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Retirement ceremony honors four military working dogs

  • Published
  • By Brandice J. O'Brien
  • Tinker Public Affairs
TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --  Four 72nd Security Forces Squadron military working dogs were honored at a retirement ceremony held in their honor June 25. Attendees gathered for the event in the 552nd Operations Group auditorium. With pomp and circumstance, the service praised the careers of Arras M108, Blacky J344, Cita L704 and Sheila L707.

The dogs came to Tinker between 2006 and 2008. They worked in patrol and explosive or narcotics detection garnering the respect of their handlers and Airmen peers. The ceremony honored them with guest speakers, medal presentations, a reading of the retirement orders, passing of the leashes from handlers to new owners, a poem reading, receiving line and cookies.

"Today is bittersweet as we retire our outstanding four-legged Airmen who have served our Department of Defense and our Air Force so very well," said Col. Julie Boit, 72nd Mission Support Group commander. "These dogs save lives -- many lives. Their acute sense of smell is mind boggling and their ability to inflict fear just by their mere presence is incredible. Many people see these dogs and stop dead in their tracks and I don't blame them especially when you see what they can do. They are truly a force multiplier and a strong psychological deterrent -- incredibly smart, intensely loyal, and very athletic. In my view they embody our Air Force core values as much, if not more, than any Airman."
German Shepherd Arras came to Tinker in December 2008 from Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, where he graduated from explosive detection training. In his near five-year career, Arras deployed twice. He has 490 hours of search time both here and abroad. Arras has also supported the president, vice president and foreign heads of state. He was not at the ceremony.

Blacky, a German Shepherd, graduated from patrol and explosive detection training at Lackland AFB in March 2006. He came to Tinker two months later. In his seven-year career, he deployed four times and while abroad, detected two weapons caches, a mortar round and a half-pound of homemade explosives. Blacky has more than 1,000 hours of search time here and overseas. Furthermore, Blacky has supported the president, vice president and foreign heads of state on 13 occasions.

Cita, a Belgian Tervuren, came to Tinker in May 2008 following an April 2008 graduation from patrol and narcotics detection training at Lackland AFB. During her career, she deployed once and while overseas found 30,000 pounds of hashish. Her actions resulted in the interruption of $7.2 million in insurgents funding. Cita has 488 hours of search time at Tinker and abroad.

Belgian Malinois Sheila arrived at Tinker in July 2008 after graduating from patrol and explosive detection training at Lackland AFB in May 2008. During her career, she deployed twice. She has 523 hours of search time home and abroad and has twice supported the president, vice president and foreign heads of state.

"These dogs spend more than 75 percent of their lives serving the Department of Defense, Department of State and the Department of Justice. Right now, military working dogs are serving approximately 10 years of their approximate 13-year life span," said Capt. David Temple, 72nd SFS Operations officer and presiding official over the ceremony. "If you can imagine, apply that to a military member. That would mean we would begin our service at 18 years of age and we not retire until we reach 74 years old.

"We truly demand a lot out of our military working dogs, so the next time you see military working dog at an airport, baseball game or on an Air Force base, think about the long hours and years they put in to what they do and who they protect," Captain Temple said. "These four military dogs truly deserve to live out the rest of their lives as heroes and in peace."

Following the service, the dogs were given to their new owners, previous handlers.