The ‘Guardians of the Night’

September is National Service Dog Month, a time to raise awareness and showcase the extraordinary work and role service dogs play in the lives of people with specific illnesses or limitations. From guide dogs aiding the blind to diabetic alert dogs alerting parents to the onset of a child's seizure and psychiatric service dogs helping those who have post-traumatic stress disorder, dogs play a vital role not only in terms of companionship but in the safety and well-being of people every day.

Canines also have an invaluable, often vital, role in the nation's military forces. Known as a Military Working Dog (MWD), these highly specialized trained dogs perform a wide range of duties, including guarding entry control points and patrolling parameters, tracking and apprehending suspects, detecting explosives and drugs, aiding in search and rescue operations, and attacking hostile aggressors.

"It's important to understand that our Military Working Dogs, known better by the MWD community as 'Guardians of the Night,' are force multipliers within the Department of Defense, capable of amplifying security measures across the pillars of force protection, due to their superior sense of smell, hearing, and speed," said Naval Technical Training Center Commanding Officer Cmdr. Christopher Breckenridge.

Nearly every engagement involving the United States had canines serving in various capacities. According to the Department of Defense article, "War Dogs: How WWI Led to the Military Working Dog Program," today, the DoD has one of the world's best MWD programs, and World War I is when the concept took root after seeing how other countries employed dogs.

"All United States military working dogs are trained by the U.S. Air Force 341st Training Squadron at Joint Base San Antonio in Texas," said Breckenridge. "The MWDs selected are intelligent and learn quickly. They and their handlers have a unique relationship as teammates or partners."

According to the article mentioned above, dogs were trained to locate wounded soldiers on the battlefield, carry food and first aid supplies, and serve as message couriers because of their speed and agility during World War II.

"MWD and their handlers have played such an important role in our military history that the National Defense Authorization Act of 2008 authorized the Burnam Foundation to design, fund, build, and maintain the Military Working Dog Teams National Monument that was unveiled in October 2013," said Breckenridge.

The Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland monument features a large granite pedestal with the prominent inscription, "Guardians of America's Freedom." The pedestal features a nine-foot bronze dog handler and four bronze dogs standing guard, two to the handler's left and two on the right. Each dog represents one of the four breeds—German shepherd, Labrador retriever, Doberman pinscher, and Belgian Malinois—that have served as MWDs since World War II.

"I have had the pleasure of observing the hard work that goes into training MWDs and their handlers—it's very impressive and amazing to watch," said Breckenridge. "These K9s are a vital part of our armed services, and we should be grateful for all the MWDs and their handlers that help keep our people and assets safe worldwide."

The master-at-arms personnel chosen to become MWD handlers are responsible for feeding, training, and caring for their four-legged partners. They work together as a cohesive team and form a bond of trust critical in life-or-death situations, situations that can arise at any moment, both at home and abroad. These loyal and courageous canines are the 'Guardians of the Night.'

The Center for Security Forces provides specialized training to more than 20,000 students each year in Force Protection, Expeditionary Warfare, Code of Conduct, Law Enforcement, and Small Craft Operations. It has 14 training locations across the United States and worldwide, where "Training Breeds Confidence."