Unleased: Controlled Fury Tops Challenge

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Daryl Knee
  • 90th Missile Wing Public Affairs
F.E. WARREN AIR FORCE BASE, Wyo. --  A police vehicle's radio static crackles as an emergency dispatcher relays a situation to the dog handler. 

Great, he thinks after hearing the message, a nearby residential noise complaint. He starts the engine and pulls into traffic, heading toward the source of the problem. 

As the police vehicle enters the area, piercing music blares at the handler and his dog.
A quick assessment shows two men drinking at a barbecue. 

Once out of the vehicle, the handler asks the two for identification. While one man acts dazed at the question, the other reaches into his pocket to extract something: a pistol. 

What now? 

Well, that was the scenario of the handler protection category of the third annual 2009 Military Working Dog Warrior Police Challenge May 10 through 15 at which Warren dog handler Senior Airman Daren Marshall took first place. 

Out of the 46 teams participating from the armed forces and civilian law enforcement, this year's Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., event was the first to have Air Force teams compete. 

"It seemed as if the Air Force teams [as opposed to the other service teams] thought about each challenge beforehand," said Tech. Sgt. Cleophus Gallon, 90th Security Forces Squadron and observer of the event. "They broke it down and thought, 'What would we do if this was a real situation?'" 

Airman Marshall said he and his dog, a Belgium Malinois named Zak, approached the noise-complaint situation very cautiously. 

But, after the person pulled a mock weapon out of his clothing, Airman Marshall unleashed a furious, yet controlled, response. 

Once Zak began the chase, Airman Marshall said, the mock aggressor dropped the pistol to the ground and sprinted away. 

Zak pursued and eventually pinned him to the earth. Airman Marshall handcuffed the remaining aggressor, and on his way to handcuff Zak's bounty, he secured the pistol. 

"Out of every team I watched," Sergeant Gallon said, "Airman Marshall was the only one who gained positive control of the weapon. That action earned him major points." 

After both aggressors were handcuffed, one of them began to run away from Airman Marshall. 

Without an order from Airman Marshall, Zak began to run after the aggressor. Noticing Zak and not wanting a bite, the aggressor shouted to signify he gave up.
Sharp, forceful commands from Airman Marshall garnered Zak's obedience. The dog did not bite, and the aggressor did not move. 

A force multiplier, Airman Marshall explained. A cop may be just as effective in these situations, but having a professionally-trained military working dog present forces speedy compliance. 

"If I show up to a domestic dispute by myself, someone may still want to get rowdy," Airman Marshall said. "But when I bring out my dog, the attitude quickly changes." 

Apart from competing with sister service dog handlers, the challenge presented an opportunity for the teams to learn from others' mistakes or emulate best practices. 

"Overall," he said, "I had fun, and I learned a lot. I'll definitely be going back next year."