Staff Sgt. Stephen Aikharaekpen, 902nd Security Forces Squadron/S3D military working dog trainer, takes one of the dogs kept at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas, for an afternoon exercise while the kennels are cleaned and inspected. The Air Force Security Forces Center recently tested a new Kennel Health Assessment Tool designed to provide data to AFSFC leadership a Department of the Air Force-wide view of kennels and issues that could potentially impact MWD health and their availability to support warfighters. (U.S. Air Force photo by Armando Perez)
Tech. Sgt. Tariq Russell, 802nd Security Forces Squadron military working dog trainer, Tech. Sgt. David Garver, Department of the Air Force MWD program manager, and Tech. Sgt. Jeremy Hammer, 802nd SFS MWD trainer supervisor, discuss the inspection process prior to examining each of the kennels at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas. The Air Force Security Forces Center recently tested a new Kennel Health Assessment Tool, developed to streamline the way the Department of the Air Force tracks and prioritizes repair, renovation and replacement projects at MWD kennels. (U.S. Air Force photo by Armando Perez)
Tech. Sgt. David Garver, Department of the Air Force military working dog program manager, and Tech. Sgt. Jeremy Hammer, 802nd Security Forces Squadron MWD trainer supervisor, inspect a kennel located at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas. The Air Force Security Forces Center recently tested a new Kennel Health Assessment Tool developed with other units in AFSFC’s parent command, the Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center and a private contractor, which is designed to make data gathering, updating and sharing information easier while saving manhours. (U.S. Air Force photo by Armando Perez)
Tech. Sgt. Tyler Hendrix, 902nd Security Forces Squadron/S3O kennel master, cleans and inspects the kennels at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas, as military working dog, Sidra, looks on, waiting to enter her clean kennel. Designed to make data gathering, updating and sharing information easier while saving manhours, the Air Force Security Forces Center and private contractor, Solutions Foundry, recently completed testing a new Kennel Health Assessment Tool at 11 installations. (U.S. Air Force photo by Armando Perez)
By Debbie Aragon / Published June 7, 2023
JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas,
The Air Force Security Forces Center at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland recently tested a new assessment tool designed to streamline the way the Department of the Air Force tracks and prioritizes repair, renovation and replacement projects at military working dog kennels.
The Kennel Health Assessment Tool, developed with other units in AFSFC’s parent command, the Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center, and a private contractor is designed to make data gathering, updating and sharing information easier while saving manhours.
“The data collected provides the status of infrastructure,” said Tech. Sgt. David Garver, AFSFC assistant DAF MWD program manager. “That includes things like rusty pipes and drainage issues within a kennel, but also information on major infrastructure issues to help commanders at installations and major commands determine what funding goes where when it comes to construction projects.”
In addition to informing decisions at the installation and major command level, the data gives AFSFC leadership a DAF-wide view of kennels and issues that could potentially impact MWD health and their availability to support warfighters, Garver said.
AFIMSC’s Air Force Civil Engineer Center can use the information to project costs for major repairs, new kennel builds or when there’s a need to relocate a kennel, he said.
With an eye toward finding a more proactive way to do business, the Security Forces Center contacted the AFIMSC Installation Support Directorate and its contractor, Solution Foundry, to develop a user-friendly facility health assessment tool.
“Solution Foundry developed the tool to the point where we were able to beta test it prior to making it available to all users,” said Paul Chute, AFSFC DAF MWD operations chief.
AFSFC and Solutions Foundry recently completed testing at 11 installations. The team is now going over data collected, reviewing user feedback and fixing any bugs in the system. They expect Phase 1, DAF-wide data collection, to begin in July with a goal of rolling out the tool to all kennel masters in FY ‘24.
