MWD kennel construction begins

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Mackenzie Richardson
  • 92nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. --  Construction for the 92nd Security Forces Squadron Military Working Dog kennels began in mid-July, breaking ground on the $1.7 million project.

The new construction project will provide minor improvements to the grounds, construct a new administration building for MWD handlers and renovate the existing kennels, the first time since the early 1990s.

“This project was programmed to enlarge the kennel area and in doing so, it caused us to add an administration building to have a comfortable work space for dogs and handlers,” said Eric Winborne, 92nd Civil Engineer Squadron project manager. “For the handlers, this project is mission critical; it impacts their daily mission and response procedures.”

The primary benefit from the construction project will be seen in the overall health and well-being of the MWDs. The animals will have a comfortable, safe place to relax when off duty much like our Airmen have, Winborne said.

The improvements will directly affect how the MWDs sleep, waste disposal systems and improving kennel materials. Kennel areas will nearly double, providing MWDs with raised sleeping quarters made of composite. This material will provide MWDs with a more comfortable alternative to concrete.

While construction is underway, the MWDs and handlers have relocated to Tanker Tails, a base kennel used for boarding and caring for family pets.

“Tanker Tails is benefiting us by giving us a location on base that can house our MWDs during the duration of the project,” said Staff Sgt. Justin Benfer, 92nd SFS MWD trainer. “If it wasn’t for them, we would have to set up a field kennel or relocate to a location off base. This allows us to continue the mission without any major hiccups or delays.”

The project was broken into three phases. The initial phase, design, lasted 120 days and focused on collaboration between all the involved parties to achieve a 100 percent completed design plan. The secondary phase, construction, is scheduled to last 180 days and is expected to conclude before winter. The third phase, close out, will follow construction to ensure all documents and records reflect the finished project.

“In a typical project, CES and the 92nd Contracting Squadron work together to complete a project for one customer,” said Kevin Hoyt, 92nd CONS project officer. “This project is unique because we have a lot more entities involved including CES, CONS, SFS and the 92nd Force Support Squadron. It’s a lot of moving parts.”

The project is scheduled to conclude in November, improving both the welfare of the handlers and MWDs.