87th SFS military working dog handler share ‘tails’ at reunion

Published Sept. 21, 2012
By 2nd Lt. David J. Murphy
Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst Public Affairs

JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. -- Current modern-day military working dog handlers interacted with handlers from the 50's and 60's during the Bitburg Air Force Base military working dog handlers reunion Sept. 8 at a Holiday Inn in Philadelphia's historic district.

Staff Sgt. Benjamin Eisenhart, a 87th Security Forces Squadron military working dog handler, was invited to speak to former Air Force military working dog handlers from Bitburg AFB at a Philadelphia Holiday Inn.

"The thing I've learned the most and what I've seen first-hand tonight, is that real K-9 handling at its core has not changed at all," said Eisenhart. "Handling is very simple. It's about the dogs, the methods and the way we train. Things might change, but in the end it's about the dogs."

Eisenhart also brought his military working dog, a German shepherd named Lucky, to demonstrate obedience techniques.

The Bitburg handler's primary mission involved guarding missile sites and aircraft during the Cold War, today's military working dogs are dual certified in both patrol and detection, said Eisenhart.

"One of the most surprising things I learned tonight was that in the past, the dogs were trained first and then assigned to an Airman who had no previous experience," said Eisenhart. "The handlers received training later as opposed to today where we are trained with the dogs."

The Bitburg handlers said they were surprised to learn their modern-day counterparts switch dogs frequently due to mission requirements. Dog handlers in the past would only change dogs if their assigned dog was sick or had died, said event organizer Richard Reitz.
"We have the same mentality and work the same way," said Eisenhart. "We share a brotherhood. You have to be a certain individual to come in and work these dogs effectively. That has not changed in the people, no matter what age or generation they are."

Jim Yarsevich, Ed York and Ray York began the Bitburg group in 2003 by first reaching out to the dog handlers they remembered working with from 1957 through 1968. They compiled a list of 120 former handlers using social networking and contacted 70. Their first reunion took place in 2004 at then Lackland AFB, now known as Joint Base San Antonio, home of the Military Working Dog Basic Handler Course and the Detector Dog Handler Course, said Yarsevich.

Previous year's reunion locations include Washington D.C., Tucson Ariz., and Nellis AFB. The group is next set to meet in Minnesota, said Reitz.

Go to www.36thapk-9.8m.com for more information about the group.