Airman’s bond with ‘man’s best friend’ benefits Air Force

A senior airman assigned to the 802nd Security Forces Squadron at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland said he has the best job in the Air Force.

            He works with “man’s best friend” on a daily basis.

            Senior Airman Jordan Fuller, 802nd SFS military working dog handler, called Rocco, his MWD, “the best partner I’ve ever had and literally my best friend.”

            “The amount of time spent together is a big key factor in the reason why our bond is so great versus a human counterpart you may work with one day or two days out of your work cycle,” he said. “The bond you build with a dog that you’re working with every single day of that work cycle is going to be so much greater.

“It’s a very close bond,” Fuller said. “It’s something special, that’s for sure – almost indescribable, at least to me.”

Fuller, who grew up in Conroe, Texas, enlisted in the Air Force after graduating from high school and attending college for two years.

“I enlisted in the Air Force when I realized college wasn’t for me and I wanted to serve my country,” he said.

Fuller said he didn’t even consider being a MWD handler until he was a few years into his enlistment.

            “I had become a very good patrolman and gotten a lot of drug busts working at the gates and while on patrol, and it just seemed fitting for me to apply,” he said.

            Dedication is one of the attributes of a proficient MWD handler, Fuller said.

            “Coming in on days off to conduct training or care for your dog is a regular occurrence,” he said. “It also helps if you are detail-oriented and very meticulous. For the purpose of substance detection, you have to be able to think like a criminal in order to find a productive place for your dog to search, therefore increasing the likelihood to find the substance.”

            Rocco, a 4-year-old German shepherd, is more than up to the task, Fuller said. A dual-purpose dog, he’s trained in patrol work and detection work. He’s fast, too.

            “My dog’s average speed is 18 miles an hour,” he said. “Not very many humans can run that fast. And if they do run that fast, it won’t be for long, especially with my dog behind him. He’s constantly looking for something, some type of hostile act, something that could possibly hurt me or him. He’s always alert.”

            Fuller said every day is different for him and Rocco.

            “There really is no typical day per se,” he said. “For instance, one day I could be working a law enforcement patrol responding to incidents throughout JBSA and the next day I could be conducting K-9 demonstrations for future members of the military and attached to a distinguished visitor as a personal security detail.”

Fuller said he’s had the privilege of conducting motorcade sweeps for Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III, President Obama and Pope Francis.

“We as a MWD team are very versatile and can be implemented in numerous roles as a force multiplier,” he said.

            Staff Sgt. Benjamin Isom, 802nd SFS MWD trainer supervisor, called Fuller “a self-motivated and motivating young man.”

            “Senior Airman Fuller is a very meticulous and dedicated person,” he said. “He is one that loves his job and goes above and beyond daily requirements without being asked.”

            Isom also said Fuller has progressed quickly as a MWD handler.

            “Senior Airman Fuller is a very young handler,” he said. “He’s only been on leash for a little over a year, but he is already handling his MWD at a level of one who has been working a MWD for three or four years. This is largely due to his tireless work ethic and dedication to his MWD.”

            Fuller said his bond with Rocco helps motivate him.

            “I enjoy being able to come to work every day and, regardless of what may be bothering me or on my mind, I have my dog to cheer me up,” he said. “Every morning he is anxiously awaiting my footsteps and is always excited to see me.”

            Isom said Fuller was an asset to the 802nd SFS from Day 1.

            “Senior Airman Fuller has been a great assist to the security forces as a whole prior to joining the elite ranks of a military working dog handler,” he said. “Once he made that commitment to become an MWD handler, he has not looked back and has pushed himself to be the best that he can be. Along with pushing himself, he has encouraged those around him to be better.”