Thousands of dogs serve with U.S. forces on bases and operating posts around the world as patrol dogs and detectors of explosives and drugs.
Six of these hard-working canines from the Connecticut Army National Guard Military Working Dog program will be honored with the DOGNY Heroic Military Working Dog Award sponsored by Citibank at the upcoming AKC Meet the Breeds® on October 20-21 at the Javits Center in New York City.
“The DOGNY Heroic Military Working Dog Award shines the spotlight on military working dogs and their handlers as a way to acknowledge their dedication, sacrifice and commitment to the U.S. Armed Forces and the citizens of the U.S.,” said Dennis Sprung, President/CEO of the American Kennel Club. “We’re pleased to honor the dogs of the 928th Military Police detachment, based locally in Newtown, Connecticut, for their service to the nation.”
Among its many accomplishments, the 928th has provided the Secret Service with K-9 support for presidential missions throughout the United States and sent two Military Working Dogs to the Philippines to exchange K-9 training methods with the Armed Forces of the Philippines during Exercise Balikatan 2011. The 11th Military Police Military Working Dog Detachment (Explosive) is currently deployed on a mission in Qatar.
The DOGNY Heroic Military Working Dog honorees include:
The 11th Military Police Military Working Dog (MWD) Detachment (Explosive): These dogs provide support to the battlefield by conducting battlefield circulation control; area security; prisoner of war operations; civilian internee operations; law and order operations on the battlefield and support to the peacetime army community through security of critical army resources and crime prevention programs of law and order.
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MWD Darko, a German Shepherd Dog handed by Staff Sergeant Gabriel Rosario
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MWD Jury, a German Shepherd Dog handled by Sergeant Jeffrey Holyst
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MWD Dino, a German Shepherd Dog handed by Specialist Ryan Castonguay
The 119th Military Police Military Working Dog Detachment (Narcotic): These dogs provide a K9 asset to the Military for use in law and order operations as well as various inspections. The unit has worked alongside State and Federal law enforcement agencies in efforts to maintain Homeland Security.
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MWD Eda, a German Shepherd Dog handled by Sergeant Jackie Fish
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MWD Balou, a Belgian Malinois handled by Sergeant Michael Dunn
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MWD Dasty, a German Shepherd Dog handled by Specialist Ryan Cahill
SGT Michael Dunn of Middlebury, CT and Military Working Dog “Balou” will accept the award at AKC Meet the Breeds® on behalf of the 928th. SGT Dunn has been part of the Connecticut Army National Guard since 2002. In 2010, after returning from a deployment to Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom, he was selected for the position of Military Police Dog Handler. After his training was completed, SGT Dunn was assigned Balou, a three-year old Patrol/Narcotics Detection Belgian Malinois. The pair became the first-ever FORSCOM-certified Patrol/Narcotics National Guard Military Working Dog Team.
Additional information on this year’s event—including a complete list of demonstrations, listing of breeds that will be at this year’s event, and tickets at special advanced prices—can be found online at www.MeetTheBreeds.com.
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Thousands of dogs serve with U.S. forces on bases and operating posts around the world as patrol…