CAFB MWD passes away

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Chase Hedrick
  • 14th Flying Training Wing Public Affairs
COLUMBUS AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. --  "MWD Arko E009," better known as just Arko by those who knew him, passed away this month. Arko was suffering from cancer.

"Very handler protective and a good bodyguard," said Tech Sgt. Thomas Blandino, 14th Security Forces Squadron Kennel Master. "His overall demeanor once you became friendly with him showed he was an awesome dog."

The Belgian Malinois was born in September 1999, and accepted as a military working dog in September 2001.

After completing his training, he was assigned to Columbus Air Force Base, Miss. in 2005, where he has served since. Here at home, he helped conduct 12 presidential sweeps and responded to more than seven bomb threats, helping to make the local area a safer place to be.

Throughout his seven years at Columbus, he has been deployed seven times to locations across the Middle East to include Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Afghanistan. Throughout his combat deployments he found over 2,700 rounds of ammunition, over 2,000 feet of detonation cord, and over 600 lbs of explosives in many forms including mines and mortars.

A private memorial service will be held in the coming weeks.