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On the road with JMWD

SrA Taderius Robinson, Military Working Dog (MWD) Handler, conducts narcotic detection training at Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland, September 16, 2024. The training was conducted in support of the Joint MWD Program’s testing of a new narcotic training aid prototype. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Deven Schultz)

On the road with JMWD

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Brandon Trapani, Security Forces Non-commissioned Officer in Charge, Joint Military Working Dog (MWD) Program, displays a narcotic training aid prototype at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia, September 17, 2024. Staff Sgt. Trapani and the Joint MWD team visited four bases receiving feedback that will help with the prototype’s final size, narcotic odor emission, and portability of the training aid. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Deven Schultz)

On the road with JMWD

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Brandon Trapani, Security Forces Non-commissioned Officer in Charge, Joint Military Working Dog (MWD) Program, trains U.S. Marine MWD Handlers on narcotic training aid prototype capabilities at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia, September 17, 2024. The prototype was developed due to a recent uptick in narcotic training aids returned damaged or inoperable due to various mission-related circumstances. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Deven Schultz)

On the road with JMWD

U.S. Navy Hospital Corpsman Chief Petty Officer Edinmel Balterocruz, Program Manager, Armed Forces Medical Examiner System (AFMES) Joint MWD (JMWD) Program observers narcotic training aid prototype testing at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, September 17, 2024. HMC Balterocruz worked alongside U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Juan Salinas, Security Forces Manager, JMWD Program, and Dover Air Force Base’s BEDROCK Innovation Lab to develop a training aid prototype to boost MWD operational training effectiveness. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Deven Schultz)

On the road with JMWD

Staff from the Joint Military Working Dog (MWD) Program prepare a narcotic training aid prototype at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, September 17, 2024. The team traveled to four bases cataloguing results from testing of a new training aid prototype aimed to increase training capabilities of MWDs across the Department of Defense. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Deven Schultz)

On the road with JMWD

Staff from the Joint Military Working Dog (MWD) Program conducts a narcotics program inspection at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, September 17, 2024. Inspections like this are conducted biannually ensuring Department of Defense (DoD) MWD programs remain compliant within Armed Forces Medical Examiner System, DoD, and Drug Enforcement Agency standards. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Deven Schultz)

On the road with JMWD

Published Oct. 1, 2024
By Staff Sgt. Deven Schultz
Armed Forces Medical Examiner System

DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. -- Four military installations were selected to assist with testing a new Military Working Dog (MWD) narcotic training aid prototype. Developed by U.S. Navy Hospital Corpsman Chief Petty Officer, Edinmel Balterocruz, Program Manager for the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System (AFMES) Joint MWD (JMWD) Program, U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Juan Salinas, Security Forces Manager, JMWD Program, and BEDROCK Innovation Lab on Dover Air Force Base, the prototype forecasts a new age of development for MWD teams throughout the Department of Defense (DoD).

Narcotic training aids from AFMES are produced using four well-known street drugs: marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamine, and heroin all of which are provided through agreements with the Drug Enforcement Agency. The team at JMWD sends out several different weighted aids ranging anywhere from 2 to 20 grams of substance. The separate weights provide different training experiences for each MWD, as the heavier aids are typically easier to find than the lighter.

“That was one of the major focuses for this mission,” explains Salinas. “We tested the different weights of each narcotic throughout the installations and found that, regardless of what amount of substance was in the prototype, the MWDs could still provide a final response verifying that the narcotic’s odor is being released.”

The mission included stops at Andrews Air Force Base, Fort Belvoir, Marine Corps Base Quantico, and Naval Air Station Patuxent River, where the team got a fresh look at the new device in action. After inspecting each narcotics program, they got to work placing several prototypes throughout the warehouses and buildings where MWD training typically takes place.

Having spent years working alongside MWDs, Tech. Sgt. Salinas explains, “When training or certifying a handler or MWD, the focus is to continue to develop the dog teams with new challenges in realistic training scenarios. This ensures commanders have full confidence in the team’s ability to locate the drugs, even the smallest amounts. MWDs are essential to Security Forces and the counter narcotics mission, and this prototype will increase their value to the operational force.”

But why is finding small amounts important? Typically, when narcotics are hidden inside vehicles, homes, or even workplaces, they’re concealed in locations that would make it difficult for anyone to find. Utilizing small amounts trains the MWD to find even the most well-hidden drugs. While on the mission, U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Craig Green, NCOIC, JMWD Program, and U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Brandon Trapani, Security Forces NCOIC, JMWD Program, recorded a plethora of information for later use and implementation.

“It’s really important that we capture every bit of information, whenever possible,” says Green excitedly. “With the data we collect, we can make informed decisions as to how the prototype should be used and what it is truly capable of. For example, one of the major future capabilities of the prototype will be the ability to resist water and dirt, keeping the narcotic training aids safer and better equipped for any training environment.”

Staff Sgt. Green further explained, “Take for instance, outdoor training, if it were to start raining or a dust storm kicks up, that inclement weather would typically damage an aid to an unrepairable state. However, if MWD kennels have the prototype available, the training aid would live to see another day and MWDs across the board would have invaluable training on their side.”

Innovation can come from many different avenues whether it’s needed to fix a problem or born from a good idea that ignites cost saving measures across the force. No matter the reason, the AFMES and DoD are dedicated to making jobs simpler and lives easier through continuous improvement.

“We developed this prototype because of a recent uptick in narcotic training aids coming back to us damaged or inoperable,” explains Salinas. “That’s when the ideas started flowing and we decided it was time to take action to fix this issue. We appreciate how dedicated Kennel Masters, trainers, and handlers from across the services are to this project. We received incredibly valuable feedback that will be tested and potentially implemented as we move forward.”

The feedback received will help with the prototype’s final size, narcotic odor emission, and portability of the training aid. All of which were improvements brought to the JMWD team by hands on use during the mission.

While reminiscing on the mission Salinas proudly says, “It can’t be overstated how important bringing the prototype out to the field was for us. Receiving that direct feedback will allow us to continue improving the product to ensure the best version is pushed out to the MWD kennels DoD-wide. With this information, better and more advanced training will allow commanders across each service to rest assured; their MWDs are prepared for anything that comes their way.”