Engineer Mine Detection Dogs
Abstract
There is a significant mine threat in numerous countries that US forces have the potential to be deployed to for operations in support of national strategy. As the current levels of mine contamination are unconfirmed, the threat to the movement of US troops can be significant. Proven safe routes can change overnight, requiring the use of engineer resources to clear and proof these routes and accesses to critical locations. Somalia, Bosnia, Kosovo, and Afghanistan are a few of the high-profile places where the US Army has deployed in high-risk mined areas. This article includes information on how mine detection dogs (MDDs) enhance the US mine clearance capability and why they are a necessary tool for the force. From ancient beginnings, the training for military working dogs (MWDs) has been continuously refined to produce a highly sophisticated and versatile extension of a soldier's own senses. Even the most complex and sensitive machines are unable to duplicate the operational effectiveness of a properly trained working dog. The US Army first used dogs for mine detection in World War II, when the 228th Engineer Mine Detection Company deployed about 100 dogs in Algeria and Italy. During the Vietnam War, the US Army and the US Marine Corps used dogs for mine detection, tunnel detection, and tracking. During the 1970s and 1980s, several US Army laboratories conducted technical studies to test dogs abilities to perform mine detection under various conditions. A 1977 study by Nolan and Gravite (Mine Detecting Canines) concluded that mine/booby trap detecting canines represent highly adaptable, sensitive, and specific detection systems. The report also conceded that MDDs are reasonably durable and readily reproducible. In 2002, the US Army contracted for MDDs to work in Afghanistan, where the dogs cleared areas, proofed the work by mine clearing armor-protected (MCAP) D7 bulldozers, and cleared mined soil berms created by MCAP D7 clearance operations.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 2004
- Accession Number
- ADA596627
Entities
People
- James Pettit
- Ronald J. Hughes
Organizations
- United States Army Engineer School