The Dogs that Protected Nike Missiles: Sentry Dogs

One of the vital security measure used  by my command is the sentry dog program. Dogs are used as security guardians at Nike  sites because their keener senses make them more alert to danger than their soldier  handlers. The use of dogs for warfare and security is not new. Records show that  as early as 700 years before Christ, dogs were trained to fight the enemy and to  protect their masters. In both World Wars and in Korea, they were used successfully  as sentries, scouts, and messengers. The Army Air Defense Command has been using  sentry dogs since 1958. The future may bring silent sentries in the form of electronic  or mechanical anti-intrusion devices for area defense, which may assist or even  replace the soldier sentry dog team. But today, these teams are on the job around  the clock as partners in site security. As in all phases of Army Air Defense,  teamwork and training are the keys to successful accomplishment of the mission. First,  the dogs selected must meet rigid standards. German shepherds are preferred because  of their temperament and adaptability. Handlers are chosen from among volunteers who  are already trained as military policemen. They too must meet high standards.  Then comes the most important step, matching handlers and dogs  and training them as teams. This often evolves by trial and error, but many  teams work smoothly together from the start. [Music] When teams have passed exhaustive final tests, they are ready to assume their duties. A Nike  Hercules site may employ four or more teams. Each site has kennels and exercise  facilities and the training of each team continues under the supervision of a senior  dog handler. He is a noncommissioned officer who is an experienced military policeman  skilled in handler sentry dog training. The dogs are fed specially prepared food. They are groomed regularly and  undergo periodic health checks. While on sentry duty, each dog is under  complete control of his handler. He is not trained to kill or injure, but  to stop an intruder in his tracks and assist his military police handler  in taking the intruder into custody. This teamwork is so highly developed that only his  handler can exercise control over him. Therefore, both members of the team are transferred or  reassigned as a unit. Team training for dogs and soldier handlers has been conducted at  Lackland Air Force Base, Texas since 1959. Nearly 1,900 teams have been trained for ARADCOM since that time and nearly 550 are on  the job within ARADCOM day and night. The use of these teams results in the  savings of both manpower and money. Teams supplement other security devices,  some obvious, others less apparent. But the keen senses of the sentry dogs,  coupled with the intelligence and training of their soldier handlers, are guarding Nike sites  throughout the United States against sabotage, vandalism, or actual intrusion by foreign agents.