Fairbanks soldier, dog train for bomb duty in Iraq
Published Thursday, July 24, 2008
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Stumble It!FORT IRWIN, Calif. — By now, most people in Fairbanks have heard that the more than 4,000 men and women who make up Fort Wainwright’s 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division will go to Iraq for a 12-month tour of duty this fall.
But what most people might not know about is the 16 dogs that will accompany the Strykers to Iraq to sniff out bombs and track targets.
Sgt. Nathaniel Epps, of the 2nd Battalion, 8th Field Artillery Regiment, was among those selected to work with one of the dogs.
“I wouldn’t say I volunteered,” said Epps, who claims he was never very fond of dogs before his assignment and has always been more of a cat person. “They put in that they needed a soldier, and I said that I would give it a shot.”
Epps trained for more than 300 hours with Tosca, a 3-year-old Belgian Malinois, in order to become certified to work with her in the field.
He long considered having a dog to be a “hassle,” and he had no problem disciplining her from the start, but Epps had some trouble bonding with the dog and had to have other soldiers work with him in that regard.
“I didn’t think a dog could smell someone in an area 100 meters away,” he said. “I didn’t think a dog could apprehend someone in the dark, but I covered my trail with pepper and she still found me. I had all these stereotypes about dogs, and they’re just not true.”
At the National Training Center in Southern California, Epps is one of the few soldiers with his own tent, but it’s more for the dog’s comfort than his since she needs the air conditioning. Also, if another soldier made a quick movement around Tosca, she might misinterpret it and attack.
Epps and Tosca’s day at NTC begins around 4 a.m. with a quick walk and a meal before it’s out to the field on a mission.
“She’s the best asset ever,” Epps said. “She can hit a wire from a couple hundred meters away.”
But like most dogs, Tosca spends most of the day sleeping in her kennel.
“Dogs sleep whenever they get downtime,” he said. “I can’t have her exhausted.”
And should the unthinkable ever happen in the field, Epps is trained to fix just about any injury Tosca might sustain.
For Epps, who served in the Navy for four years and joined the Army in 2005, the new assignment has been a boon, especially since he was considering leaving the military after the upcoming deployment.
“This really opened my eyes to the new avenues the Army can take me on to continue my career path,” he said.
Epps and Tosca have even grown closer.
“I’ve grown fond of her I’m ashamed to say,” he said.
Community Discussion
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You should never be ashamed of your dog. Unless it involves vomit and your friend's new clothes, in which case it's hilarious.
Having been a dog handler in the military for over 9 years. Epps is the wrong person for the job. If he clearly does not like dogs, he will not properly care for the dog. detector dogs are a wonderful asset and companion. They are family and need the love and support you would your own house pet. They risk their lives everyday to make soldiers safe! Epps needs to find another job!! It is ashame that he will "give it a try" he is "ashamed" that he has grown fond of her. Epps she is risking her life everyday and giving you a committment. Are you doing the same for her? Glad you are getting out of the military when you return. We don't need selfish people in the military. She will have a better handler that will take pride in her. Take pride in what you have done and are doing!
This soldier does not sound convinced that he's happy with what he's doing. The attitude demonstrated from his selection to be a handler to what it seems to be now appears no different. Or maybe he's just had too much sun.
I think maybe this interview was mis-interpreted.
I am hoping that he meant that last comment as a joke.
It sounds like he grew fond of the idea although he never went into the service to be a K9 handler.
As a wife of a handler I am here to tell whether or not your a dog person, you can't help but love these animals who are willing to jump in the line of fire to save you and anyone else who might be in the way.
Thank you for what you're doing, be safe and blessed overseas
We have a shortage of soldiers willing to work with dogs that we need to select one who does not appreciate what they can and will do for him?? Did he not pay attention to what dogs did at the WTC sites?? Does he not pay attention the stories about dogs saving lives?? Dogs are a boon companion. I think we can find someone else for this job.
I love my dog and would die 'inside' if something happened to him.
I certainly agree with most of you about this soldier's "job" in the army. SURELY they could find a soldier that loved animals (all of them) for this job. This story just breaks my heart, because I kinda agree with Moose. I'm wondering if Tosca is getting the love that she deserves. What a story!!
Those guys were chosen to do this job. It wasn't there choice, so if they wasn't animal lovers before, now they have to adjust to it. At least Epps is giving it a try. And how many of you all went down to the recruiting office today and said hey I'll go in the military to be a dog handler? And I totally agree with Tracy.
