NAS Oceana qualifies Military Working Dogs

ByMCS3NoahJ.Eidson

NavalAirStationOceana’sMilitaryWorkingDogDivisionqualifiedtwodogsfortheir patrolcertificationsonMay16,2023.

The dogs, Xxazu and Liza, will move on to the next step of their training to further developtheirskills,preparingthemforvariousrealworldscenarios

“Our process is very rigorous but also heavily scripted to quickly familiarize the dogs with the training process, so we will moveontodifferentscenariosandimprove the dogs’ responsiveness now that they are certified, said Master-at-Arms First Class VincentNicholford,theunit’skennelmaster

The dogs have spent the last three to six months undergoing methodical training and building a bond with their handlers to become qualified military service dogs

Establishing a strong relationship between an MWD and its handler is crucial to their abilitytoaccomplishtheirmissionasateam.

“The bond between a dog and their handleristhemostvitalpartofasuccessful partnership, because at the end of the day, this is not just your partner but a member of your working family,” said NAS Oceana Precinct Officer Glenn Holden. “You need patienceinordertoproperlybuildthatrelationship.”

As part of their certification, MWDs Xxaxu and Liza performed multiple tests including an obstacle course, aggressions tests, and breach and clearing exercises Bothdogspassedwithflyingcolors

The division is required to have six certified military working dogs so the next step for the team is continuing to qualify future MWDs - an important task this team does nottakelightly “The bond between a dog and their handler is key to success, and it takes one hundred percent effort on both ends in ordertoachievethelevelofsuccessthatwe require,” said Nicholford. “Our mission is tobuildarelationshipthatisunbreakable.

For more information on how to become a Navy Master-at-Arms, visit: https://www navy.com/careers/master-at-arms

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