100th SFS handlers mourn loss of two MWDs

  • Published
  • By Karen Abeyasekere
  • 100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
RAF MILDENHALL, England --  The 100th Security Forces Squadron kennels received a double blow of sadness when two military working dogs passed away recently. A memorial ceremony was held in their honor March 21, 2017, at the RAF Mildenhall Chapel.

As the K-9s final roll call was called on radio, followed by the sound of “Taps” echoed around the chapel, a row of military working dogs and their handlers formed up to pay their respects to the late MWDs Gandi and Luc. Team Mildenhall members also gathered to say a final goodbye to the K-9s.

After six years at the RAF Mildenhall kennels and working in partnership with four handlers, MWD Gandi, 8, started suffering severe problems with his back legs. After taking him to the vet for treatment it was discovered he had a tumor and was immediately sent to Ramstein Air Base, Germany. During surgery the vets discovered a tumor so large that it was considered more humane to have him euthanized. Gandi passed away March 3, 2017. During his military service, Gandi amassed 8,000 working hours.

The second dog to pass away was MWD Luc, 8, who retired from active service in December 2016. Luc went to live with Tech. Sgt. Daniel Montgomery, 100th SFS training NCO in charge, and his wife Joanne. The couple said Luc was enjoying life after serving six-and-a-half years and amassing 9,000 working hours. After enjoying life as a normal dog, the retired K-9 passed away Feb. 25, 2017, after old medical issues resurfaced.

Despite the sadness accompanying the losses, both dogs were loved and left great memories in the hearts and minds of their former partners and other kennel teammates.

MWD Gandi

Easily recognizable by his floppy ear and fluffy fur, Gandi was a big personality in the kennels.

Staff Sgt. Jason Soliz, 100th SFS MWD handler, was the last partner Gandi teamed up with, and was with the MWD until the very end.

“Gandi’s personality varied over the time I had him. When I first picked him up he was very reserved and didn’t really interact with me too much, but after about four or five months of us being together I saw a total change in his personality,” said Soliz. “He became a whole new dog in my eyes and started to become more playful and puppy-like – it was crazy to see that in a 7-year-old German Shepherd!”

The MWD’s presence is definitely missed, and Soliz described how the atmosphere in the kennels has changed since the loss of Gandi.

“It’s definitely not the same; you can ask any handler here,” he said emotionally. “Gandi’s bark and mannerisms were so distinguishable – it’s like a life has been ripped out of the kennels. The hardest part for me is having to walk past his empty kennel.”

As the MWD’s handler, Soliz travelled with Gandi to Ramstein Air Base, where the K-9 underwent surgery. The surgeon asked if he wanted to be in the operating room as the surgery happened, and he immediately said yes without question.

“They told me the day before that there was a chance when he was put under that he might not wake up. I tried to stay positive and I didn’t want to leave Gandi alone. I know he was under (anaesthetic) but I felt if he could just hear my voice, it would be some sort of comfort to him while he was being operated on,” said Soliz.

“Fewer than two hours after the surgery, a doctor pulled me out of the room and explained there was a high chance that Gandi wasn’t going to make it,” he recalled sadly. “In that moment, I tried to keep my composure and stay positive, but to hear that news about a partner, it’s probably the worst I’ve ever had in my entire life. Then to stand there and say my goodbyes – it’s not something I ever imagined I’d do, and it’s not something I ever want to go through again.”

The handler brought Gandi’s ashes with him back to RAF Mildenhall, so the MWD would have his former home as his final resting place. But despite the tragedy, Soliz has fond memories of his former partner, many of which still bring a smile to his face.

“I was tasked with a mission to London and wanted to clean Gandi up,” remarked Soliz. “I thought I’d give him a haircut – anyone who knows Gandi knows he is ‘fluffy’ to say the least! I had another handler help me trim his hair, and while I was holding him, the other handler was cutting Gandi’s fur on the other side.

“I said, ‘Just trim it up a little bit so he looks presentable.’ After about five minutes, the other handler looked up at me and said, ‘Oh …’ That’s the last thing you want to hear when someone is going to work on the dog with shears! I looked over, and the entire side of Gandi’s body was shaved off,” said Soliz, laughing. “I stepped back and looked at him, but there was absolutely no way of recovering it, so we had to just go with it and cut his hair all over – he went from a long-haired German Shepherd to a short-hair German Shepherd in a matter of 30 minutes!”

The haircut may not have gone as planned, but the handlers made sure Gandi was cared for and kept out of the sun and had heaters inside his bed so he didn’t get cold.

“After we were done clipping him we let him outside, we saw a brand new dog! I’ve never seen a dog so happy in my entire life – I don’t know if it was the weight of the fur off of him, or if he could feel the breeze on his skin, but he was running around barking, jumping and just so happy!” Soliz said, smiling broadly at the memory of his former partner.

MWD Luc

“Luc was in our lives for just a very short time, but he brought a lot of joy when we took him home,” said Montgomery, Luc’s adoptive parent. “He adjusted to retired life fairly quickly and always seemed happy and ready to play, even though he was 9 years old.

“Luc was a special dog and did a great service for the Air Force. We’re glad he came into our lives and hope he enjoyed retirement as much as we enjoyed having him in our home. He’ll always hold a special place in our hearts and will be sorely missed,” Montgomery said.

Debbie Black, 100th SFS kennel attendant, saw first-hand how Luc was one of the great K-9 personalities in the kennels.

“Luc was just an all-round lovely dog, and would always come out to greet me first thing in the morning. He just wanted a pat on the head – or to escape his kennel,” she said at his retirement. “He was never overly affectionate except in his kennel, and he was always coming outside for a cuddle when I was cleaning the outside run. He loved to bark loudly and continuously whenever visitors were around, making people think he was a mean dog, but he really wasn’t.”

The MWD’s final handler, Tech. Sgt. Roy Carter, 100th SFS kennel master, worked with Luc since August 2015 and continued to help manage his care until the K-9 retired.

“My favorite quality of Luc’s was that he was such a faithful dog,” said Carter. “One particular great memory I have of him was when we went on our mission to Croatia. We got stuck traveling back and stayed in Italy for five days. While we were there, we were able to take a trip to a lake, and Luc got to enjoy the day just being a dog; he played in the water and rolled around in it. He had such a good time hiking with me around the mountain surrounding the lake – that’s my most favorite memory of him while working together.”