Photo By Rick Emert | FORT CARSON, Colo. — Spc. Connor Gunn, military working dog (MWD) handler, 69th...... read more read more
By Scott Prater
Mountaineer staff
Fourteen teams vied for top-dog status at the Fort Carson Working Dog Competition June 14-16, 2021, and after testing their skills in a variety of disciplines a Mountain Post team claimed victory.
Spc. Jeremy Nelson, handler, and Zenda, a Belgian Malinois with the 69th Military Police Detachment, 759th MP Battalion, held second place after the first day of competition, but won the next two competitive lanes to take the lead, then held on for the win on the final day.
Co-hosted by the 69th MP Det. and the 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne), the competition was designed to test working dog teams in detection, combat detection, obedience and agility, and controlled aggression.
“Organizers purposely kept us in the dark as far as results went, so I had no idea how well we were doing compared to the other teams,” Nelson said. “It was still a surprise to learn that we won it all. “There were a lot of great handlers and dogs in the competition, including Special Forces teams and civilian law enforcement teams. Apparently, we did a lot better than I thought.”
The field was made up of military teams from Fort Hood, Texas; Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri; Fort Riley, Kansas; and Fort Bliss, Texas, along with local and state law enforcement teams. Event organizer, Staff Sgt. Brandon Spears, kennel master, 69th MP Det., brought in subject matter experts (SMEs) to serve as evaluators and judges, not only to keep the event unbiased, but also to create an avenue for the SMEs to relay their knowledge and expertise. Evaluators came from the joint military working dog Lackland Training Detachment, Lackland Air Force Base, Texas; the Transportation Safety Administration; and other high profile dog training organizations.
“We’ve deployed twice already,” said Nelson, who has served with Zenda and the 69th MP Det. since 2018. “But we’ve never stopped learning. This was one more opportunity to not only show what we can do, but areas where we can improve.”
Following the first day of competition that saw competitors complete an obstacle course, an emergency medical evaluation test and various detection lanes, Nelson and Zenda trailed Spc. Austin Harielson and Dux, from Fort Hood, but the Fort Carson pair vaulted into a lead they would never relinquish after winning both the combat and law enforcement lanes.
The latter two lanes forced teams to search roadways for simulated explosives, clear buildings, shoot targets, attack decoys and perform simulated emergency medical procedures.
Winners of each day were awarded the Army Achievement Medal, while Nelson earned the Army Commendation Medal as the overall competition champion.
Lt. Col. Ranjini T. Danaraj, commander, 759th MP Bn., lauded the work of event organizers.
“Our military working dog detachment is the most relevant force in our formation right now,” said Danaraj. “They are deploying to (U.S. Central Command areas of operation) and supporting U.S. Secret Service missions. So, they are really an elite and professional force. I think competition breeds excellence, and I’m glad that with pandemic rates dropping we were able to bring people together. It’s awesome to be able to provide environments to test our skills and get to know people across the force. This one was pretty creative as far as lane design and partners from Special Forces, the Department of Homeland Security and Lackland who have come and supported the event.”
While organizers continue to review this event, they’ll begin planning next year’s much larger version soon. Capt. Justin Scott, commander, 69th MP Det., plans to invite as many 80 teams in 2022.
“At the end of the day, we had good representation from the 89th MP Brigade and this event gave us a good idea of where we can tweak the competition to make it better for more competitors,” he said. “It definitely served as a proof of concept for our planned competition next year, when (we) will send out invitations to other FORSCOM (U.S. Forces Command) kennels as well as to local military installations and civilian law enforcement agencies.”
| Date Taken: | 06.14.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 09.17.2021 11:48 |
| Story ID: | 405501 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 24 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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