The Air Force Expeditionary Center at JB McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., completed its
final training course for military working dog teams before this instruction shifts
to Fort Bliss, Tex., under
the
service's broader consolidation of its stateside security forces training
at Fort Bliss. The center, home to the pre-deployment MWD training since 1996,
graduated its final class in mid-November, according to a McGuire release. "The
military working dog program has thrived here under the tutelage of our highly
dedicated instructors, but it is time for the next step," said Lt. Col.
Brandon Casey, commander of the 421st Combat Training Squadron, which oversaw
the training. "While we are sad to see the program go, we are ready to be
a part of a solution that streamlines training initiatives for the Air Force
and our warfighters," he said. The MDW training will begin at Fort Bliss in
June 2014, states the late November release. (McGuire
report by Capt. Brooke Brzozowske)