging."