thedrifter
07-24-09, 07:57 AM
An Air Force career goes for the dog
Melissa Linebrink
Air Force Staff Sgt. Thomas Myers Jr. goes to work every day with his best-friend, Cseri — who happens to be an 80-pound German shepherd.
Myers, the son of Joan Myers of LaGrange, is a student military working dog handler with the 341st Training Squadron, the largest canine training center of its kind in the world.
A dog lover from an early age, Myers, 27, said it wasn’t until he joined the Air Force in 2001 that he learned of the military working dog program.
“It was a great decision, and it is great to work with these amazing animals. I never thought of being a military working dog handler before I joined,” Myers said from the F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne, Wyo., where he and Cseri are undergoing training in anticipation of deployment.
The first step Myers and Cseri had to undergo was to establish a working relationship, Myers said.
“It was just like trying to work with someone new in an office,” he said. “At first, you don’t know that person and how they work, but over time, you learn to trust one another.”
Training started out simply with basic obedience commands — both by hand signals and voice — being taught. After that, they moved on to work in situations set up to simulate real-life, such as building searches and patrolling.
“The training was outstanding, working with the dogs,” Myers said.
The Department of Defense Military Working Dog Center has courses that train the dogs and their handlers to work together as a team. The training lasts for 11 weeks, and once completed, the military working dogs perform a variety of roles in the Air Force, Myers said.
The working dogs and their handlers are stationed all over the world.
Some canines are taught to sniff out drugs, find missing persons and to locate people hiding from police officers.
Myers said there is a very good reason that the dogs — and their handlers — are required to master vocal and hand commands.
“We pair both verbal and hand signals so the dog can understand either way if only one can be done,” he said. “For example, if you are trying to find a suspect, you don’t want to be shouting and giving away you and your dog’s position.”
Other working dogs learn how to find bombs at both the base and communities, as well as in the desert where there may be hidden improvised explosive devices, which could cause potential harm to soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen.
“(Detecting IEDs) is a critical mission for these dogs because it can save the lives of these personnel working with and around these animals,” Myers said.
Send your Grafton/LaGrange/Columbia news to Melissa Linebrink, 329-7155 or mlinebrink@chroniclet.com.
Ellie
Melissa Linebrink
Air Force Staff Sgt. Thomas Myers Jr. goes to work every day with his best-friend, Cseri — who happens to be an 80-pound German shepherd.
Myers, the son of Joan Myers of LaGrange, is a student military working dog handler with the 341st Training Squadron, the largest canine training center of its kind in the world.
A dog lover from an early age, Myers, 27, said it wasn’t until he joined the Air Force in 2001 that he learned of the military working dog program.
“It was a great decision, and it is great to work with these amazing animals. I never thought of being a military working dog handler before I joined,” Myers said from the F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne, Wyo., where he and Cseri are undergoing training in anticipation of deployment.
The first step Myers and Cseri had to undergo was to establish a working relationship, Myers said.
“It was just like trying to work with someone new in an office,” he said. “At first, you don’t know that person and how they work, but over time, you learn to trust one another.”
Training started out simply with basic obedience commands — both by hand signals and voice — being taught. After that, they moved on to work in situations set up to simulate real-life, such as building searches and patrolling.
“The training was outstanding, working with the dogs,” Myers said.
The Department of Defense Military Working Dog Center has courses that train the dogs and their handlers to work together as a team. The training lasts for 11 weeks, and once completed, the military working dogs perform a variety of roles in the Air Force, Myers said.
The working dogs and their handlers are stationed all over the world.
Some canines are taught to sniff out drugs, find missing persons and to locate people hiding from police officers.
Myers said there is a very good reason that the dogs — and their handlers — are required to master vocal and hand commands.
“We pair both verbal and hand signals so the dog can understand either way if only one can be done,” he said. “For example, if you are trying to find a suspect, you don’t want to be shouting and giving away you and your dog’s position.”
Other working dogs learn how to find bombs at both the base and communities, as well as in the desert where there may be hidden improvised explosive devices, which could cause potential harm to soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen.
“(Detecting IEDs) is a critical mission for these dogs because it can save the lives of these personnel working with and around these animals,” Myers said.
Send your Grafton/LaGrange/Columbia news to Melissa Linebrink, 329-7155 or mlinebrink@chroniclet.com.
Ellie