Trusty tandems: Soldiers - with their military working dogs - seek TRADOC certification here to operate as effective teams

FORT LEE, Va. (Dec. 3, 2020) — Military members, no matter when they served, grow accustomed to performance standards and the various means by which they are gauged.

Not even military working dogs are exempt from these longstanding practices to determine operational effectiveness.

Their competencies were on display here Nov. 23-25 during the Training and Doctrine Command MWD Certification hosted by Fort Lee’s 544th Military Police Detachment (MWD).

“Certification is what the Department of Defense utilizes to guarantee the effectiveness of military working dog teams in regard to detection of explosives or narcotics,” said Sgt. 1st Class Manuel MarinCampagne, 544th MP Det. kennel master.

Trusty tandems: Soldiers -- with their military working dogs -- seek TRADOC certification here to operate as effective teams
Photo By Terrance Bell | DOLF, a wolf-like German shepherd, takes a rest while his handler gets critiqued during the Training and Doctrine Command Military Working Dog Certification Nov. 23 at the installation helipad. The 544th Military Police Detachment hosted the three-day event intended to gauge the effectiveness of handler-dog teams to carry out narcotics, explosive and other missions.