Joint Base Andrews hosts Capitol K-9 Trials competition

Joint Base Andrews hosts Capitol K-9 Trials competition

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. De'Quan Roland-Hoover, 316th Security Forces K-9 trainer, acts as an attack decoy during the Capitol K-9 Trials at Joint Base Andrews, Md., May 20, 2023. Attack decoys wear bite-proof equipment as a safety measure against a military working dog's bite. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Tyrone Thomas)

Joint Base Andrews hosts Capitol K-9 Trials competition

U.S. Air Force military working dog handlers stand in line during the Capitol K-9 Trials awards ceremony at Joint Base Andrews, Md., May 20, 2023. Awards were given to the handlers that displayed the best overall performance in dog obedience, explosive ordnance and narcotics detection. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Tyrone Thomas)

Joint Base Andrews hosts Capitol K-9 Trials competition

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. De'Quan Roland-Hoover, 316th Security Forces K-9 trainer, runs from a military working dog during the Capitol K-9 Trials at Joint Base Andrews, Md., May 20, 2023. Attack decoys flee from the handler to simulate a perpetrator’s escape attempt on foot. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Tyrone Thomas)

Joint Base Andrews hosts Capitol K-9 Trials competition

A military working dog and attack decoy face each other at the Capitol K-9 Trials at Joint Base Andrews, Md., May 20, 2023. Military working dogs can close the distance between themselves and attack decoys in seconds. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Tyrone Thomas)

Joint Base Andrews hosts Capitol K-9 Trials competition

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Kaitlyn Thompson, 316th Security Forces Squadron military working dog handler, smiles during the Capitol K-9 Trials at Joint Base Andrews, Md., May 20, 2023. Thompson led her dog through a round of obedience and patrol procedures. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Tyrone Thomas)

Joint Base Andrews hosts Capitol K-9 Trials competition

U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Taylor Stieffel, 316th Security Forces Support Squadron military working dog handler, holds a military working dog at the Capitol K-9 Trials at Joint Base Andrews, Md., May 20, 2023. Dog handlers pet and hold the dogs to reward and relax them. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Tyrone Thomas)

Joint Base Andrews hosts Capitol K-9 Trials competition

A crowd cheers during the Capitol K-9 Trials at Joint Base Andrews, Md., May 20, 2023. The competition demonstrated military working dogs' attack and obedience capabilities used by law enforcement daily. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Tyrone Thomas)

Joint Base Andrews hosts Capitol K-9 Trials competition

U.S. Air Force military working dog handlers receive their awards during the Capitol K-9 Trials competition at Joint Base Andrews, Md., May 20, 2023. Awards were given to the handlers that displayed the best overall performance in categories such as dog obedience, and explosive ordnance and narcotics detection. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Tyrone Thomas)

Law enforcement working dogs and their handlers demonstrated their skills to fight for first place during the “Capitol K-9 Trials” competition May 20.

“We actually started this about five months ago. It’s been a lot of preparation, Staff Sgt. Boozel has been responsible for coordinating most of this,” said U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Tristen Hampton, 316th Security Forces Support Squadron military working dog handler. “He worked hard to get all these agencies out here. It’s so amazing to have this many people out here for this event. It warms our heart.”

The teams competed by completing activities such as detecting simulated explosive ordnance, narcotics, and obedience and patrol demonstrations. The competition determined the top-performing working dog team among Prince George County Law Enforcement, the Hyattsville City Police Department, Anne Arundel County Sheriff's Department and Air Force K-9 handlers.

“I traveled here from Grand Forks North Dakota, the flight was rough but I’m excited to be here,” said Kaitlyn Thompson, 319th Security Forces Squadron military working dog handler. “Fortunately, we didn’t have to do too much additional training. Training a dog to pursue a target without biting or taking down their target is a big hurdle that many dogs and trainers must overcome and one we’re continuing to work on.”

The judges included officials from both military and local law enforcement who evaluated and ranked each K-9 and handler based on their abilities. Contestants were also judged on factors such as control, composure, command voice and presence.

The event hosted private organizations such as Military Working Dog Team Support Association, which is responsible for donating care packages to teams deployed in global combat zones, boost morale in stateside military kennels, recognition of retired military K9s, and host events to educate the public about the importance of MWDs. They have donated over 1 million in product and half the proceeds from the Capitol K-9 Trials were donated to this foundation.

In addition to MWDTSA, the “Feed the Dawgs” project, provided food and refreshments for the K-9s and handlers present at the event. Revenue generated from the event will be used for military working dog care packages and goodie bags for deployed Defenders. It will also be used to assist veterans suffering from PTSD who may need a service dog to help manage their trauma.

The Capitol K-9 Trials concluded the Joint Base Andrews 2023 Police Week.