Here is the other heart breaker. Will Epps know how we feel or our comments? does anyone care of what we think? will the military get their head out of the 4th point of contact and realize he is not right for the job? Will other military members read this article and now feel they can't rely on Epps? we know Tosca is reliable.
Will the Newsminer persue this story? Just wondering.
Lay off the guy! I think that he was the perfect guy for the job. The dog is there to do a job and if you get a softy like me in that position I would probably spoil the dog and not treat it like a solider (because that is what it is!) and put both of us in danger. We have to remember the the Fidos that we have at home are probably WAY too spoiled for their own good. It sounds like this dog didn't have a problem with this guy so why should we. It is just another reminder that dogs are better then humans when it comes to accepting people for who they are. I am pretty sure the guy doesn't abuse the dog. I am pretty sure that Tosca is getting what she wants out of the relationship! She is working, getting walked, getting fed, and it sounds like this guy is softening up a bit... meaning she might even get a scratch behind the ears!
This is just the tip of the iceberg,now that those Belgians bought Budweiser.
Can only be an improvement, mackie.
You know, we probably shouldn't blame the soldier that much. It shows that someone in charge didn't really care that the poor guy didn't even really like dogs. Maybe he didn't have any choice in the matter and if he didn't then we probably shouldn't fault him that much. The ones at fault are his superiors that couln't find a soldier that loved dogs(or even liked dogs) If I were guessing I would bet he wasn't the only one who didn't particularly like dogs. The soldier that made the decision to give him that position probably could care less that he didn't like dogs. Maybe that scratch behind the ear will make Tosca feel loved. ha
Smileitcouldbeworse: Okay would your life or the lives of fellow soldiers depend on a scratch behind the ears?
Having been in the military for 20+ years, this guy could and should have spoken up. He sure did for the paper didn't he??? and he stated "had no problem discplining her", what is that about?
It is apparent he could not hack it in the Navy and now the Army! What next the other military services?
moose-
I was being facetious with that comment. I think we need to give the guy the benefit of the doubt. Could this guy be a jerk? Sure, but probably not. I think that Chris was trying to convey that here was a guy that was a cat person and by a twist of fate he now depends on a dog. It also sounds like this guy has a deep respect for his partner. I was also suggesting that the rest of loosen up a bit and realize that most of us over-humanize our dog's emotions. I am a HUGE dog lover, but know I wouldn't be the right person to train a service dog because you do have to discipline them. I would just be careful what you read into his comments, they are taken out of context and to you they may sound like he is a dog-hater/mean guy/not hacking it to me he sounds like someone who's partner, that just happens to be a canine, is kick-a** and has earn his respect.
Well for all of you that took what my husband Sgt. Epps said the wrong way I can tell you as his wife that he has grown fond of the dog and they work very well together. Whether or not he liked dogs before this experience is irrelevant as he has adapted and works well and has learned the value of a military working dog. My husband is the best person for this job because he takes what he does very seriously and would not have agreed to the assignment or completed the training if he thought he wouldn’t work well with his dog or would be able to adequately complete his tasks. In fact we have a family dog that he has become fond of and I know that when he deploys with his new partner they will complete their missions to their fullest potential. He has done well in this training and has grown as an individual in the process so please don't think for a minute that he is the wrong person for the job...and yes he was joking in the last comment.
Respectfully,
Mrs. Epps
To MOOSE...
You have a lot of nerve talking crap on here like you know my husband. I was in that Navy with him and how can you say from this article that he couldn't hack it in the Navy. Whether you have 20 years in doesn't matter at this point because your opinion means nothing. You have degraded my husband based on an article that you misinterpreted. I don't care if you're an officer or 20 year enlisted, you should show more respect for our soldiers out there risking their lives. I have a dog of my own, but I would rather see my husband come home then worry about the dog. They're an amazing asset and I have always wanted to be a dog handler but I never got the chance so I'm glad that my husband is. I don't care at this point what anyone says. You don't know my husband and are basing your comments on an article like you know him. Regardless of what is said, I am proud of my husband and he is a vital part of the Army and his Brigade. Don't talk about his Army career or the Navy. Lastly, my husband was thinking of getting out after this because I want him too. Maybe if we were somewhere besides Alaska it would be different, but because we are here he has to deploy again. He was supposed to get out this year and we could have moved on with our lives, but I encouraged him to try the training. He did it and enjoyed it, for those of you that think that this shouldn’t open someone’s eyes to the Army’s possibilities. Open your eyes and see that this is something that simply encouraged my husband to reconsider staying in rather then just getting out.
MrsEpps
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