48th SFS commander trains with MWD

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Abby Finkel
  • 48th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
ROYAL AIR FORCE FELTWELL, England --  The 48th Security Forces Squadron commander participated in training on how to properly “catch” military working dogs at Royal Air Force Feltwell, England, Oct. 18.

The training, called ‘wrap certification’, teaches volunteers how to wear the armor-like protective sleeve, the wrap, or the full-body suit, and how to react when the dog bites or pulls them to the ground.

After they are certified, volunteers play an important role in helping handlers and MWDs stay well-disciplined.

“I’m here because I would like to have more intimate details on what my guys do day-to-day,” said Lt. Col. Tara Opielowski, 48th SFS commander. “It’s easy for me to go out to the gates and check IDs for a couple of hours, but what I haven’t been doing is spending time with my back office personnel.”

After donning a wrap sleeve, Opielowski began her training by participating in a series of steps aimed to acclimate volunteers to the reality of facing off with a MWD. To begin, she was instructed to simply walk up to Duke, a 48th SFS MWD, and his handler twice, trusting that Duke wouldn’t bite her. The third approach brought the training up to the next level—the first bite.

“When the handler is ready, we give a bite at close-range on the arm,” said the 48th SFS kennel master. “That way, it teaches the person what the bite is like.”

After mastering the wrap sleeve, Opielowski progressed to wearing the full-body suit.

“[In the suit,] you’re not just saying, ‘Hey, you can bite this arm,’” the kennel master said. “[The dog] can bite anywhere. It’s going from a smaller level of confidence to a larger level of confidence.”

In the full suit, Opielowski was instructed to approach Duke and his handler, then run full-speed away from them, without looking back. At their handler’s command, MWDs are trained to pursue runners and bring them to the ground.

“It was an eye-opening experience,” Opielowski said. “It gave me a good appreciation for how tough it is to be a handler.”

A lot of training is required to keep MWDs and their handlers proficient in their jobs. Wrap-certified volunteers play an integral role in helping them accomplish all of the required training. When the kennel master and trainers are not available, handlers can utilize the volunteers to accomplish their training.