Photo By Rick Emert | FORT CARSON, Colo. — Spc. Sadie Kinney, handler, 69th Military Police Detachment,...... read more read more
By Scott Prater
Mountaineer staff
FORT CARSON, Colo. — Fort Carson military working dog teams maneuvered through hallways, stairwells, meeting rooms and reception areas inside a training building in Colorado Springs April 20, 2022. Under the discerning eyes of veteran trainers and mentors, the teams’ mission was to find hidden caches of narcotics and explosives.
While 69th Military Police Detachment, 759th MP Battalion, handlers and dogs searched a first-floor hallway for narcotics, their counterparts from the Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) were busy searching an upper floor for explosives. At the same time, in another part of the complex, teams with the 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) conducted their own K-9 training scenarios.
“This was a special set up that we are trying to implement more often,” said Staff Sgt. Brandon Spears, plans NCO, 69th MP Det. “With this combined training event, we’re getting K-9 minds together in an effort to share different tactics, techniques and procedures when it comes to dog training.”
Sgt. Mike Snuggs, K-9 sergeant, CSPD, coordinated the event with Spears and CSPD K-9 trainer, Sgt. Andy Genta.
“We wanted to use a big, indoor venue because it provides a different environment for the military team especially,” Snuggs said. “And, we wanted to include scenarios that they usually don’t get to see.”
The large structure included three floors and a basement with varying floor-plan layouts. Instructors also devised different scenarios that tasked teams with finding multiple types and sizes of narcotic samples during the drug detection training.
“We wanted the dogs to experience the wow factor that comes with a big (drug) find,” Snuggs said.
Ultimately, CSPD brought 10 patrol narcotic dog teams to the event and the 69th MP Det. brought six drug and explosive detection teams, while 10th SFG also participated with a few of its teams.
Handlers and K-9 dogs ranged in experience from novice to multi-year veteran, and most worked through every area of the venue. Snuggs explained that some of the CSPD officers have been handlers for more than a dozen years and are working with their second and third dogs.
“What we get out of this collaboration is sharing knowledge, learning from the military teams’ skills and vice versa,” Snuggs said. “We were trying to help them out with sourcing of odor in rooms and how we run dogs through a building. Ultimately, we want to see what teams do differently as a way of making everybody better.”
Coming up in May, the 69th MP Det. will host the Rocky Mountain K-9 Challenge and Conference at Fort Carson. Mountain Post military police leaders expect 40 to 50 Army, Air Force and law enforcement teams to compete in the six-day event at various locations on post.
| Date Taken: | 04.20.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 05.03.2022 10:04 |
| Story ID: | 419821 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 67 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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