Air Force Academy Spirit
November, 2003

November 2003

By the Academy Spirit staff

Two military working dog teams recently competed at the 2003 Tucson Canine Trials. 

Staff Sgt. Kristopher Evers, military working dog handler, and his dog Aghbar, placed second out of 70 competitors in the explosive detection competition. Staff Sgt. Jeffrey Weale, military working dog handler, and Taint, finished third out of 70 competitors in the obedience trial.

“Aghbar, whose name in Arabic means ‘great,’ and I have been teamed up for almost two years," Evers said. “Before going to the 2003 Tucson K-9 Trials, we had just returned from a 130-day deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Nov. 5.”

Training scenarios are set up by Staff Sgt. Rodney Rodriguez, MWD trainer and handler for four years, in various locations around the base. The real-world locations help to get the dog used to distractions, such as people smells, food and other animals. Handlers have to know how to distinguish whether his dog is smelling food or explosives. By training handlers learn the dog’s unique differences when approaching the two.
“Training is key to a successful dog, and I credit my dog’s ability in large part to our trainer,” Evers said. “Although I had not been here for four months, the training situations Staff Sgt. Rodriquez sets up keeps us on our toes and always thinking.”

Fortunately, Evers and Aghbar have not been called to any emergency situation where Aghbar’s expertise was needed, but the four-year-old male German Shepherd has logged hundreds of hours, as all the dogs have, sniffing things around the base, including vehicles at the gate and buildings, and providing support for the Academy’s distinguished visitors and the President of the United States.
While deployed, Aghbar sniffed more than 20,000 vehicles, including millions in Air Force resources, and provided protection to a base of more than 6,000 people. Aghbar also provided explosive detection capabilities for Gen. Richard Meyers of the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff, during his visit to the desert.

Weale has been a handler for three years and has worked with Taint for a year and a half.

“I loved the competition and was extremely happy to place third in the obstacle course because the Academy doesn’t have one,” Weale said. “Taint made a strong showing in the Open Area Search and was just seconds from placing in that event.”

Currently five dogs are at the Academy and are trained to detect drugs and explosives, as well as attack when necessary. 
Nine of the Academy’s Security Forces members are certified to handle the dogs.

“I was really happy with all the teams and glad that they represented the Academy well,” Rodriguez said. “The days were long, and the guys stepped up and did what they had to do. All in all, the competition was a success for the Academy. It shows a lot about the caliber of the dogs we have here. Next year we plan on bringing home even more trophies.”

Major Henri Lambert, Commander, 10th Security Forces Squadron, praised the K-9/handler teams. “This is a super accomplishment given the fact that our MWD program is so new. This is in part due to the exemplary work of Staff Sgt. Chris Jakubin, Staff Sgt. Rod Rodriguez and his fine team of handlers."