374th SFS says goodbye to one of its own

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Lynsie Lorenz
  • 374th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan --  A somber mood hung over the crowd at the enlisted club here recently as members of the 374th Security Forces Squadron and Team Yokota gathered to say goodbye to one of the squadron's military working dogs. 

More than 150 people attended a memorial service in honor of Pixi, a three-year-old German Shepherd who died Sept. 22. Pixi, born July 6, 2006, entered the Air Force as a fully certified patrol/explosives detector dog in March of 2008. 

"She had a very strong drive," said Tech. Sgt. Javier Mendez, 374th SFS K-9 handler. "She was very aggressive when you turned her on." 

During her short career, Pixi deployed in support of operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom and with the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa. 

She came to Yokota in June 2008 with her handler and maintained a constant vigil by patrolling the base and providing explosives detection capability. Pixi also trained continuously on tracking ability, aggression and explosive detection. 

"She was brave and ready to do whatever they wanted," said Staff Sgt. Axel Rodriguez, 374th SFS K-9 handler. 

Although the military considers MWDs equipment, the dogs are more like fellow service members, according to Sergeant Rodriguez. The Army even goes as far as giving the MWDs a military rank. 

"Pixi was my defender, my partner, my dog," said Staff Sgt. Sanford Gschwend, Pixi's handler. 

The 341st Training Squadron at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, operates the DoD's Military Working Dog Program. The staff is responsible for training the more than 2,000 MWDs and their handlers deployed worldwide to support the war on terror and to help safeguard military bases and activities. 

With an acute sense of smell five to 10 times stronger than a human's, MWDs are able to detect minute traces of explosives or drugs and alert their handlers to their presence, according to an American Forces Press Service story. 

The vast majority of MWDs are German and Dutch shepherds and Belgian Malinois, breeds a former MWD program director said are "very aggressive, very smart, very loyal and very athletic."